National Class E Scow Association Grant Committee
Project Submission and Project Reporting Guidelines
Please read these guidelines carefully before submitting a proposal
Background
The NCESA, as a non-profit charitable organization (501c3), has established a Fund that is designed to support, enrich, and promote E-Scow sailing to strengthen and expand fleets across all regions. Grant proposals are submitted to the NCESA Grant Committee for recommendation to the NCESA Board of Directors for funding.
Goals
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Annually expand membership and the number of E-scows racing
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Expand E-scow sailing at new lakes and new areas thru promotion, training, mentoring, coaching, and other methods
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Monitor and introduce new ideas that will enrich the E-scow sailing experience to sustain long term growth in the class
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Unite the membership in achieving the goals of the association by using the best media communication methods available
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Make the sport of E-Scow sailing family friendly by involving the spouse, children and friends in a fun environment
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Partner with efforts to protect the natural resources we need to enjoy our sport of sailing E-Scows
Objectives
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Exceed 70 boats at annual National Championship regattas
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Add an additional local fleet to each Region of the Association
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Have 100% of boat owners participating in local club races become "Boat Owner" members of the NCESA
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Sustain regional membership levels even when the National Championship regatta is not in their Region
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Educate, train, and coach sailors so they achieve better racing results than the previous year
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Experiment with new technology, equipment, and methods that will improve the E-Scow racing experience
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Create programs to support a family friendly environment for all E-Scow sailors
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Participate in programs to maintain clean waterways and launching facilities
General Requirements
Project proposals submitted to the NCESA Grant Committee must originate from a sponsor at a Fleet, Club or Region of the NCESA. It should also be reviewed and approved by the Fleet Captain, local Commodore or Director prior to submission to the committee. Project proposal must support the goals and objectives of the NCESA as stated above. The use of grant funds or equipment is limited to direct support of a specific project or activity. Any proposal must include a rationale for the use of project resources, a list of the components, a projected cost, where any equipment will be housed (if applicable), what administrative unit will be responsible for security and maintenance of equipment and management of resources.
Note: IRS guidelines limit support to activities that have a clear charitable or educational value.
Specific Requirements
A description of project components must be specific enough to allow an accurate estimate of the cost of the project. The component list will include any and all costs associated with the project including but not limited to: boats, sails, equipment, tools, maintenance/repairs, travel, instruction, storage, and contracts. The proposal will also include a realistic estimate of implementation cost and time, along with an implementation plan.
When applicable, the proposal must indicate specifically where the project resources will be housed and what administrative unit is responsible for security, maintenance, and access to the resources. The proposal must estimate the number of sailors who will directly or indirectly utilize the resources of the project, the intensity of projected use, the affect on fleet or regatta participation, and the skill level of sailors affected.
Evaluation Criteria for recommendation of a project
A project will be recommended by the Grant Committee to the NCESA Board of Directors on a priority basis, using the following evaluation criteria, if it meets the initial requirements noted above:
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To what degree the proposal will expand and enrich the quality of E-Scow sailing
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To what degree the proposal will support the mission, goals, objectives, and strategic initiatives of the NCESA
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The number of sailors directly affected by the proposal
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The creation of new E-Scow sailing opportunities not currently available
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Improvement or expansion of existing E-scow sailing opportunities not currently available
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The educational value to people wanting to get started racing E-scows
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The educational value to people wanting to improve boat handling techniques
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Cost
Note: Higher priority will be given to proposals which provide cost share or matching (cash/in kind), demonstrate leverage by joint project funding from another source, and/or demonstrate that the ongoing maintenance, operation or replacement costs of the equipment supplied with NCESA grant funds will be provided by non NCESA funds.
Procedure for submission of a proposal to the NCESA Grant Committee
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Review the General and Specific Requirements, the Evaluation Criteria (listed above), and the application form. If you believe you have a project that meets the proposal requirements, begin your planning.
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Before you invest a great deal of time in planning and proposal development, consult with your Fleet Captain, Commodore or Director. Make sure it fits your fleet, club, and regions development plans. They should support the submission of your proposal to the Grant Committee. There are two main thrusts to your planning: (a) to what degree will the proposal expand and enrich the quality of E-scow sailing? (b) To what degree will the proposal support the mission, objectives, goals, and strategic initiatives of the NCESA?
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Complete the NCESA Grant Application Form. Carefully consider the questions on the application. If you cannot answer the questions in an affirmative and convincing manner, your proposal may not meet the general and specific proposal requirements and you should reconsider your proposal.
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If you have successfully worked your way through steps 1 through 3 above, and have answered the initial questions in the application, then budget questions at the end of the application will fall together easily. Bear in mind that Grant funds are limited, and we may receive more proposal applications than we can fund. Higher priority is given to proposals which (a) provide matching funds (cash or in kind) for labor, or the purchase, maintenance, operation or replacement costs of equipment, or (b) demonstrate leverage by joint proposal funding from another source.
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You are responsible for completing the NCESA Application Grant Form and obtaining necessary support from your Fleet Captain, Commodore, or Director. Once completed and signed, the Proposal Submission Form should be delivered to the NCESA at ncesa@e-scow.org
Timeline for Foundation Committee Submissions
The annual schedule for the Grant Committee is:
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First Saturday in November – First Grant meeting for the new season
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January 7th – Grant Proposals due
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Mid January – Committee begins considering proposals
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Mid February – Decision on funding proposals is completed with a recommendation to the Board of Directors
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Early March – Board of Directors acts on Grant Committee recommendations
An EMERGENCY PROPOSAL is defined as a request resulting from an unexpected occurrence that demands immediate action for an existing problem where a grant could have an immediate and significant effect on existing grant proposals or goals & objectives of the NCESA. Emergency proposals are accepted as necessary throughout the year.
Record keeping procedures and reporting requirements
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It is the responsibility of the originating sponsor to clearly account for the use of Grant funds expended on their project. This responsibility includes creation and maintenance of a project file to document all project fiscal activity. The file will include copies of all purchase orders, receipts of purchases, service contracts, and documentation of any other use of funds on the project. A project completion report should be included. The file will be submitted to the NCESA Grant Committee upon completion of the project. Project files will be maintained by the NCESA Secretary for five years after project completion.
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It is also the responsibility of the originating sponsor to inform the NCESA Grant Committee about the progress of their project. This requirement includes an informal monthly email progress report to a designated Grant Committee member during the course of the project. Also, a November 1st annual report to the Grant Committee for works in progress that overlap fiscal years, or a project completion report due on that date. The project completion report summarizes all project fiscal activity and provides information about how well the project met the objectives of the proposal.
NCESA
E-Mail: ncesa@e-scow.org