Maya, 12 — Pilot student, spring 2026
“Maya walks forty minutes to the library after school, because there is no art room at her school — and she has not missed a single session since March.”
A $48,000 request inside a $63,600 project — two studio sessions a week, for 120 students ages 11–14, in the one room in Aldermere that is free, warm, and open at 3:30 p.m.
The executive summary is written last and read first. Ours is 287 words: the need in one sentence, the program in two, the ask with the number, and the outcomes a reviewer can score.
In Aldermere, 1,400 students ages 11–14 attend three schools with no weekly after-school arts program. Between 3:00 and 6:00 p.m. they are, by the district's own count, the least supervised hours of their week.
Studio After Three gives 120 of those students two 90-minute studio sessions a week for 32 weeks, in the library's community room, led by two teaching artists and a program director who has run this model for four years.
We request $48,000 — 75% of a $63,600 project. The remaining $15,600 is committed: $8,000 from the Aldermere Arts Council, $4,000 from our board, and $3,600 of in-kind space from the library.
By May 2027, 80% of students will complete a six-piece portfolio, 85% will attend at least 70% of sessions, and 70% will report increased confidence on a validated survey. The pilot, run with 40 students in spring 2026, hit all three marks.
| Funder priority | Our answer | |
|---|---|---|
| Youth arts, ages 11–14 | Exactly the program's population | Fit |
| Awards $25,000–$75,000 | Request $48,000, inside range | Fit |
| Aldermere County only | All three schools are in-county | Fit |
| Measurable outcomes | Three SMART objectives, named instruments | Fit |
| Decision by Feb 2027 | Program starts Mar 2027 — after the decision | Checked |
Facts tell, stories sell. The need statement opens with a real participant — then proves the gap with numbers a reviewer can check.
“Maya walks forty minutes to the library after school, because there is no art room at her school — and she has not missed a single session since March.”
Three schools, ages 11–14, zero after-school arts sessions. Source: Aldermere School District, enrollment report 2025–26.
3:00–6:00 p.m. is the least supervised window in the district's own after-school survey — 62% of parents report no coverage.
The spring 2026 pilot kept every student for 12 weeks. The waiting list now holds 87 names — more than the pilot could take twice over.
A reviewer should finish this section able to explain, to a colleague, what happens on a Tuesday. Here is the week — and the year around it.
Hire the second teaching artist, enroll 120 students from the waiting list, set up the room, and run the baseline survey.
64 studio sessions, four portfolio reviews, eight family evenings, and the mid-year evaluation report in June.
Public exhibition of 120 portfolios, final survey, and the funder report — due December 15, 2027.
Every activity in the narrative has a line here. Every line here has an activity in the narrative. Switch the view to see the request alone — or the whole project.
| Line | Request | Match | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program director, 0.5 FTE, 12 moRecruitment, scheduling, funder reporting — 20 hrs/week | $24,000 | — | $24,000 |
| Teaching artists, 2 × $6,00064 sessions · $94 per session | $12,000 | — | $12,000 |
| Materials & suppliesPaint, paper, clay, brushes — $40 per student | $4,800 | — | $4,800 |
| EvaluationPortfolio rubric, surveys, final report | $2,400 | — | $2,400 |
| Indirect costs, 10%De minimis rate, within the funder's allowed rate | $4,800 | — | $4,800 |
| Space & utilities, in-kindLibrary community room — confirmed in writing | — | $3,600 | $3,600 |
| Aldermere Arts Council grantCash, confirmed — for teaching artist hours | — | $8,000 | $8,000 |
| Board contributionCash, confirmed — for materials | — | $4,000 | $4,000 |
| Total project cost | $48,000 | $15,600 | $63,600 |
Request view: $48,000 buys the people and the materials — a director, two artists, supplies for 120 students, evaluation, and the allowed indirect rate. The match is already committed; it is not a hope.
Activities are what we do. Outputs are who shows up. Outcomes are what changes — each with an instrument, a collector, and a reporting date.
96 of 120 students finish a portfolio by May 2027 — the program's central promise, and the exhibition's content.
102 of 120 students attend 45 or more of the 64 sessions — the attendance bar the pilot already cleared.
84 of 120 students score higher on the validated arts self-efficacy survey, pre vs. post.
Who collects: the program director owns the attendance log and the rubric; the evaluation lead (4 hrs/month, in the budget) runs both surveys. When it is reported: a mid-year update in June 2027 and a final report on December 15, 2027 — with the portfolio exhibition open to the funder the same week.
A missing attachment is the most common avoidable rejection. Everything on the funder's checklist is gathered before the portal opens.