Pacers Foundation Grant Guidelines
Our grant making is a collaborative process, involving many different players:
Our approach to grant making is not only collaborative, but is also innovative. We recognize that encouraging young people to make winning life choices is not just about providing them with needed services; encouraging youth to stay engaged in services long enough to reap the benefits can be far more challenging. Therefore, in addition to awarding grants to cover program costs, we will make available incentives and rewards from the Pacers and Fever to motivate youth to stay engaged and ultimately achieve desired and agreed-upon outcomes.
Our grant making also provides what is most needed by our non-profit partners: general operating support. Very few funders provide general operating or core support to non-profit organizations, which is defined as funding directed to an organization's operations as a whole rather than a specific project (project support). Yet, general operating support is what non-profit organizations most need. Many funders think: "How do we define and zero in on outcomes when we're providing such broad-based support?"¨ We at Pacers Foundation believe that we can be responsive to the greatest needs of our non-profit partners by providing general operating support, and ensure that their programs are truly helping our young people and achieving real results.
The five Funds described in our Grant Making portfolio were established based upon service gaps identified through a community needs assessment conducted in Indiana. That is, Pacers Foundation's funding priorities are based upon current research about what Indiana youth most need and not the issue "in fashion" at the moment.
Most importantly, underlying our grant making is the belief that our most vulnerable youth can make winning life choices if provided with the opportunity, resources and support to do so. They can Be Healthy & Fit, Be Educated, Be Drug-Free, Be Tolerant and Be YOUnique:
1) Be Healthy & Fit Fund
The Need:
Obesity is now the most chronic health problem among U.S. children -- American Academy of Pediatrics
A significant and rising percentage of children in Indiana are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight, leading to a host of potential health problems, such as heart disease, hypertension and diabetes -- Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Indiana State Department of Health
"Overweight children and adolescents report negative assumptions made about them by others, including being inactive or lazy, being strong and tougher than others, not having feelings, and being unclean" -- American Obesity Association
What We're Doing About It:
Pacers Foundation supports the efforts of Indiana groups that help
As such, school-based programs, health centers (including mental health programs focused on the psychosocial effects of childhood obesity), organizations focused on fighting and/or treating obesity, and groups focused on educating others about obesity should consider applying. This does not mean, however, that we will not fund other types of organizations focused on youth obesity. The bulleted points above simply refer to our priorities in this area.
2) Be Educated Fund
The Need:
Indiana has the highest percentage of high school dropouts in the nation -- Kids Count 2006, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
"The one million students who drop out of high school each year cost our nation more than $260 billion dollars. That's in lost wages, lost taxes, and lost productivity over their lifetimes...¨ -- Margaret Spellings, U.S. Secretary of Education
What We're Doing About It:
Pacers Foundation supports the efforts of Indiana groups that help
As such, mentoring and/or tutoring programs, alternative schools and after-school programs with an emphasis on learning should consider applying. This does not mean, however, that we will not fund other types of organizations with a focus on youth education. It simply means that our priorities are to keep struggling students in school and to reengage out-of-school youth in the learning process.
3) Be Drug Free Fund
The Need:
While overall drug use among youth is on the decline, the use of many drugs -- including inhalants, LSD, powder cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, heroin, and club drugs like Ketamine, Rohypnol, and GHB -- are not declining at all. --University of Michigan
Injection drugs are at an all-time high for 12th grade Hoosiers, with the most commonly injected drugs for this group being heroin, methamphetamine and steroids -- Indiana Prevention Resource Center
Use of marijuana, tobacco and alcohol by Marion County eighth graders is significantly higher than state and national figures -- Drug Free Marion County
What We're Doing About It:
Pacers Foundation supports the efforts of Indiana groups that help
As such, substance abuse treatment programs, substance abuse education programs, counseling programs, after school programs that focus on creating positive alternatives to "the streets," and other similarly focused groups should consider applying. This does not mean, however, that we will not fund other types of organizations focused on youth substance abuse. The bulleted points above simply refer to our priorities in this area.
