Welcome to the Respect WORKS! Grant Writer’s Toolkit
Thank you for your interest in bringing Respect WORKS! to your community. Currently, too
many teens and young adults experience emotional and physical abuse from a dating partner.
Fortunately, Break the Cycle and Hazelden Publishing offer Respect WORKS!, a
comprehensive, best-practices model that includes everything you need to address dating
abuse—from a school-wide dating violence policy to tools for students to become leaders in
addressing the issue.
An increased awareness of teen dating abuse and its devastating effects has helped increase
the number of federal, state, and local grants available for groups seeking to acquire effective
prevention programs and curricula. Break the Cycle and Hazelden Publishing prepared this
toolkit to help you secure such funding for Respect WORKS! We included easy-to-follow
instructions, sample wording, and online references to help you draft custom applications. This
kit includes

A Guide to Successful Grant Writing for Respect WORKS!, which contains step-bystep instructions on assessing the needs of your community, ideas to help find funders,
a grant application template, and tips for critiquing your proposal through a grant
reviewer’s eyes.

Fact Sheet on Teen Dating Violence and Respect WORKS!, which summarizes the
dating violence epidemic and provides an overview of Respect WORKS! to help you
“sell” your grant proposal.

Sample Logic Model for Implementation and Evaluation of Respect WORKS!

Sample Letter (from Grant Writer to Key Leader) Requesting a Letter of
Commitment.

Sample Letter of Commitment, which may be included with your request.

Sample Grant Application Cover Letter.
If you decide to seek grant funds for Respect WORKS!, the prevention, training, and
development specialists at Hazelden can help you as you prepare your grant application. We
can also connect you with a Hazelden regional sales representative who can help you select
program materials to address your needs. Please contact Hazelden Publishing at 1-800-3289000 to access these services.
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A Guide to Successful Grant Writing for Respect WORKS!
Initial Steps in the Grant Application Process
Before you decide to pursue outside funds for Respect WORKS!, consider the tasks involved in
applying for grants and, if funded, managing the grant agreement. The following are the initial
steps in the grant application process.
1. Initial Approvals and Letters of Commitment
It is important to obtain written approval to seek funding and authorization to implement Respect
WORKS! before you apply for grants. You do not want to be in the position of having to decline
grant funds because a top authority in your school or organization does not agree to implement
the Respect WORKS! model. Letters demonstrating commitment from the key people
responsible for implementing Respect WORKS! (such as your district superintendent, school
principal, school board president, PTO/PTA president, or other leaders in your school or
organization) will need to be submitted with your grant applications, depending on the size of
the grant.
The Fact Sheet on Teen Dating Violence and Respect WORKS! in this toolkit contains
statistics about teen dating abuse and information about Respect WORKS! for you to use to
obtain buy-in from these leaders. We also provide two letter templates—Sample Letter (from
Grant Writer to Key Leader) Requesting a Letter of Commitment and Sample Letter of
Commitment—to facilitate this initial step.
2. Grant Application Committee
Your school or organization may want to create a Grant Application Committee of three or four
people who will assume primary responsibility for completing the tasks listed herein.
3. Needs Assessment
If you choose to create a Grant Application Committee, this group will need to develop a
qualitative and quantitative description of the specific problems and conditions that Respect
WORKS! is designed to resolve and improve. There are many other components of the grant
application, but this is the most important and may require the greatest time commitment. If
there is a match between Respect WORKS! outcomes and your needs assessment, Respect
WORKS! information will suffice for many of the other application components. The Fact Sheet
from this toolkit includes additional information about the needs assessment and sources to help
you define the nature and scale of the teen dating abuse problem in your community or school
district.
The following websites and documents provide information that may be useful for your needs
assessment:
•
U.S. Department of Education, What Works Clearinghouse, http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc
•
National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP),
http://www.nrepp.samhsa.gov/ViewIntervention.aspx?id=141
•
Prevention Pathways, http://preventionpathways.samhsa.gov/programs.htm
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•
Developing Competitive SAMHSA Grant Applications manual,
http://www.samhsa.gov/Grants/TA/
•
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “YRBSS: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance
System,” http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/yrbs/
•
Break the Cycle, http://www.breakthecycle.org
•
Respect WORKS!, http://respect-works.org
4. Identifying Potential Funding Sources
For there to be a successful application, there has to be a match between the Respect WORKS!
objectives, the nature and scale of the teen dating abuse problem in your community or school
district, and the funding goals of the potential funding source. Below are some websites to use
to start looking for interested funders. Plan to periodically revisit them, as funding opportunities
change frequently:
•
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools,
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osdfs/programs.html
•
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention,
http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/
•
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfplist.jsp
•
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/grants/foamain.shtm
Other possible funding sources might include
•
program district, city, and county health department funds
•
federal Title I, IV, and V funds (in some circumstances)
•
city block grants
•
concerned parents who might give financial and volunteer support through their local
PTO/PTA organization
Grant Application Template
This Grant Application Template provides sample text and tips for a grant writer to use to
create funding applications. Included in this section are the primary components of a typical
grant application.
