THE PROCESS
Grant Proposal Outline
Our first assignment is to create a grant proposal outline. Our class has been divided up into groups and will each work on a selected component of the overall proposal.
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The goal of creating this proposal outline is to establish the expectations both of our class, and of the charities who will be applying for the grant.
ABOUT
Fit Active Beautiful
FAB stands for Fit Active Beautiful and is a small grassroots charity within the Hamilton community. FAB is a volunteer-led, not for profit charity that offers 12-week running programs that target youth girls living in neighborhoods in Hamilton; the program challenges girls to train for and complete a 5km run - participants are lead through a 12-week journey of self-discovery, goal realization, and skill development.
Our group has had the privilege of working with FAB and we were lucky enough to attend FAB’s 10-year celebration and auction on November 1st, 2018. This was an amazing event where we were able to learn more about FAB; hear amazing testimonials of the impact they have had on Hamilton youth and also listen to inspiring speeches from Lisa Bentley, a legendary IRONMAN athlete. It was an encouraging evening and we were honored to be in attendance.
Sincerely,
Alexandrea Johnston and Michelle Lopatowski
An Unexpected Opportunity November 20, 2018
Can you believe it - we are nearing the end of the course! Crazy! I thought now would be a good time to reflect on everything we have done as individual groups working alongside our charities.
As a non-commerce major, taking a commerce course, only knowing a FEW select people and being placed into pre-arranged groups is a completely daunting thought. In previous experiences with arranged groups, I have never had any luck! Unfortunately, I have ended up with group members who could never take the time or effort to meet up, group members who would never communicate with the other group members (ex: never answer group chat messages) or members who would never compete their part and as a result, expect someone else to do their part for them. In this course, when I found out that each presentation we had to do was not only in groups, but they were pre-arranged groups, I was utterly terrified.
Little did I know, this experience would become a great opportunity for me to i) network!! I got to meet new people outside of my program and ii) develop and strengthen a variety of communication and people skills. In both groups we were arranged into, I had met new people who were motivated to work together and do well! In both cases, my group members challenged me in so many different ways, through quality content, cooperation, organization, time management, communication skills and so much more. It was a nice change of pace, to finally have a group that communicated and worked well together.
Throughout this experience, not only have I developed a number of skills, I have also made a bunch of new friends. Friends that I never would have had the opportunity to even meet, if we had chosen our own groups. Thanks for putting up with me this semester! I am grateful for this unexpected opportunity and experience, I have learned so much and I hope others have as well!
Good luck on exams!
- Emma Schoenholz
An Unexpected Opportunity November 20, 2018
Can you believe it - we are nearing the end of the course! Crazy! I thought now would be a good time to reflect on everything we have done as individual groups working alongside our charities.
As a non-commerce major, taking a commerce course, only knowing a FEW select people and being placed into pre-arranged groups is a completely daunting thought. In previous experiences with arranged groups, I have never had any luck! Unfortunately, I have ended up with group members who could never take the time or effort to meet up, group members who would never communicate with the other group members (ex: never answer group chat messages) or members who would never compete their part and as a result, expect someone else to do their part for them. In this course, when I found out that each presentation we had to do was not only in groups, but they were pre-arranged groups, I was utterly terrified.
Little did I know, this experience would become a great opportunity for me to i) network!! I got to meet new people outside of my program and ii) develop and strengthen a variety of communication and people skills. In both groups we were arranged into, I had met new people who were motivated to work together and do well! In both cases, my group members challenged me in so many different ways, through quality content, cooperation, organization, time management, communication skills and so much more. It was a nice change of pace, to finally have a group that communicated and worked well together.
Throughout this experience, not only have I developed a number of skills, I have also made a bunch of new friends. Friends that I never would have had the opportunity to even meet, if we had chosen our own groups. Thanks for putting up with me this semester! I am grateful for this unexpected opportunity and experience, I have learned so much and I hope others have as well!
Good luck on exams!
- Emma Schoenholz
ABOUT
Eva Rothwell Centre
The Eva Rothwell Centre is an extended family, it is a place where at-risk youth can feel safe and interact with big brothers and sisters, it is their home.
The Eva Rothwell Centre works alongside at-risk youth and their families in Hamilton, to give them the tools and resources to positively impact and improve their quality of life. They offer a variety of programming for children and people of all ages, specifically in regards to the youth, they offer after school programming, a breakfast program and learning pods. The learning pods vary in topics, including wellness, creative arts, education, essential skills, employment opportunities and a youth empowerment pod, all of which allow the youth in the red zone of Hamilton to interact with and experience new things they may not have been able to access without the services of the Eva Rothwell Centre.
Our group had the amazing opportunity to work with and experience the true impact that the Eva Rothwell Centre offers the young individuals and the at-risk, red zone community. Getting to know the staff - the “big brothers and sisters”, and hear various touching testimonials about all that the Eva Rothwell Centre has done for these people has been a unique experience. I wanted to thank the staff at the Eva Rothwell Centre for allowing us the opportunity to get to know them, hear amazing stories and make our own connections to the centre. This has been an experience that none of us will ever forget. Thank you.
- Emma Schoenholz
Girls Inc.
An Instrument for Every Child.
Hamilton Music Collective, launched their program An Instrument for Every Child, also known as AIFEC in 2010. The program targets elementary schools in the red zones of Hamilton and provides students with music classes as well as instruments. AIFEC’s goal is to reduce the economic barriers involved in musical education.
Our group had the privilege of working with AIFEC throughout the grant proposal process. Both Astrid and Janice were more than helpful in educating us about their programs and the non-profit sector they work in. We had the opportunity to watch an AIFEC instructor in action with one of their grade one classes. The student’s enjoyment and intrigue displayed during the lesson was inspiring to watch.
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-Jacquilyn Beauchamp
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Girls Inc.
Through our undergraduate course, the Learning by Giving Foundation gave us an incredible opportunity to connect with various charities around the community. Personally, I had the
opportunity to work with Girls Inc. a charity that aims to inspire girls to be strong, smart and bold. From learning about the behind the scenes of a sustainable charity to witnessing the impact the programs have on young girls it was a very educational experience. During our meetings we found the staff to be very welcoming and friendly and helped answer any questions we had. Furthermore, by visiting their after school program, we got to see the great work they do by helping young girls. We witnessed a small group of girls learn about stress and the different symptoms associated with it. It was nice to see that the girls were interested in learning about various topics and also partake in other active events. The young girls were very happy with the charity and love coming out to their programs. It really encouraged me to continue volunteering in my community and help out whenever I can. All in all, we had an amazing time learning about the charity and see the great impact they are having.
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-Adit Chokshi
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An Instrument for Every Child
ABOUT
Empowerment Squared
I was lucky enough to work with one of the most impactful charities, Empowerment Squared, and it has been an eye opening experience. This charity resides in the center of the Hamilton community and works with youth as well as adults to ensure the improvement of their environmental and social settings. The two main programs consist of the digital literacy program for adults as well as the after school program for at risk youth. Many of the program participants are the parents of the children that are apart of the after-school program. This is a key component because they are able to interact and reflect on what they learned and teach one another. In regards to their after-school program, I was privileged enough to see it running and it was one of the most inspiring moments of my life based on how ambitious the children were as well as their behaviour towards one another. We were lucky enough to receive the charity grant from our class and put it towards a sports and recreational program and be able to impact even more children.
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- Dipesh Patel