4) Be Tolerant Fund
The Need:
Almost 30 percent of teens in the United States (or over 5.7 million) are estimated to be involved in bullying as either a bully, a target of bullying, or both, and children who bully are more likely to report that they own guns for risky reasons, such as to gain respect or frighten others -- American Medical Association
Of hate crimes reported in 2005, 55 percent were motivated by a racial bias, 17 percent were triggered by a religious bias, 14 percent were motivated by a sexual-orientation bias, and 13 percent of the incidents were motivated by an ethnicity/national origin bias. Almost two-thirds of reported attacks were committed by individuals under the age of 24 --U.S. Department of Justice
What We're Doing About It:
Pacers Foundation supports the efforts of Indiana groups that
As such, school-based programs, faith-based programs, and other non-profit organizations focused on encouraging youth to Be Tolerant should consider applying. This does not mean, however, that we will not fund other types of organizations focused on teaching tolerance. The bulleted points above simply refer to our priorities in this area.
5) Indiana Fever's Be YOUnique Fund
The Need:
When elementary school girls were asked how often they felt "happy the way I am," 60 percent said always; by high school it fell to 29 precent -- NYU Child Study Center
Approximately 1 in 5 girls experience physical or sexual dating violence -- Journal of the American Medical Association
Approximately 40 percent of fourth graders have been on a diet -- Girl Power! An initiative of the US Department of Health and Human Services
What We're Doing About It:
Pacers Foundation supports the efforts of Indiana groups that
As such, school-based programs and other non-profit organizations focused on encouraging girls to Be YOUnique should consider applying. This does not mean, however, that we will not fund other types of organizations focused on empowering girls. The bulleted points above simply refer to our priorities in this area.
We make grants to youth-focused groups located in Indiana.
We make grants in the range of $5,000 - $20,000. Our grant making philosophy is such that if grantees have achieved or are achieving the results set forth in their grant applications, we tend to fund groups beyond one year. However -- and this is important -- grantees should not depend on receiving a grant year after year. Current grantees must submit a new application for consideration each year. Decisions to renew grants will be based, in part, upon the results achieved with the prior grant. Finally, as discussed above, we do provide both general operating and project-specific support.
Pacers Foundation does not provide support for: individuals (outside of our scholarships and Roger Brown Legacy Fund), emergency funds, political candidates or parties, fundraisers , or corporate memberships. Furthermore, we will not consider grant applications that fall outside of the subject areas of our five Grant Funds described above.
Requests to support fundraisers are reviewed by Pacers Sports & Entertainment, not Pacers Foundation. These requests should be directed to Marilynn Wernke, Pacers Sports & Entertainment, 125 S. Pennsylvania Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204.
Step 1: Complete this cover sheet.
Step 2: Prepare a proposal/letter no longer than three pages, on your agency’s letterhead, using 12-point Times New Roman or other legible font and include the following information:
Step 3: Please attach the following to your cover sheet and 3-page letter:
Do not provide us with anything else, such as brochures, newsletters or other documents. Since we will be making copies of your application, please do not bind anything together. Just use paper clips.
Step 4: Please make nine (9) copies of your complete application and bind each one with a binder clip.
Step 5: Submitting Your Application: your applications must be received by the deadlines indicated above. Please do not hand-deliver your applications. Please send your applications to:
Pacers Foundation, Inc.
125 S. Pennsylvania Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Attention: Dan Gaines
Our Followup & Notification Process:
We may contact you with follow-up questions before making a decision regarding a grant award. Depending on the complexity of the program/project and/or the amount requested, we may also ask you to submit further information or even a full proposal.
Applicants will be notified of decisions regarding grant awards approximately two months after the grant application deadline. Decisions will be communicated via mailed letters. Please do not call regarding the status of your application. You will be notified, either way, once decisions have been made.