For simplicity and clarity, the template uses [Your program] throughout the text as a substitute
for your school or organization’s actual name. Please ensure that complete citations from this
document are preserved to properly document the source from which references are drawn.
When using this template to create your grant application, you should add specific details
regarding your program and vision to help the grant reviewers (1) positively envision Respect
WORKS! enacted at your site, and (2) understand that your site is the ideal recipient of their
funding assistance. Remember that these are the essential ingredients that will bring this
template, and ultimately your plans, to life.
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Through a Grant Reviewer’s Eyes
Funding sources are overwhelmed by applications, so securing grant funding is highly
competitive. The job of the grant reviewer is to select the highest quality applications. A
successful application will be complete, concise, and consistent with the application form. It
must also address issues that the funding source has a past record of supporting and provide
evidence that, if funded, the grantee will produce quantifiable results.
The job of the grant writer is to show how the proposed grant will be a good investment for the
funding source as well as for the grantee. Remember to make your application compelling and
interesting to read.
Additional Resources
There are many grant-writing resources available online. A good starting point is School Grants
at http://k12grants.org. Another excellent resource is Developing Competitive SAMHSA Grant
Applications. This online manual can help you acquire skills and resources for planning, writing,
and preparing your grant application.
Components of a Typical Grant Application
Statement of Need
Use the information the Grant Application Committee collected in your needs assessment to
write a compelling statement of need. Below is sample language addressing the prevalence of
abuse on the national, state, and local level.
National Information
Review the “Dating Violence” section of the Fact Sheet on Teen Dating Violence and
Respect WORKS! in your toolkit to find information that may be cut and pasted into this section
of your application. For example:
Dating abuse is a serious issue that can affect the life of any teen. It does not discriminate
by race or income level—every adolescent is at risk for being involved in an abusive
relationship. Both males and females can be abused, and both males and females can be
the abusers.
The proportion of high school students who have experienced dating violence ranges from
10% to 38%. Among students who are currently dating, as many as 59% have experienced
physical violence, and 96% have experienced psychological or emotional abuse.1
New state laws are requiring school policies and programs that address dating violence.
Many of these laws are based on the Lindsay Ann Burke Act, adopted by Rhode Island in
July 2007 due to the combined efforts of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office and the
Lindsay Ann Burke Memorial Fund. Florida, Nebraska, Ohio, and Texas have passed similar
laws.
1. Carolyn Tucker Halpern, Selene G. Oslak, Mary L. Young, Sandra L. Martin, and Lawrence L. Kupper,
“Partner Violence among Adolescents in Opposite-Sex Romantic Relationships: Findings from the
National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health,” American Journal of Public Health 91, no. 10
(October 2001).
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Be mindful of the mission and goals of each funder to which you apply, and selectively provide
the information that helps you most clearly demonstrate connections between the funder’s
purpose, the national teen dating abuse epidemic, and your school or organization’s teen dating
abuse problem.
State Information
Include information from sources such as your state’s Department of Education. Refer to
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/yrbs to see if your state participates in the state-by-state
collection of data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that compose the Youth
Risk Behavior Survey. Be mindful of choosing information that will be interesting and relevant to
each funder. This example can serve as a guide:
In 2009, 16.8% of Alabama high school students reported being abused by their dating
partner.2 This abuse included being hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose. Teens who
experience dating violence also have increased rates of substance abuse, eating disorders,
high-risk sexual behaviors, teen pregnancy, and suicide.3
Local Information
Be as specific as you can when you describe the teen dating abuse problem at your school or
organization and do not assume the grant reviewer knows anything about your community or
situation. Do not dwell on the negative or present the problem as one that is too overwhelming
to solve; just briefly and concretely describe it in a way that makes it clear it can be addressed if
you implement the Respect WORKS! model. After compiling your local data, present it in a form
consistent with your presentation of national and state data above.
