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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOne Cool Earth 2024-25 HSG ApplicationHuman Services Grant Application 2024-25 Application Questions Part 1 Basic Information 1. Organization Name * One Cool Earth (OCE) 2. Fiscal Agent (if different than above) * none 3. Project/Program Name * Garden Education Program 4. Requested Amount * $5,000 5. Name of Person Completing Application * Greg Ellis 6. Name of Person for Grant Communication and Contract for Grant Cycle (if different from above) * Greg Ellis 7. Organization Mailing Address * PO Box 150 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 8. Phone * 760-382-5164 9. Email * grants@onecoolearth.org Part 2 Organizational Information 1. Purpose/Mission Statement * We create school garden programs that power healthy, happy and smart youth. 2. Briefly describe your organization’s purpose, vision, primary activities, and operating structures * Prioritizing our vision that Every Child Deserves A Place To Grow, our purpose is to significantly affect interrelated issues of student academics, health, and behavior—as measured by evaluations. We integrate evidence-based garden education in elementary schools to create a culture of thriving health by giving students access to hands-on learning opportunities with real-world impacts. One Cool Earth aims to enhance nutrition education by making school gardens as ubiquitous and indispensable to education as libraries, sports fields and computer labs. We utilize evidence-based best practices to create school gardens that change lives through the improvement of student health, academic performance and general well-being. We recognize that: 1. Gardens make healthy eating fun and personal through seed-to-table activities. 2. Gardens bridge textbook learning and real-world phenomena, making science and other subjects engaging and accessible. 3. Gardens make students feel good, providing a positive, outdoor space on campus. 3. Name of Executive Director * Katharine Rondthaler-Krieg 4. Name of Board President or Chair * Maria Kelly 5. Number of paid staff (full or part-time)* 18 6. Number of volunteers * 197 7. Describe the community(ies) your organization supports * We build, refurbish and maintain school gardens as outdoor classrooms of 25 school campuses on the Central Coast of California. Working with local school districts, we prioritize the inclusion of marginalized school communities who have limited access to green space and nutrition education. Our programming is especially tailored to serve the nutritional and academic needs of disadvantaged students. This project will focus on schools within San Luis Obispo city limits. 8. Approximate Annual Budget * $750,000 9. Major Sources of Funding * SLO County Public Health ARPA Grant - $350,000 - 5 year grant Coastal Conservancy Youth Community Access Grant - $300,000 - 3 year grant Glikbarg Foundation - $45,000 - 1 year grant Harold Miossi Charitable Trust - $21,000 - 1 year grant In addition, we receive about 1/3rd of our funding ($250,000) directly from schools and districts in the form of a partial fee-for-service. The remainder of our funding comes from over 30 smaller grants as well as from individual donors. Even though this grant request represents a small portion of our total budget, it is a vital component of our funding structure. Part 3 Project/Program Information 14. In the table below include a minimum of four (4) metrics or performance outcomes that relate to the implementation/success of the project. Examples include: # of SLO City residents served, # of referrals provided to individuals seeking social services. Methods of Evaluation Indicators of Success / Measurable Outcomes 1669 Total number of students reached 432 Total number of lessons taught 3338 Total number of tastings 250 Lbs. of fresh produce grown and distributed 1. Please provide an executive summary of proposed project/program * This project will support our programming at four San Luis Obispo school gardens, providing year-long nutrition learning for 1669 students. We provide a weekly Garden Educator to campuses who teaches a series of 108 seasonally-aligned, hands-on and standards-based lessons per school per year in the school garden, connecting students to healthy foods and building lifelong eating habits. In addition, our Garden Educator hosts 2 community garden workdays and one family cooking night per school, connecting the community with the garden. 2. Total Project Cost?