Q: What defines the community boundary for the GoGirlGo! Chicago program?
The metro Chicago area, for the purposes of the GoGirlGo! Chicago program, consists of six counties: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties.
Q: Who will be eligible for GoGirlGo! Chicago grants?
The Women’s Sports Foundation and the 2008 grant-making partner, Chicago Community Trust, will publish grant eligibility criteria in November of 2007 with grant award notification in early June 2008. In general, grants will support Chicago-area girl-serving agencies conducting sport and physical activity programs and using the GoGirlGo! curriculum in the six-county region that seek to attract inactive girls aged 8 to 18. Eligible grantees will be asked to meet criteria such as:
Organizations must be registered on the GoGirlGo! website.
Must have a 501(c) (3) status or a fiscal agent with 501(c)(3) status.
Demonstrate the ability to deliver girls’ sports/physical activity programming.
Committed and experienced adult leadership.
Deliver a minimum eight-week sports/physical activity program, with preference given to organizations working consistently with girls throughout the year.
Commitment to implement the GoGirlGo! educational curriculum (provided at no charge)
Send a representative(s) to participate in GoGirlGo! Leadership Institutes. Institutes will occur quarterly, and there is no charge for participation in this professional development activity.
Conduct or participate in a GoGirlGo! Week “open house” that invites girls not currently involved in regular physical activity to participate in an introductory physical activity and friend-making experience.
Display a GoGirlGo! Chicago Supporting Program banner in a visible location.
Participate in program evaluation, reporting and exposure activities.
Participate by taking girls to game days which are free activities offered by partnering organizations.
Organizations within the GoGirlGo! Chicago Network will be sent an invitation to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI).
Q: Who will determine GoGirlGo! Chicago grant recipients?
The Women’s Sports Foundation, in collaboration with the Chicago Community Trust, will develop the grant application, review proposals, select grantees, determine and announce grant-making timetables and issue grant checks. Grant application announcements will be sent to all girl-serving agencies in the six-county metro Chicago area, and grant application materials will be available online. Grant funding is to help conduct girl-focused, health-enhancing physical activity and implementation of the GoGirlGo! program.
Q: What is the timeline for grant making?
Organizations within the GoGirlGo! Chicago Network will be sent an invitation to submit a Letter of Intent in November 2007 for a December 2007 submission. Selected organizations will be invited to submit a full grant application in January 2008 for competitive review. Site visits will be conducted in March and April, and grant award announcements will be made in early June 2008. The funding period for this program is September 2008 through August 2009.
Q: Are local and/or national nonprofit organizations, schools, park districts, or individual park sites eligible to apply for grant funding?
The Women’s Sports Foundation and the Chicago Community Trust supports organizations with 501(c)(3) status or organizations that have a fiscal agent with 501(c)(3) status. Should schools, park districts or other governmental agencies wish to receive a GoGirlGo! grant, they must apply through their designated 501(c)(3) foundation or other fundraising entity. All grant proposals must be accompanied by the applicant’s 501(c)(3) certificate, and a tax exemption certification is not an appropriate substitute. Representatives from schools or parks should check with their administrator for more information about how to identify the 501(c)(3) fundraising entity within their organizations. Nonprofit organizations with their own 501(c)(3) certificate may submit a GoGirlGo! grant proposal when they intend to implement their program in a park or school and the park or school is a collaborative partner.
In reference to larger umbrella organizations such as the YMCA or Boys and Girls Clubs, individual grant proposals may be submitted from sites within the larger organization, but care should be taken to ensure that the proposals are reflective of the community the grant is intended to serve. Duplicate grant proposals seeking funding for different sites will not be considered.
Q: Can my program apply for National GoGirlGo! program funding in addition to or in lieu of local GoGirlGo! Chicago funding?
Organizations located within the demonstration counties (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties) may only apply for local GoGirlGo! Chicago Grant funding through the Women’s Sports Foundation’s GoGirlGo! Chicago office. Organizations outside of the demonstration counties in Illinois may apply for national grant funding through the Women's Sports Foundation’s National GoGirlGo! grant.
Q: Is there a limit to how often a program can be funded through GoGirlGo! Chicago?
One of the goals of the GoGirlGo! Chicago Initiative is to help organizations build capacity financially. GoGirlGo! funding is intended to bridge the gap between the inability to offer girls’ sport and activity programming while organizations grow within the network and secure other sources of funding to sustain programming. GoGirlGo! Chicago grantees may receive funding for three consecutive years and be eligible to apply for funding again after a one-year break.
Q: What is the funding range for GoGirlGo! Chicago grants?
The range is between $1,000-$12,000 for individual grants. The grant dollar pool is $166,666.00 in 2008. On average, this funding will help 14-20 organizations.
Q: Will there be an information session for organizations invited to submit a Letter of Intent in the GoGirlGo! Chicago grants process?
Yes. All eligible organizations registered within the GoGirlGo! Chicago Network will receive an invitation to a grant process meeting in November of 2007.
Q: Who is the contact person for GoGirlGo! Chicago?
Valerie Bushey, GoGirlGo! Chicago Director: VBushey@WomensSportsFoundation.org
Jenna Litherland, Chicago Community Trust Allocations Intern: GoGirlGoChicago@WomensSportsFoundation.org.