Demographic information can include the following:
• The number of students in your school or organization by grade levels
• Your school or organization’s location (rural, urban, or suburban)
• Relevant demographic data about diversity, crime, drug use, mobility rates,
socioeconomic conditions, and so on, in your community
Teen dating abuse data specific to your school or organization might include the following:
• Number of incidents reported over the past year
• Percentage increase of incidents, compared with other years
• Comparison of your school or organization’s data to national and state trends
• Results of a survey or other data collected from students or parents about teen dating
abuse in your school or organization
• An anecdote of a recent incident that happened on campus
Organizational Capacity
In this section, you will convince grant reviewers that your school or organization has the
capacity to implement the project you have proposed. This is a key place to “blow your own
horn.” Most grants are highly competitive, so you need to convince reviewers that your school or
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance - United States, 2009,”
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Surveillance Summaries 59, no. (SS-5) (2010): 50.
3. J. G. Silverman, A. Raj, L. A. Mucci, and J. E. Hathaway, “Dating Violence against Adolescent Girls
and Associated Substance Use, Unhealthy Weight Control, Sexual Risk Behavior, Pregnancy, and
Suicidality,” The Journal of the American Medical Association 286, no. 5 (2001), 572–579.
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organization is worthy of their investment and that you will be good stewards of their funding.
Describe how your plan will meet their goals and demands.
Give a brief history of your efforts to prevent teen dating abuse and/or related adolescent
problems. List the staff members who will participate in the grant and describe their
qualifications. Include the percentage of time each staff member will dedicate to this project.
Also, identify any additional resources that are in place to support your implementation process,
such as community organizations, parent and volunteer groups, neighborhood leaders,
volunteers, and so on.
You can also indicate Respect WORKS! components that you plan to use as resources. In
addition, although training is not necessary for implementing Respect WORKS!, it is available
and may benefit your grant application. The site www.respect-works.org provides more
information on training for Respect WORKS! This site also provides background information
about Respect WORKS! and specific information about purchasing materials.
You may also discuss Respect WORKS!—in terms of its comprehensive best-practices
approach, demonstrated effectiveness, and national recognition—as the ideal model to meet the
needs of your program. Information detailing these aspects of Respect WORKS! may be copied
from the Fact Sheet in your toolkit and pasted directly into the “Organizational Capacity” section
of your grant application.
Anticipated Outcomes
Respect WORKS! is a comprehensive model with strong, long-term outcomes. For example, the
Safe Dates curriculum has been found to be effective in preventing dating violence while the
Model Policy component improves school climate, closes the achievement gap, and enhances
the learning environment.
While drafting the “Anticipated Outcomes” section of your proposal, your school or organization
should anticipate similar, if not stronger, outcomes. Here is sample language you can use to
describe the anticipated outcomes of the Respect WORKS! program in your school or
organization:
Students participating in [Your program]’s Respect WORKS! program will demonstrate
•
increased understanding of dating abuse, its causes, and consequences;
•
decreased tolerance for abusive behavior;
•
increased ability to assess their behavior in relationships;
•
increased ability to form and maintain healthy relationships;
•
increased understanding of their rights and responsibilities under the law;
•
increased awareness of available resources to get help when experiencing abuse;
•
increased likelihood of seeking help when appropriate and decreased fear and
apprehension of appropriate services;
•
more of the developmental assets needed to grow into a successful, well-adjusted adult.
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Parents participating in [Your program]’s Respect WORKS! program will demonstrate
•
increased understanding of dating abuse, its causes, and consequences;
•
decreased tolerance for abusive behavior in teen dating relationships;
•
increased ability to model healthy relationship behavior in front of their teen;
•
increased understanding of their teen’s rights and responsibilities under the law;
•
increased likelihood of speaking to their teen about healthy and unhealthy relationships;
•
increased likelihood of setting clear standards for their teen’s behavior in relationships;
•
increased awareness of available resources to get help if their teen or one of their teen’s
friends experiences abuse;
•
increased likelihood of seeking help when appropriate, and decreased fear and
apprehension of appropriate services.
Staff participating in [Your program]’s Respect WORKS! program will demonstrate
•
increased understanding of dating abuse, its causes, and consequences;
•
decreased tolerance for abusive behavior in teen dating relationships;
•
increased ability to model healthy relationship behavior in front of students;
•
increased understanding of students’ rights and responsibilities on and off campus;
•
increased likelihood of setting clear standards for student behavior in relationships;
•
increased awareness of how to respond to incidents of abuse on campus;
•
increased ability to create a safe environment for students that encourages healthy
behavior and, when abuse occurs, that empowers students to get help from the
appropriate adult or program.