* $50,000.00 3. Requested Project Amount * $3,000.00 4. Please provide a detailed description of proposed project/program * One Cool Earth requests support for our school garden programming in the City of San Luis Obispo at Pacheco, Sinsheimer, Los Ranchos and C.L. Smith Elementary Schools. Our program provides a weekly Garden Educator to each campus who teaches a series of 108 seasonally-aligned and standards-based lessons per school per year in the school garden. We use gardens to make healthy eating fun and personal. We also bridge textbook learning with real world applications to make science hands-on, accessible and memorable. When working with a school, we first construct a new garden—or restore an existing one—to create effective and engaging outdoor classrooms. Next, we hire talented and inspiring garden educators who teach a year-long series of rigorous, evidence-based and standards-aligned lessons. The core of our lesson sequence involves planting, tending, harvesting, preparing and eating fruits and vegetables. Our curriculum schedule produces four harvests per year at a school site. Harvested produce is used in a variety of ways: cooking lessons, school-wide tastings, students/families giveaways, and even stocking the cafeteria. We host 2 annual volunteer workdays at each site to immerse the community in maintaining school gardens. One Cool Earth’s garden-based education program includes best-practices in nutrition education that align with local policies and strategies, and are backed by research. Our evidence-based program involves students in every step of the food system, from growing and harvesting, to preparing, cooking and eating over the duration of the school year. The body of research has found that garden-based nutrition education programs are a more effective method for increasing nutrition knowledge, fruit and vegetable identification skills, and fruit and vegetable consumption than in-classroom nutrition education programs,,. Research also supports that garden-based interventions that involved consistent exposure to the garden over a longer period of time were more likely to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables. Three determinants lead to the most effective nutritional behavior change: 1) decrease fear of trying new foods (neophobia); 2) increase perception that it is socially acceptable to eat fruits and vegetables; and 3) increase self-efficacy in abilities to eat fruits and vegetables. The hands-on nature of our school garden program is a key component for nutritional behavior change in children because it directly connects them to new foods in a supportive environment, offers many opportunities to taste and eat new foods, and provides skills that students can use to independently choose and prepare healthy foods. One night per year per school, we host Family Cooking Nights that gather families for a community cooking night that uses culturally appropriate recipes. To enhance the garden experience, these events are centered on meal preparation with students and their families, providing all ingredients and cooking utensils for the evening experience. The impact of youth cooking with their families is manifold: •Exposure to scratch cooking helps youth develop a mature palate •Youth are more likely to eat what they make •Meals prepared from scratch are more nutritious •Cooking together provides a natural way to discuss nutrition •Youth learn the essential life skill of cooking •Spending time in the kitchen builds youth confidence •Preparing meals together increases quality family time 5. Describe the community/population the project/program will support.* Overall, this funding would impact approximately 1669 local students of which 91 are homeless, 664 are socioeconomically disadvantaged, 764 are non-white (predominantly Latinx), 284 are English Language Learners, and 308 have a health risk due to diet, according to state physical fitness testing. Programming like ours is demonstrated to increase student consumption of fruits and vegetables 3x over those who do not participate in garden-based nutrition education. Alongside nutrition education, our lessons are correlated with Next Generation Science Standards, supporting students in a notoriously difficult subject (i.e. less than 50% of local students are proficient in science, according to state testing). In addition to direct education, we promote CalFresh benefits at each school, acting as a trusted community partner to inform, educate and refer eligible families to receive food assistance benefits. Our educators are trained in trauma-informed teaching practices and we provide a bilingual educator and materials at Pacheco Elementary School. 6. The HRC has identified homeless prevention including affordable and alternative housing, supportive services, and transitional housing as the main funding priority. Does your grant request meet this funding priority?* Yes No 7. Which other priority of the non-ranked HRC funding priorities does your request support? Please check the appropriate boxes:* Hunger and malnutrition prevention Supportive physical and mental health services for those in need Services for seniors and/or people with disabilities in need Supportive and developmental services for children and youth in need Services encouraging diversity, equity, and inclusivity in marginalized communities 8. Provide timeline for project * August 2024 Recruit or reassign existing educators to school site Host educator training September 2024 Begin programming at school Schedule teachers and conduct student pre-tests Assess and repair school gardens as needed Conduct outdoor classroom tours Ongoing educator training on a weekly basis to enhance program delivery October - December 2024 Educators teach lessons One community workday held in outdoor