ENG 546 Grant Writing

This class is called Grant Writing, and not surprisingly, focuses on writing grant proposals. The Mayerson Project gives students the unique opportunity to experience grant writing from the funder’s perspective. As they evaluate grant proposals and choose grant recipients, they learn about the importance of matching proposals to funders’ goals. In doing so, they gain insights that help them become better writers of their own grant proposals. The Mayerson Project also helps students learn about nonprofits in the community and talk with professionals in roles related to fundraising and development.

Working on the Mayerson Project was a great experience. I learned so much about  wonderful organizations and their projects. I also learned about the grant making process and what grant makers are looking for when they are reading proposals. This has been helpful for me while I am writing my own grant proposals. The Mayerson Project was a unique project and gave me a great opportunity to learn new skills. It also gave me the opportunity to learn more about two wonderful non-profit organizations in Northern Kentucky, and more about how non-profit organizations operate in general. Both of the organizations that I worked with for this project were happy to share things about their organizations and their current projects with me. I would like to work with either of them again if the opportunity arises!
- Merrie Stewart, ENG 546 student
 
My first takeaway from this project is the understanding that we have some amazing people in our community that have passion for the improvement of the lives of others in Northern Kentucky. Secondly, I learned communication skills that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I learned how to conduct an interview, professionally, write a polished professional e-mail, maintain open communication, and provide bad news. Third, I learned that philanthropy is rewarding. It feels so good to be a part of the change you want to see in the world. My conclusion from participating in the Mayerson Student Philanthropy Project: I want to keep being a small, but mighty, force for change!
- Megan Bradford, ENG 546 student

Remarks from Laura Dumancic, GO Pantry Executive Director:

GO Pantry is a non-profit outreach providing emergency food support to hungry kids in Northern Kentucky. We work with over forty schools across NKY to get food home to kids who would otherwise go without.  The kids are given a great breakfast and lunch on the days they attend school.  When school breaks, many kids lose their primary food source.
 
The kids GO Pantry serves have been impacted throughout the COVID-19 crisis.  We know this to be true because the requests for food boxes have skyrocketed.  When we originally wrote this grant, GO Pantry estimated 4,000 GO Boxes would be needed to help our local kids get through the upcoming summer months. The requests are now coming in from the schools and the numbers have increased to over 5,000 boxes.  Each box contains $50 of groceries to be used to help a child and their family get through one week at a time.  GO Pantry will provide six weeks of summer boxes to over 850 kids to help with basic food needs.  
 
The Mayerson grant will help GO Pantry purchase food items to fill GO Boxes.  The $1,000 grant award will fill 20 large boxes, which will help 20 families get through a week this summer.  The box contains breakfasts, lunches, snacks and two light dinners to help a family get through a week.  Not only does this food provide physical benefits, it also provides a sense of security, safety and hope. Kids receiving this support will now have an opportunity to enjoy the summer.  Instead of worrying where and when they will get their next meal, the kids can be kids and enjoy their school break.  
 
Thank you for selecting GO Pantry to be a recipient of your generous grant.  We love the Mayerson Project and how it teaches college students about philanthropy in our home community.  We look forward to seeing what your students do in the future.
 
To learn more about GO Pantry, you can visit our website www.gopantry.org or follow us on Facebook, facebook.com/gopantry.org.

Remarks by Mary Kay Connolly, Read Ready Coordinator:

Read Ready Covington is deeply grateful to the students and teacher of ENG 546 Grant Writing, the Mayerson Philanthropy Project, and R.C. Durr Foundation for your generous support.  You have brightened our day, week, month, and summer through your gift of $1,000. You have made possible multiple PopUp StoryWalks and activities that bring literacy experiences to children in their own neighborhoods. Each StoryWalk will be combined with storytelling that models Shared Reading strategies along with weekly planned activities we host at public pools, parks, and the City Heights community.
 
Many of the residents in City Heights cannot access our fantastic public library in Covington because they do not have personal transportation to get there or due to the very limited public bus transportation for residents. Therefore, the StoryWalks, STAR summer program, and other planned activities will now be able to reach children in homes that often have extremely limited home libraries and enrichment opportunities.  
 
COVID-19 has increased the lag in academic and social and emotional development many Covington children were already demonstrating. As the world begins to look toward the opening of services and community centers, your support means help to children and families that could not pay for the enrichment and intervention Read Ready Covington Coalition members are now able to offer.
 
By selecting Read Ready Covington, you are helping to further early literacy as a community value and reality in Covington.
 
Join us at public events. Sign up as a volunteer or contact us for more information at info@readreadycov.com. Follow us to https://www.facebook.com/ReadReadyCov

Professor Bloch: Because of COVID-19, the class was held synchronously online. Zoom makes it much easier for the nonprofit representatives to come to class - they can just pop in and out of class without having to worry about getting parking passes and finding the building!

There are trade-offs, though, as some of the show-and-tell that would come across more strongly in-person is missing. Likewise, most of the students met with the nonprofit representatives via Zoom rather than travelling to their sites, which I would normally strongly recommend. While meeting via Zoom is convenient, some of the opportunity to see the nonprofit in action is lost. I will likely retain the option of Zoom meetings in the future, although I will also encourage meeting in-person when feasible.