In addition to these objectives, Respect WORKS! helps schools meet federal mandates and
implement important initiatives such as the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act.
Here is some sample language to help you describe how Respect WORKS! addresses federal
standards:
Respect WORKS! will help [Your program] with our efforts to meet the following federal
mandates and programs: [Outline your program’s relevant initiatives, such as program
connectedness, high-stakes testing, juvenile delinquency prevention, program dropout
prevention, program health programs, suicide prevention, and the promotion of
developmental assets.]
Respect WORKS! supports the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act both as an effective
violence prevention program and as a model that can easily be implemented communitywide. If serious attention is not given to violence prevention, intervention, and discipline
problems, the learning climate will be impacted and the academic achievement goals of
NCLB will be at risk. Teen dating abuse impacts academic performance due to students’
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inability to pay attention and attend class. A recent study found that just one student
experiencing domestic violence can lower the performance of that student’s entire class.4
A major emphasis of the federal No Child Left Behind Act is the involvement of parents and
the community in a comprehensive plan to prevent violence and illegal use of drugs. Both
the community and the home play important roles in collaborating with schools to help
diminish the challenges of youth violence. Also, the federal Safe and Drug-Free Schools and
Communities Act requires linkages between schools, parents, and the community, thus
encouraging a community-wide strategy that supports a comprehensive drug and violence
prevention and early intervention plan.
In addition, the three curricula in Respect WORKS! meet national education standards. Please
feel free to list these standards as the outcomes of your project. You may want to also include
state-specific standards, which should be available on your state government’s website.
Safe Dates
The Safe Dates curriculum meets the following national academic standards for students in
grades six through eight.5
Life Skills:
•
Identifies alternative courses of action and predicts likely consequences of each
•
Selects the most appropriate strategy or alternative for solving a problem
•
Examines different alternatives for resolving local problems and compares the possible
consequences of each alternative
•
Identifies situations in the community and in one’s personal life in which a decision is
required
•
When appropriate, takes action to implement the decision
Health Education Standards:
•
Knows how to locate and use community health information, products, and services that
provide valid health information
•
Knows how cultural beliefs within a community influence the health of its members
•
Understands how peer relationships affect health
•
Knows appropriate ways to build and maintain positive relationships with peers, parents,
and other adults, such as interpersonal communication
•
Understands the difference between safe and risky or harmful behaviors in relationships
•
Knows techniques for seeking help and support through appropriate resources
•
Knows potential signs of self- and other-directed violence
4. S. E. Carell and M. L. Hoekstra, “Externalities in the Classroom: How Children Exposed to Domestic
Violence Affect Everyone's Kids,” American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 2, no.1 (2008): 211–
228.
5. Standards are taken from John S. Kendall and Robert J. Marzano, Content Knowledge: A
Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K–12 Education, 3rd ed. (Aurora, CO: Mid-continent
Research for Education and Learning [McREL], 2000).
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•
Knows the various possible causes of conflict among youth in schools and communities,
and strategies to manage conflict
•
Knows how refusal and negotiation skills can be used to enhance health
[Ending Violence]
The [Ending Violence] curriculum meets the following National Health Education Standards for
students in grades nine through twelve.6 Remember, the extent to which each standard is met is
dependent on which segments of the curriculum you use.
1. Comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance
health.
1.12.1
Predict how healthy behaviors can affect health status.
1.12.2
Describe the interrelationships of emotional, intellectual, physical, and social
health in adolescence.
1.12.5
Propose ways to reduce or prevent injuries and health problems.
1.12.7
Compare and contrast the benefits of, and barriers to, practicing a variety of
health behaviors.
1.12.8
Analyze personal susceptibility to injury, illness, or death if exposed to, or
engaging in, unhealthy behaviors.
1.12.9
Analyze the potential severity of injury or illness if exposed to unhealthy
behaviors.
[Ending Violence] lays a foundation from which students gain a clear understanding of what
is healthy in a relationship, and what is unhealthy or abusive. The concepts that the
curriculum addresses are fundamental to students’ health and well-being. The curriculum
helps students in grades nine through twelve create a framework for their current and future
romantic relationships.
2. Analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors on
health behaviors.
2.12.1
Analyze how the family influences the health of adolescents.
2.12.2
Analyze how culture supports and challenges health beliefs, practices, and
behaviors.
2.12.3
Analyze how peers influence healthy and unhealthy behaviors.