classrooms Recruit Green Team and host projects December 2024 Mid-year review for educators Conduct principal surveys January - May 2025 Educators teach additional 108 lessons and host two [2] field trips One community workday held in outdoor classrooms June 2025 Conduct student post-tests July 2025 Analyze evaluations; incorporate feedback for next year ’s program iteration Throughout School Year Host Taste Tests for a total of 2x per student per year for all students at school site Host 1x Virtual Family Cooking Night per school Host 2x Garden Workdays per school Teach 108 lessons per year per school 9. Identify any partnerships/collaborations that are supporting this project/program and their roles * We coordinate with other garden-based nutrition organizations as a member of the San Luis Obispo Food Systems Coalition which meets quarterly, and are aware and up-to-date with other organizations working with school gardens. We have collaborated with The Food Bank, University of California Cooperative Extension, SLO County Public Health, and others in the development of our curriculum and programming. Currently, school garden-based nutrition education programming within the county is minimal, with University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) as the only formal provider. They have provided training to public school educators via their Garden Nutrition Education program (GNE) as well as providing direct nutrition education in Grover Beach Elementary. We coordinate with UCCE to ensure that our activities are complementary, focusing on different classrooms, grade levels or garden sites to reduce competition for limited class time. We also have collaborated with them to co-host our teacher trainings and have participated with them to improve our content and curriculum. 10. Describe your plan for sustainability beyond the City’s one-year award funding * We will sustain funding for our school garden programs by continuing the strategy we’ve developed over the past 23 years, providing stable and consistent programming at our partner school sites. We actively seek funding from multiple sources, including federal, state, county and city governments (currently covering about 50% of our costs), as well as receive partial funding in the form of a fee for service from the school sites themselves (covering about 1/3rd of the program cost). In addition, we have build a donor network and established relationships with foundations that cover about 20% of our expenses. One-year funding from the city will match these sources, allowing us to leverage multi-year government grants, as well as more deeply institutionalize our programming. At the school sites, our programming has lasting health and academic impacts on students involved in lessons as well as teachers to whom we provide training, mentoring and materials. We also establish the gardens as resources that persist at schools. 11. Describe the plan for promoting this project, program, or service within the City of San Luis Obispo * We will recognize the City’s grant through a press release, posting on our social media accounts, a notice in our newsletter, and a logo on our website. 12. Est. Number of people served through this project/program * 1,800 13. Est. Number of SLO City Residents served through this project/program * 1,800 Attachments Copy of Organization’s most recent complete fiscal year financial statement (for the previous year because it is the middle of the current fiscal year) including a statement of financial position/balance sheet, statement of revenue & expenses/income statement, profit & loss. Financial Statement * OCE 2023 Financials.pdf 92.18KB 1-page Organization Chart * OCE Org Chart (2) (2)-min.pdf 1.49MB Document Certifying Federal Tax-Exempt Status * OCE Letter of Determination (11).pdf 399.79KB 1-page detailed budget for the program including how the total requested amount of grant would be spent.   Budget * FY24 SLO City HS Grant Project Budget.pdf 49.41KB 1-page DEI statement that includes: Applicants’ understanding and application of DEI Affirming language that creates access and a sense of belonging in our community apart from grant Explain how this project will advance DEI in the City of SLO DEI Statement * One Cool Earth DEI Statement.pdf 49.34KB AUSD Farm Managers Irrigation Specialist & AUSD Farm Director Executive Director Director of Grants Director of Programs Program Manager Director of Communications and Operations Garden Educators Regional Coordinators curriculum coordinator The Board Of Directors One Cool Earth organizational Chart Regional Coordinators assist a cohort of Garden Educators with garden maintenance , events, & lesson support ONe Cool Earth Roles and Responsibilities The Board Of Directors Advises and supports the Executive Director in making executive decisions, strategic planning and financial accountability. Involved in fundraising and community building. Executive Director Does Strategic Planning for the Organization Leads decision making within the Organization Communicates with the Board of Directors Builds relationships with key partners and foundations Director of Comms & Operations Manages Contracts Creates and executes communication strategy Manages online presence Plans and executes annual fundraisers Administrative Lead Grants Writer Director of Grants Writes and submits grants to secure funding for programing Communicates with staff about grant requirements Submits necessary reports Assists with budgeting and program evaluation Program Manager Manages Garden Educators Supports with garden maintenance and projects Materials procurement Supports Educators with events, curriculum and lesson delivery Director of Programs Manages and maintains partnerships Manages curriculum and performs program quality control Hires, trains and evaluates Education Team Leads program evaluation Ensures that grant requirements are met Regional Coordinators Supports a small cohort of educators with garden maintenance projects, events, lesson support, and more Garden Educators Responsible for implementation of our Garden Education Program Provide quality lessons and care for our gardens Coordinate with teachers Host community events AUSD Farm Staff Supports all farm needs including growing and harvesting food for AUSD, education, and infrastructure projects Irrigation Specialist Assist with garden build projects and garden infrastructure maintenance Education Team Leaderdship team Curriculum Coordinator Collects feedback and assists with development of new curriculum Assures curriculum meets NGSS standards One Cool Earth Statement of Activity January - December 2023 A !"#$ %#&'& (")&*#+, -).!"#!+ /0, 1213 2/42/ 56 76(829422 /:0 TOTAL Revenue 4050 General Fund 255.95 4075 Employee Retention Credit Tax Refund 151,643.92 4080 Contribution Revenue 4085 Donations 4,173.39 4090 Sponsorships 500.00 4300 Events Revenue 4310 Garden Party 1,467.00 4350 Rooted in Community 37,896.32 Total 4300 Events Revenue 39,363.32 Total 4080 Contribution Revenue 44,036.71 4100 School Revenue 4095 PTA Reimbursement 19,930.30 4105 District Contracts 130,794.75 4110 School Contracts 42,470.65 Total 4100 School Revenue 193,195.70 4200 Grant Revenue 4205 Foundation Grants 109,104.00 4210 Government Grants 221,339.19 Total 4200 Grant Revenue 330,443.19 4250 Government Contracts 97,971.33 4700 Dividends 75.15 Total Revenue $817,621.95 GROSS PROFIT $817,621.95 Expenditures 6075 Payment Fees 864.65 6080 Travel & Automobile Expense 6085 Employee Mileage 2,905.10 6370 Travel -343.90 Total 6080 Travel & Automobile Expense 2,561.20 6100 Dues and Subscriptions 3,125.34 6150 Event & Fundraiser 6151 Garden Party Expenses 5,904.65 6152 Rooted in Community Fundraiser 324.20 6340 Boothing & Outreach 328.39 Total 6150 Event & Fundraiser 6,557.24 6175 Insurance 6180 Insurance - Liability 2,760.22 6185 Insurance - Workers Comp 8,645.40 Total 6175 Insurance 11,405.62 One Cool Earth Statement of Activity January - December 2023 A !"#$ %#&'& (")&*#+, -).!"#!+ /0, 1213 2/42/ 56 76(829422 1:0 TOTAL 6210 Legal & Professional Services 6030 Accounting fees 1,356.00 6211 Legal Fees 2,606.71 Total 6210 Legal & Professional Services 3,962.71 6230 Marketing 6050 Advertising & Marketing 3,715.37 Total 6230 Marketing 3,715.37 6250 Office Costs 6252 Computer Expense 1,581.46 6293 Postage and Shipping 150.50 6297 Printing 884.95 6380 Storage 579.17 Total 6250 Office Costs 3,196.08 6265 Outside Services 6090 Contractors 68,515.80 Total 6265 Outside Services 68,515.80 6270 Payroll Employee Costs 6130 Employee Medical Expense 3,979.28 6275 Payroll Wage Expenses 402,421.94 6277 Payroll Employee Reimbursements 18,502.42 Total 6275 Payroll Wage Expenses 420,924.36 6280 Payroll Tax Expenses 37,114.09 6285 Payroll Processing 2,020.86 6290 Retirement Contributions 1,700.95 Total 6270 Payroll Employee Costs 465,739.54 6295 Program Expenses 1,993.85 6294 Strategic Planning 3,581.91 6296 Fieldtrip Expenses 1,350.00 6298 Teacher Stipends 998.35 6299 MDP Curriculum Consultants 500.00 Total 6295 Program Expenses 8,424.11 63001 Training & Professional Development 6235 Staff Development Meals 1,006.27 6300 Professional Development 1,022.17 6375 Training 761.41 Total 63001 Training & Professional Development 2,789.85 6345 Headquarters Garden Project 6346 Headquarters Rent 2,450.00 6347 Headquarters Improvements 220.88 6348 Headquarters Garden Budget 1,886.75 Total 6345 Headquarters Garden Project 4,557.63 One Cool Earth Statement of Activity January - December 2023 A !"#$ %#&'& (")&*#+, -).!"#!+ /0, 1213 2/42/ 56 76(829422 0:0 TOTAL 6350 Supplies 3,072.47 6110 Garden Budgets 17,155.70 6351 Garden Builds 1,920.23 6352 Cooking Kits - Must! Charities 6,226.40 6353 Program Supplies 4,761.52 6354 Family Cooking Night 1,448.65 Total 6350 Supplies 34,584.97 6360 Taxes & Licenses 1,200.00 Total Expenditures $621,200.11 NET OPERATING REVENUE $196,421.84 Other Revenue 4900 Interest Earned 162.32 4910 Other Income 74.36 Total Other Revenue $236.68 NET OTHER REVENUE $236.68 NET REVENUE $196,658.52 One Cool Earth Statement of Financial Position As of December 31, 2023 A !"#$ %#&'& (")&*#+, -).!"#!