starter grants and site visits

Action Teams

3 WEEK CHECK-IN, STARTER GRANTS AND SITE VISITS

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Target and Objectives

» Target: By the end of this session, ACE staff will have a clear understanding of the ACE Starter Grant process and to support Action Teams more in depth.

» Objectives:› Have a clearer understanding of the 3 week check-in› Understand logistics of the Starter Grant program, both

regionally and nationally› Be clear of expectations for setting up and conducting

site visits with Action Teams› Identify possible site visit topics› Become familiar with tools ACE provided for site visits› Discuss different scenarios that educators have

encountered and best practices for dealing handling them

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Assembly

Everyone

Community

Leaders

First AT

Meeting

DOT

Project

AT AdvancedTraining

Student Action Programs :: Roadmap

AT Orientation Training

Begin Project Track

Continue Project Track

Opportunity

Action Grant

($2,500)

Additional Offerings for Students: - Scholarships - - Field Correspondents - Contests - Youth Reps

Project Tracks: - Greener Building - Stop Waste - Transportation - Raise your Voice

(within 2 months of initial ACE Assembly)

(2-3 months after AT Orientation Training)

3 weekcheck-

in

Apply ForStarter Grant

($250)

Site Visit

3 Week Check-Inand leading up to it….

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Post Presentation :: Follow Up Emails

» Email #1 :: Immediately after presentation› From: Educator› Subject: Thanks, DOT project reminder (FB Causes)

» Email #2 :: 1 Week after presentation› From: Salesforce (Drip)› Subject: Project FAQ’s (Grants/Trainings/PCF)

» Email #3 :: 2 Weeks after presentation› From: Salesforce (Drip)› Subject: Reminder about grants/training (PCF)

» Email #4 :: 3 Weeks after presentation› From: Educator› Subject: 3 Week Check-In

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3 Weeks :: Check-In Process

» 3 week

check-in

Step #1: Salesforce sends Educator reminder to check in with school/AT record for DOT project

YESStep #2a: Send Starter Grant and Orientation Training email

NOStep #2b: Send Check-in email (or call)

Don’t Hear BackNo more follow up

NOStep #3b: Orientation and Toolkit email

YESStep #3a: Send Starter Grant and Orientation Training email

*If Action Team submits DOT project beforehand, feel free to skip straight to Step #2a (and turn off Drip AND 3 week check-in reminder)

Starter GrantsIdentifying who we go “deep” with

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RECAP :: 2009-2010 Starter Grants

New Eng. Chicago Texas LA Bay Area Sierras

16 9 4 3 8 9

NY/NJ DC Atlanta CO Other TOTAL

6 0 5 0 0 60

» Basics› $250 amounts; 10 Starter Grants per region, per

semester› Monthly basis› No major expectations of ATs

» Lessons Learned:› Across the board, everyone supportive of continuing

these› Very useful carrot for site visits and working with ATs› NEED stronger guidelines and expectations

• Minimal # of stars; must turn in project completion form, trainings, etc.

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Moving forward :: 2010-11 Starter Grants

New Eng. Chicago Texas LA Bay Area Sierras

24 20 12 18 28 8

NY/NJ DC Atlanta CO Other TOTAL

16 12 8 14 15 175

» Basics:› $200 amounts; Number of grants per region vary› Monthly basis› Must complete DOT project› Must commit to attend (or have attended) AT

Orientation Training› Must commit to schedule a Site Visit with ACE

Educator› Strongly encouraged to choose an ACE Track

TOTAL for YEAR:

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Review Process :: Timeline and Logistics

1. Applications Accepted :: 1st-20th of Month› App. Submitted online –Educator notified (by Ashlee)› Starter Grants = “Opportunities” in Salesforce

2. Regional Review Process :: 21st-26th of Month› Salesforce report of all Starter Grant Opportunities› Review rubric -Handout› Meet with team to finalize recipients

3. Checks Processed :: 26th-31st of Month› Winners entered on Starter Grant tracking google doc

4. Checks Sent :: 1st of Month5. Notify Starter Grant recipients and set up Site

Visits› Site Visits should take place before end of month

6. Notify non-winners, with 1-2 comments on improvement

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Questions?

More Info on Gsites!https://sites.google.com/a/climateeducation.org/ace/

Home/yep/yep-coordinators/yep-protocol/review-process

Questions about Emails, 3 Week Check-in and Starter

Grants?

Action Team Continued SupportSite Visits

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Setting up a Site Visit

» What Action Teams?› 1st Priority: Starter Grant recipients› 2nd Priority: ATs that will apply a Starter Grant directly

because of a Site Visit• Should only be scheduled IFF convenient • Scheduled IFF region is struggling to get Starter Grant applicants

» When to schedule?› When notifying team that they won the Starter Grant

• Actual visit – take place within the month they won the Starter Grant

› If during 3 week check-in it becomes clear that they are a 2nd priority team and you will be in the area some time soon – good time to schedule

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Site Visits

» Target: Assist teams with project completion!

» Objectives:› Identify where team is at› Go from there!

» Possible topics for Site Visits:› Getting your team up and running› Outreach and recruiting more members› Tackling that first project› Taking on BIG project› Cultural Consciousness› Others?

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Topic #1 :: Getting the team up and running!

» Tools:› Team Leadership and Organization workshop

» Possible objectives:› Workshop› Design team’s leadership structure

• What positions?• What are the responsibilities?• How will everyone work together?

› Establish plan for electing leaders• How often will elections be held?

› Discuss plans for club sustainability • How will you ensure strong leadership from year to year?

› What else?

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Topic #2 :: Recruiting members

» Tools:› Outreach projects! (DOT, 1*s, etc)

» Possible objectives:› Identify WHY seems to be attrition› Brainstorm things that might keep people

interested/others to join• Outreach projects, bake-sales, join

another team, etc.

› Develop strategy for increasing membership• Set a goal for team size• Build in milestones

› What else?

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Topic #3 :: First Project

» Tools:› Building a Successful Project workshop› 1* Track Projects

» Possible objectives:› Decide on track (if haven’t already)› Workshop› Build timeline› Assign roles/responsibilities› What else?

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Topic #4 :: Taking on a BIG project » Tools:

› Building a Successful Project workshop› 2* and 3* Track Projects

» Possible objectives:› Workshop› Asset mapping

• What do you have? What do you need? What are some potential roadblocks and how can you overcome them?

• FUNDING – how are you going to get the dough? ACE, Brighter Planet, fundraiser, etc…

• Big opportunity to recruit Action Grant recipients!

› Build timeline› Assign roles/responsibilities› What else?

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Cultural Consciousness

» Tools:› Own experience

» Possible Objectives:› Establish safe environment› Help identifying lenses› Discuss issues specific to community

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QUESTIONS?

Ashlee Jensenashlee.jensen@climateeducation.org