2.12.4
Evaluate how the school and community can affect personal health practices and
behaviors.
2.12.5
Evaluate the effect of media on personal and family health.
2.12.6
Analyze the influence of technology on personal and family health.
6. The Joint Committee on National Health Education Standards. National Health Education Standards:
Achieving Excellence (2nd Edition). Atlanta: American Cancer Society, 2007.
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/sher/standards/.
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2.12.8
Analyze the influence of personal values and beliefs on individual health
practices and behaviors.
2.12.10
Analyze how school and public health policies can influence health promotion
and disease prevention.
[Ending Violence] explores the many societal and cultural influences that can play into
students’ perceptions of what is healthy or unhealthy in a relationship. In particular, the
curriculum addresses the many internal and external obstacles a young victim of abuse may
face when trying to leave an abusive relationship or reach out for help.
3. Demonstrate the ability to access valid information, products, and services to enhance
health.
3.12.2
Use resources from home, school, and community that provide valid health
information.
3.12.3
Determine the accessibility of products and services that enhance health.
3.12.5
Access valid and reliable health products and services.
A primary objective of [Ending Violence] is to familiarize students with youth-friendly,
sensitive, and comprehensive resources available to help them whether they are
experiencing abuse themselves or if they know someone who is. From community health
agencies, to legal protections, to Break the Cycle’s resources for help—this curriculum
encourages students to research what is available to them and empowers youth to access
those resources if necessary.
4. Demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and
avoid or reduce health risks.
4.12.1
Use skills for communicating effectively with family, peers, and others to enhance
health.
4.12.2
Demonstrate refusal, negotiation, and collaboration skills that enhance health
and avoid or reduce health risks.
4.12.3
Demonstrate strategies to prevent, manage, or resolve interpersonal conflicts
without harming self or others.
4.12.4
Demonstrate how to ask for and offer assistance to enhance the health of self
and others.
Responsible and respectful interpersonal communication is fundamental to creating and
maintaining healthy relationships. The [Ending Violence] curriculum addresses positive and
negative interpersonal communication on multiple levels—how to use words in a positive
way, alternatives to using violence when feeling upset or angry, verbal and non-verbal
examples of abusive behavior, and what communication skills are needed to build healthy
relationships.
5. Demonstrate the ability to use decision-making skills to enhance health.
5.12.1
Examine barriers that hinder healthy decision making.
5.12.2
Determine the value of applying a thoughtful decision-making process in healthrelated situations.
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5.12.5
Predict the potential short-term and long-term impact of each alternative on self
and others.
5.12.6
Defend the healthy choice when making a decision.
A primary objective of this curriculum is to provide young people with the information and
tools they need to make the healthiest decisions possible about how they want to treat their
partner, how they want be treated in their relationships, and how they want to move forward
if they are being abused, whether that means accessing the legal system, talking to
someone they trust, or safety planning. [Ending Violence] also addresses the many factors
that hinder young people from making the decision to seek help or to end a relationship if
they are being abused.
6. Students will demonstrate the ability to use goal-setting skills to enhance health.
6.12.1
Assess personal health practices and overall health status.
6.12.2
Develop a plan to attain a personal health practice that addresses strengths,
needs, and risks.
6.12.4
Describe how personal health goals can vary with changing abilities, priorities,
and responsibilities.
Every segment of the [Ending Violence] curriculum is designed to encourage young people
to think about creating violence-free lives, relationships, and communities. The program
provides students with the information and skills they need to assess how their relationships
affect their health, to set and attain goals of building respectful and healthy relationships,
and to create personal plans for safety.
7. Demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health
risks.
7.12.1
Analyze the importance of individual responsibility for personal health behaviors.
7.12.2
Demonstrate healthy practices and behaviors that will maintain or improve the
health of self and others.
7.12.3
Demonstrate behaviors to avoid or reduce health risks to self and others.
The [Ending Violence] curriculum helps students think critically about how their relationships
can negatively or positively affect their health and quality of life. Segments throughout the
program address the serious harm abusive relationships can inflict on a person’s emotional
and physical health. The program also covers the options available to young victims of
abuse to help them avoid or reduce the risk of future abusive incidents including legal
protection and safety planning.
8. Demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health.
8.12.1
Utilize accurate peer and societal norms to formulate a health-enhancing
message.
8.12.2
Demonstrate how to influence and support others to make positive health
choices.
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8.12.3
Work cooperatively as an advocate for improving personal, family, and
community health.