+ /0, 1213 2/421 56 76(829422 /:/ TOTAL ASSETS Current Assets Bank Accounts 1020 Checking - Pacific Premier 236,102.86 1022 Savings - Pacific Premier 201,654.11 1025 Petty Cash 13.00 Total Bank Accounts $437,769.97 Accounts Receivable 1120 Accounts Receivable (A/R)18,783.33 Total Accounts Receivable $18,783.33 Other Current Assets 1150 Undeposited Funds 0.00 Total Other Current Assets $0.00 Total Current Assets $456,553.30 Fixed Assets 1600 Video Equipment 6,603.00 1700 Accumulated Depreciation -6,603.00 Total Fixed Assets $0.00 TOTAL ASSETS $456,553.30 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Liabilities Total Liabilities Equity 3500 Net Assets 353,140.77 Net Revenue 103,412.53 Total Equity $456,553.30 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY $456,553.30 One Cool Earth SLO City Garden Education Program SLO City Human Services Grant Projected Project Budget Item Description Requested from SLO City From Other Sources Subtotal Educator Wages Wages for garden educators -2000 hours @ $20/hour; $2,500 $37,500 $40,000 Program Management Wages for Executive Director, Program Director, Regional Manager -200 hours @ $30/hour; $0 $6,000 $6,000 Garden Supplies Compost,soil, irrigation,plants, seeds; $2,100 $1,100 $3,200 Cooking Supplies Tasting supplies, supplemental food for tastings and cooking nights; $400 $400 $800 Total $5,000 $45,000 $50,000 Projected Income/Matching Sources $12,000 -School Site Support $23,000 -SLO County ARPA Public Health Grant $10,000 -Glikbarg Foundation $5,000 -SLO City Grants In Aid Total Projected Incomes:$50,000 One Cool Earth DEI Statement As an organization whose mission is focused on rectifying deep inequities in health and education through the public school system,we have implemented a number of DEI best-practices in our organization,such as providing our curriculum bilingually,using trauma-informed care practices,and celebrating diversity in our staff.In addition,we are currently working through our strategic plan goals: ●review hiring practices to ensure that our positions are open and available to the most diverse set of applicants,and that pay-determination is fair and equitable; ●that our organizational structure (including board and staff)includes appropriate representation of our client demographic; ●that DEI is included in our staff trainings; ●that our program delivery (besides curriculum)is culturally competent--have worked with local Latinx and Chumash consultants to integrate history and cultural practices related to agriculture and the environment into our curriculum, passing on these practices to thousands of students; ●that our curriculum is not only linguistically relevant,but also takes opportunities include culturally relevant content to better connect to our audience as well as promote DEI values; The following statement is taken from our Employee Handbook,read and signed by every staff member: Diversity,Equity and Inclusion “One Cool Earth is committed to fostering a diverse workforce,and maintaining a workplace that is equitable,inclusive and safe for all employees.From recruiting practices,to pay and benefits,promotions,and all other aspects of employment with us, an environment of equity is of the utmost importance. We not only recognize that you,our employees,comprise a wide range of backgrounds and characteristics,but we believe those differences should be celebrated and valued. Whether it's race,religion,gender,national origin,ancestry,color,language,age,marital status,sexual orientation,gender identity,gender expression,physical or mental disability,medical condition,genetic information/characteristics,veteran status,political affiliation or any other characteristic,these are parts of each of you that contribute to your experiences as humans,and ultimately to the knowledge and expertise that make you a valuable asset to the Organization. One Cool Earth is committed and determined that there is access,opportunity and advancement for all individuals.We are always looking for ways in which we can cultivate an inclusive work environment,strengthen our cultural competency,and train our managers and employees to provide opportunities for growth and development. It is our intention that all our employees,regardless of any particular background or characteristic,are always treated with respect and dignity.Likewise,we expect that as our employees,you treat your coworkers,supervisors and other team members with the same dignity and respect at all times. Disrespect,inappropriate behavior or conduct toward others will not be tolerated and may subject an employee to disciplinary action,up to and including termination. If you feel you have been mistreated,harassed,or discriminated or retaliated against in violation of the Organization’s Harassment,Discrimination and Retaliation Prevention policy,please contact your supervisor or Executive Director.” The proposed project will advance DEI in the City of San Luis Obispo in several ways.First,it will support funding of our project at the city’s only bilingual elementary school,Pacheco Elementary.We provide bilingual education (our educator teaches lessons in Spanish)as well as provide all materials bilingually to both students and parents.In addition,our gardens feature culturally-relevant foods,recipes,and tastings that connect Latin cultures to our curriculum.