The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation - Afterschool and Summer Learning Programs is sponsored by Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The Mott Foundation focuses on expanding access to afterschool and summer learning programs in all 50 states.

# Opportunity Grants Initiative to # Advance Afterschool and # 2015 Overview and Prospectus Application # Charles Stewart Mott Foundation An invitation to currently funded statewide afterschool networks to apply for opportunity grant funding from 2016 -­‐‑ 2017 . Two -­‐‑ page prospectus due August 28, 2015. Full p roposals due September 25 , 2015 (invite only) .

Please direct questions to Kari Pardoe, Associate Program Officer, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation 810 -­‐‑ 766 -­‐‑ 1717 and kpardoe@mott. org . Opportunity Grant s Initiative to Advance Afterschool and Summer Learning 2015 Prospectus Application to the C.

S. Mott Foundation OVERVIEW OF OPPORTUNITY GRANTS 2 II. ABOUT THE PROPOSAL: OPPORTUNITY GRANTS INITIATIVE 3 EXAMPLES OF GRANT ACTIVITIES 3 III.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION 2015 4 V. IMPORTANT DATES 5Opportunity Grant s Initiative to Advance Afterschool and Summer Learning > 2015 Prospectus Application to the C. S.

Mott Foundation This year the C. S. Mott Foundation will begin a new Opportunity Grants Initiative to support selected statewide afterschool networks to significantly advance afterschool and summer learning through leveraging particular opportunities in their states .

Opportunity Grants will allow selected networks to deeply explore strategic elements of the work that are high priority to further their policy, partnership and quality goals. These grants are intended to not only increase capacity of the network to meet their goals, but are also designed to help build the nati onal afterschool movement with strong examples of successful strategies, research, engagement and partnerships.

There is also the expectation that the network demonstrate a plan for sustaining this new capacity beyond the grant period to achieve significa nt system change on behalf of children and families. Opportunity Grants will include grants of between $125,000 and $200,000 over two years, in addition to the core three -­‐‑ year network grant of $225,000.

Priority will be given to applicants that seek to bu ild upon existing opportunities or vehicles to advance afterschool programs, such as existing afterschool initiatives; and/or to address barriers to growth in the afterschool field in new and innovative ways. Pending availability of resources, the Mott Foundation may continue the Opportunity Grant Initiative in subsequent years.

Please note that Mott Foundation funds may not be used for lobbying. If there are any lobbying costs included in the budget, there must be other non -­‐‑ Mott Foundation committed re sources. Networks are asked to include these in the budget, along with the total dollar amount or the percentage of the lobbying funds as part of the total budget .

Opportunity Grant s Initiative to Advance Afterschool and Summer Learning 2015 Prospectus Application to the C. S. Mott Foundation ## II.

About the Proposal Grant Category 1: Increase in Investments in Access and/or Qual ity Grants would be available to support work that will lead to significant improvements in the availability of high -­‐‑ quality afterschool and summer programs for low -­‐‑ income students.

This may include objectives such as additional state investments in suppo rt of afterschool programs, the elimination of regulatory barriers that leads to significant new support for afterschool programs or the prevention of loss of current investments i n afterschool programs.

Applicants will need to make the case for why the t iming and current climate in their state is ripe to take advantage of this grant opportunity and would lead to significant state or federal impact .

Grant activities under this category may include but are not limited to : • Implementing new education and eng agement strategies that expand the base of support for high -­‐‑ quality afterschool and summer learning; • Increasing participation of local, state and federal decision -­‐‑ makers in a dialogue on the importance and effectiveness of high -­‐‑ quality afterschool and summ er learning; • Leveraging a particular “window of opportunity” to expand existing and effective afterschool and/or summer learning initiatives or programs; • Identifying new approaches and partnerships to support a well -­‐‑ funded system of quality • Designing expanded communications plans including social and other media strategies to raise parent and public awareness about the importance of afterschool.

Grant Category 2: Innovations in Policy Under this category, grants would support networks to connect with and further new areas of policy opportunity and systems building within their states.

Grants could : • Connect networks to significant new policy, quality and partnership opportunities in th eir states to support afterschool and summer learning opportunities, such as career and technical education or competency -­‐‑ based education; • Execute creative innovative approaches to public awareness and creating a dialogue among national, state and local policymakers and the public, especially parents and schools; • Support a collaborative exploration of policy and research -­‐‑ based practices through work groups of network leads and state leaders on difficult or important issues commonly affecting afterschool and summer , leading toward “ mod el policies or practice solutions .

” These work groups would be expected to develop a comprehensive work product that will provide significant research and information, strategy analysis and cross -­‐‑ network sharing . Opportunity Grant s Initiative to Advance Afterschool and Summer Learning > 2015 Prospectus Application to the C. S.

Mott Foundation Networks interested in this opportunity will submit a 2 -­‐‑ page prospectus that outlines the main concept of their proposal, the outcome(s) they anticipate as a result of this work, and fun ding required to achieve their goals .

There will be guidance provided by the Afterschool Technical Assistance Collaborative on threshold characteristics for potential applicants to self -­‐‑ assess their readiness to compete for Opportunity Grant funding. A smaller number of networks will then be selected to go through a simplified application process and submit full proposals.

Proposals should include: ¨ A description of the proposed Opportunity Grant project and goals for significant improvements in the availability of high -­‐‑ quality afterschool and summer programs for low -­‐‑ income youth. Include a description of the proposed budget, and the policy, partnership, quality or systems -­‐‑ change issue the network will focus on.

Explain how the grant will provide the network with new capacity or opportunity to achieve success in acco mplishing the network’s Opportunity Grant project and goals . ¨ A description of how the proposed project will strengthen the network in significant ways and tie to the general network work plan. ¨ A description of the intended outcomes of the proposed project.

As part of your proposed outcomes, it is recommended that the network review current baseline data of the number of afterschool programs in your state, and how your proposed project seeks to increase the total number of quality afterschool programs. ¨ A commitment to share lessons learned or products generated through the grant with the national network of statewide afterschool networks.

¨ An assessment of the potential for sustaining any increased capacity and improvements . Opportunity Grant s Initiative to Advance Afterschool and Summer Learning > 2015 Prospectus Application to the C. S.

Mott Foundation Networks will apply for grants with a two -­‐‑ year work plan. A start date between January 1, 2016 and March 1, 2016 is recommended. Tuesday, August 11 Prospectus Application Released Tuesday , August 18 Conference Call and Webinar: * Overview of Opportunity Grants Application .

Webinar Link: http://bit. ly/1PiAOwZ Call -in: 877 -668 -4493, Code: 647 237 709 Friday, August 28 2-Page Prospectus Due : 5:00 pm in state Email submission is strongly encouraged to Friday, September 4 Invitation for Full Proposals to be Sent Friday, September 25 Full Proposal Due: 5:00 pm in state network time Email submission is strongly encouraged to Between November 1 – Grant Notifications