8.12.4
Adapt health messages and communication techniques to a specific target
audience.
The [Ending Violence] curriculum provides students with the information and tools they need
to confidently advocate for healthy and respectful interactions in their personal relationships,
as well as to advocate for healthy relationships in their social circles and communities. By
encouraging students to think critically about social and cultural norms around abuse,
dating, and relationships, [Ending Violence] helps young people form their own messages
about their rights to healthy relationships and communities.
Speak.Act.Change
The Speak.Act.Change curriculum meets the following Youth Development and Youth
Leadership National Standards and Quality Indicators:7
3.1 Youth acquire the skills, behaviors, and attitudes that enable them to learn and grow in selfknowledge, social interaction, and physical and emotional health.
3.1.1
Youth are able to explore various roles and identities, promoting selfdetermination.
3.1.2
Youth participate in the creative arts, physical education, and health education
programs in school and the community.
3.1.3
Youth are provided accurate information about reproductive health and sexuality
and have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss sexual attitudes.
3.1.4
Youth develop interpersonal skills, including communication, decision-making,
assertiveness, and peer refusal skills, and have the ability to create healthy
relationships.
3.1.5
Youth interact with peers and have a sense of belonging.
3.1.6
Youth participate in a variety of teamwork and networking experiences.
3.1.7
Youth have significant positive relationships with mentors, positive role models,
and other nurturing adults.
3.2 Youth understand the relationship between their individual strengths and desires and their
future goals, and have the skills to act on that understanding.
3.2.1
Youth develop ethical values and reasoning skills.
3.2.2
Youth develop individual strengths.
3.2.3
Youth demonstrate the ability to set goals and develop a plan.
3.2.4
Youth participate in varied activities that encourage the development of selfdetermination and self-advocacy skills.
7. National Alliance for Secondary Education and Transition, “National Standards & Quality Indicators,”
http://www.nasetalliance.org/youthdev/index.htm.
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3.3 Youth have the knowledge and skills needed to practice leadership and participate in
community life.
3.3.1
Youth learn specific knowledge and skills related to leadership, and explore
leadership styles.
3.3.2
Youth learn the history, values, and beliefs of their communities.
3.3.3
Youth demonstrate awareness, understanding, and knowledge of other cultures
and societies and show respect for all people.
3.3.4
Youth engage in experiential learning and have opportunities for genuine
leadership, taking primary responsibility for developing plans, carrying out
decisions, and solving problems.
3.3.5
Youth participate in service to others in their community, their country, and their
world.
3.3.6
Youth identify and use resources in their community.
3.4 Youth demonstrate the ability to make informed decisions for themselves.
3.4.1
Youth practice self-management and responsible decision-making that reflects
healthy choices.
3.4.2
Youth demonstrate independent living skills.
Implementation Plan
This section will particularly benefit from your addition of details and the greatest possible level
of specificity regarding your organization or school and your unique vision of how you will
determine your need for the Respect WORKS! program, how you will determine students’
knowledge of dating abuse before implementing the program, how you will implement the
program, and how you will measure its effectiveness. We have provided an outline of potential
content for this section of your grant application, but you will need to supply further details.
A. Determine the need for implementing Respect WORKS! in your school or organization by
doing a needs assessment:
1. Review your state’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey if applicable.
2. Outline how you will determine the need by asking and answering the following
questions:
a. What learning do we hope to accomplish?
b. What changes in behavior are expected?
c. Will Respect WORKS! help us to achieve the expected learning and behavior
changes?
d. What is the cost to our program for implementing Respect WORKS!?
e. What community resources are available for ongoing support?
B. Purchase Respect WORKS!
C. Hold a Respect WORKS! training event for staff:
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1. Set a date and publicize it by creating posters, announcing it on your website, and
mentioning it in your staff newsletters.
2. Invite teachers and staff members to the training by sending e-mails, posting flyers,
and handing out postcards. (In the grant application, specify all staff members who
will be trained at your site and their responsibilities.)
3. Hold the training on a date that will have the greatest turn out.
4. Evaluate the training.
D. Administer pre-tests and implement the Respect WORKS! model:
1. Administer the pre-tests for each of the components of Respect WORKS! to gauge
what students might already know (or need to know) about teen dating abuse.
2. Implement the model according to the format of each part.
E. Administer post-tests and evaluate the effectiveness of each of the components. This
process helps you gauge the students’ retention of the different concepts and evaluate
the effectiveness of Respect WORKS!
