Applying for Education & Outreach Grants

Funding levels
OFRF requests proposals which have objectives that are realistically achievable with a modest level of funding. The average education/outreach grant awarded in OFRF's last funding cycle was $8,474. OFRF will not fund a project for more than $15,000 per year except for fruit grants, for which the maximum grant size is $20,000 per year. Matching funds from other sources and/or in-kind contributions from cooperators are encouraged but not required.

Proposal requirements

In order to fairly evaluate an increasing volume of grant proposals, OFRF must enforce the following requirements. Proposals that surpass the page limit or otherwise do not meet these requirements will not be considered for funding.

The primary audience for your proposal is a hardworking group of volunteer board members who bring a wide range of expertise to the evaluation. They process dozens of proposals per cycle and appreciate proposals that are brief and to the point.

Number the pages of your proposal and limit it to no more than 9 pages. OFRF requires that 12-point font be used for all text in the proposal. Begin your proposal with a ½-page abstract of the project and then address each of the 11 points outlined below under Proposal Content Guidelines. The successful application will provide a clear rationale for the project and demonstrate that there is a significant need for the research project proposed. It is important that the objectives for your project be clear, well-structured, and succinct. Demonstrate why your project is necessary, present measurable outcomes, and explain what, specifically, you hope to accomplish. Appendices (in addition to the 9-page maximum) may be used only for literature citations, a one- to two-page curricula vitae for major participants, and letters of support for the project.

General budget information
OFRF funds can only be used for expenses directly relating to your original research project; general overhead and operational costs may not be included in your budget proposal.

Ordinarily, OFRF will not provide funding for:

faculty salaries;
labor or expenses not directly related to outreach/education activities;
permanent equipment;
international travel;
travel to professional meetings or publication in scientific journals.

Proposal content
Provide a ½-page summary of the project and its objectives, then address each of these points in order:

List the name, phone number, address, and electronic contact information for everyone involved in the project, including farmer/rancher collaborators. Make sure to identify the primary investigator for the project and the project title. State total amount of funding requested from OFRF. (Provide full budget with details later in proposal. See question 11.)

What are the specific objectives of this project? For each objective, present a measurable outcome that will indicate successful achievement of it. Describe how the project will foster the improvement and/or widespread adoption of organic farming practices.
Describe what kind of educational project you are requesting funds to develop. Is it a manual, training program, etc.? What high priority organic farming issues does it address? What steps have you taken to determine that the project you're planning has not already been done? OFRF requires that you conduct a review of the literature and existing educational resources on the subject matter and demonstrate how your project builds on existing work.
Who is your target audience? Please estimate the size of your audience. Please describe how your project meets the educational needs of your audience. Please describe why you are choosing this type of project to accomplish your objectives.
Describe the organic farming issues being addressed by this project. What organic farmers and/or ranchers have you consulted on the topic? Detail how organic farmers and/or ranchers have been involved in determining the objectives of the project and its planning.
How will you gather the information for this project? How will you involve farmer/rancher collaborators in developing the content? Please present a plan for peer review to assure the quality of your project.
How will you create the project? Please describe the specific steps you will take to organize production of the document, meeting, or other project.
How will you ensure that the project reaches organic farmers/ranchers or other end users? Please present a distribution plan targeting the end users or audience. Projects developed with OFRF funds must be available for free or for a minimal cost to cover production expenses. If a fee is charged for the final product, OFRF reserves the right to request that a certain number of free copies of it be provided to key information centers in order to make it broadly accessible to organic producers.
Provide a timeline or calendar of important milestones in completing the project. If the project will take more than one year to complete, please provide a year-by-year breakdown of the project timeline. State what the date of completion will be.
What are your qualifications to do this work? What previous experience do you have in preparing the type of project you are proposing to do? Include the qualifications of the researchers or producers with whom you are collaborating.
What is your project budget? Document other sources of support for the project, all matching and in-kind resources, and list other funding sought. Your budget should detail labor, materials, travel, and outreach costs, with justification for each. If applying for a multi-year project, please provide a breakdown of your budget by year.

Submission requirements
Make sure to supply the name, address, e-mail address, and telephone number for the principal investigator for the project.

Send eight (8) copies of your proposal (faxed or emailed copies will not be accepted) to:

Grants Program
Organic Farming Research Foundation
P.O. Box 440
Santa Cruz, CA 95061

For express shipping purposes, OFRF’s street address is
303 Potrero St. #29-203
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Proposals must be received in the OFRF office by the close of business on the deadline. Upcoming deadlines are Friday, May 15, 2009 and Monday, November 16, 2009.
Do not bind or staple the proposal. Please use paper clips or binder clips only.
12-point font must be used for all text in the proposal
Number the pages of your proposal and limit it to 9 pages.
Proposals that do not address organic farming issues or follow these guidelines will not be considered for funding.

The following criteria will be used to evaluate education and outreach proposals:

Presents clear learning or outreach objectives demonstrating that the project will foster the improvement and/or widespread adoption of organic farming practices. Specifies measurable outcomes that will indicate successful achievement of the objectives. Demonstrates how accomplishment of the objectives will be measured and evaluated. (15 points)
Proposes to create an education or outreach product or event that addresses a high priority organic farming issue, including production, social, or economic problems. Documents its uniqueness by presenting a review of similar resources and demonstrating how it builds on the existing body of work. (10 points)
Targets a high priority audience, defined as organic producers and/or those considering making the transition to organic certification; researchers; policymakers; and/or agricultural information providers. (10 points)
Clearly demonstrates that applicant is meeting the target audience’s educational needs and is developing materials or activities that will accomplish project objectives. (10 points)
Demonstrates meaningful producer involvement in identifying the problem addressed by the project and in carrying out the project, and provides compensation for producer participation. A peer review plan for quality control of the final project must also be included. (15 points)
Presents a well-organized plan for carrying out each element of the project. (10 points)
Presents a viable distribution plan for the educational product or proceedings of the event, making it/them available to organic farmers/ranchers or other clearly identified end users. (10 points)
Proposal is well-written and clear; follows the requirements in the Request for Proposals including page limits and font size; and presents a realistic time table for each of the project's activities. (10 points)
Describes the qualifications and skills of the applicants and all cooperators demonstrating that they are qualified to ensure the success of the project. (5 points)
Presents a well-justified and detailed budget appropriate to carrying out the project's objectives, showing any matching funds applied for or already secured. (5 points)

If your project is funded
OFRF requires that successful applicants sign a grant contract before initial payment of the grant award. OFRF will retain 10% of the total grant award until completion of the project, timely submission of a final report by the grantee, and a satisfactory evaluation of the project by OFRF staff. Evaluation involves analyzing whether or not the original project objectives were met, not the success or failure of a project. OFRF expects all grantees to post their final results to the www.organicaginfo.org website as part of their dissemination of results.

If you have additional questions, you may write to, call, or e-mail the OFRF office, phone 831-426-6606, e-mail jane@ofrf.org

Revised March 2009