Budget
These are some of the basic costs to be considered in a Respect WORKS! proposal. This
budget does not consider the cost of stipends for facilitator training sessions, staff time for
coordinating the program, facility or rental costs, or many other costs you may want to include in
a grant budget. Discounts may be available for larger quantities of the curriculum. These
projections are for a class size of 30, with half of the students having two sets of parents that
need to receive handouts.
Basic Costs
Safe Dates curriculum
Handouts for students (46 pages @ $0.10/page)
Handouts for parents (3 pages @ $0.10/page)
Postage for parent materials
Binders for students
Photocopies of play (14 pages @ $0.10/page)
Consumables (markers, tape, etc.)
Incentives such as food items, coupons, etc.)
Refreshments for facilitator training (training is estimated at
24 participants/training)
Notebook and materials
[Ending Violence] curriculum
Handouts for students (10 pages @ $0.10/page)
Handouts for parents (2 pages @ $0.10/page)
Educators' Guide (30 pages @ $0.10/page)
Additional teacher materials (10 pages @ $0.10/page)
14
Cost
Number
(each)
$225.00
1
$4.60
30
$0.30
45
$0.44
45
$1.50
30
$.98
8
$10.00
1
$5.00
1
$10.00
24
$10.00
1
Safe Dates Subtotal
$99.00
$1.00
$0.20
$3.00
$1.00
1
30
45
1
1
Cost
$225.00
$138.00
$13.50
$19.80
$45.00
$ 7.84
$10.00
$5.00
$240.00
$10.00
$ 714.14
$99.00
$30.00
$9.00
$3.00
$1.00
[Ending Violence] Subtotal
$142.00
Speak.Act.Change Youth Advocacy Kit
$49.99
1
$49.99
Model Policy School Kit
$49.00
1
$49.00
1
$ 3,200.00
0
$4,200.00
Respect Works! Model Trainings
Training on Safe Dates, [Ending Violence],
$ 3,200.00
Speak.Act.Change (Two day training on any combination of
the three programs above. Travel not included.)
Training & Technical Assistance on Policy Kit
$4,200.00
(Comprehensive technical assistance package (Including
three days in-person plus 12 hours over 12 months of
phone/email support. Technical assistance includes review of
existing and proposed policies, background research as
needed, custom drafts of new policy. In-person training for
school staff and/or school trainers. Travel not included.)
Summary Statement
Use this section to summarize why the grantor should give the grant to your program. Feel free
to pull information from any of the above sections to enhance your summary.
Attachments
Other items to include with typical grant applications are as follows:
• A grant application cover letter
• Letters of commitment from key parties
• Resumes and/or bios of key participants
• A program overview (when the application is complete, you may want to include a
summary of your plans)
• A list of post-grant period activities (a funder may want to see its investment continue to
result in “payoffs” beyond the term of the grant; describe how you will continue the
program after the grant period has ended)
• A logic model (sample provided in this toolkit)
15
Additional Steps in the Grant Application and Management Processes
1. Grant Management
The Grant Application Committee will need to develop, assemble, submit, and track the status
of all grant applications. If funded, your program will need to do the following:
• Obtain the approval of a grant agreement with the funding source
• Maintain all records
• Obtain data regarding outcomes
• Submit periodic accounting reports to the funding source
• Report to the funding source the results of the program evaluation
• Complete grant closeout requirements
2. Program Implementation
Section IV of the Grant Application Template should describe your school or organization’s
responsibilities in the implementation of Respect WORKS!
16
Fact Sheet on Teen Dating Violence and Respect WORKS!
Cut and paste information and statistics from this document to support your Respect WORKS!
grant proposal. You are free to include any useful passages in your letters and applications, but
please preserve citation information.
Teen Dating Violence
Dating abuse is a serious issue that can affect the life of any teen. It does not discriminate by
race or income level—every adolescent is at risk for being involved in an abusive relationship.
Both males and females can be abused, and both males and females can be the abusers.
The proportion of high school students who have been victims of dating violence ranges from
10% to 38%. Among students who are currently dating, as many as 59% have experienced
physical violence, and 96% have experienced psychological or emotional abuse.8
Dating abuse includes any behaviors that are used to control and manipulate a dating partner.
These may include
•
physically abusive behaviors such as hitting, shaking, throwing things, kicking,
scratching, biting, choking, pulling hair, and using a weapon;
•
emotionally/verbally abusive behaviors such as name calling, yelling and screaming,
ignoring a date’s feelings, isolating a dating partner from others, displaying inappropriate
anger, humiliating a date in public or private, threatening to hurt oneself, constantly
texting a partner when it is unwanted, and demanding a partner’s password to e-mail or
social-networking sites;
•
sexually abusive behavior such as rape, unwanted kissing or touching, not letting a
partner use birth control or protection against sexually transmitted infections (STIs),
unwanted rough or violent sexual activity, and forcing or pressuring a partner to go
further than he or she would like.
Congress reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act in 2006 in response to alarming
statistics, such as the following:
•
20% of teenage girls who date say a partner has threatened violence or self-harm if she
ended the relationship.
•
96% of teenagers report being psychologically or emotionally abused.
•
Adults who physically abuse their partners typically enact a first episode of dating
violence by age 15.9
8. Carolyn Tucker Halpern, Selene G. Oslak, Mary L. Young, Sandra L. Martin, and Lawrence L. Kupper,
“Partner Violence among Adolescents in Opposite-Sex Romantic Relationships: Findings from the
National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health,” American Journal of Public Health 91, no. 10 (October
2001).
9. Arriaga, X.B. & Capezza, N.M. (2005). Target of Partner Violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence,
20(1), 89-99.
17
In 2006, Liz Claiborne, Inc., commissioned Teenage Research Unlimited to conduct a survey on
teen dating abuse.10 The findings were alarming:
•
64% of teens who said they have been in a serious relationship with a boyfriend or
girlfriend reported that their partner acted very jealous and possessive.
•
One in five teens (21%) has been in a relationship with someone who tried to prevent
him or her from seeing family and friends.
•
Three out of five teens (61%) said that their boyfriend or girlfriend has verbally abused
them.
•
15% of those who have been in a relationship and 20% of those who classify their
relationships as serious have been hit, slapped, or pushed around by their boyfriend or
girlfriend.
•
23% of girls reported going further than they wanted to sexually because of pressure
from their boyfriends.
The most recent survey commissioned by Liz Claiborne, Inc., reveals even more alarming data
regarding tweens (children ages 8–12) and dating abuse:11
•
72% of tweens say that girlfriend/boyfriend relationships start at age 14 or younger.
•
More than one in three tweens (37%) ages 11–12 say that they have been in a
relationship.
•
28% of tweens say that having sex is a normal part of their relationships.
•
An alarming 47% of tweens say that they have friends who have been verbally abused
by their boyfriend/girlfriend.
•
41% of tweens know friends who have been verbally abused by their boyfriend/girlfriend
via technology such as cell phones, instant messaging, and social-networking sites.
•
20% of 13- and 14-year-olds say they know friends who have been hit, kicked, slapped,
or punched by their boyfriend/girlfriend.
•
Nearly half of all tweens (49%) reported that they didn’t know the warning signs of an
abusive relationship.
Respect WORKS!
Respect WORKS!, a comprehensive best-practices model, includes everything you need to
address dating abuse—from information on how to implement a school-wide dating violence
policy to tools for teaching students how to be leaders in preventing dating violence.
10. Liz Claiborne, Inc., Topline Findings—Teen Relationship Abuse Survey (2006).
http://www.loveisnotabuse.com.
11. Liz Claiborne, Inc., and the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline, Tween and Teen Dating Violence
and Abuse Study (July 2008). http://www.loveisnotabuse.com.
18
Goals of the Respect WORKS! model are as follows:
•
Prevent incidents of teen dating violence.
•
Raise awareness among staff and students about what constitutes healthy and abusive
dating relationships.
•
Raise awareness among staff and students about teen dating abuse and its causes and
consequences.
•
Equip students with the skills to develop healthy dating relationships, including positive
communication, anger management, and conflict resolution.
•
Equip staff and students with the skills and resources to be able to help themselves or
anyone experiencing teen dating violence.
•
Create a comprehensive school policy on teen dating violence.
•
Encourage adults and youth to advocate for teens affected by dating abuse.
Content of Respect WORKS!
Respect WORKS! is intended for educators of and youth in grades 6–12. It can be used as a
dating abuse prevention tool for both male and female middle and high school students. It
consists of four components:
Model Policy School Kit
The Model Policy School Kit guides schools and school districts through the process of creating
policies and protocols necessary to meet the challenge of teen dating violence. With the Model
Policy School Kit, schools can
•
assess their climate and needs;
•
draft new policies or review and edit existing ones;
•
benefit from best practices and lessons learned;
•
be prepared to respond to dating violence on campus;
•
provide key resources to teachers, staff, and students.
The kit is designed to be used in both the middle and high school settings and provides specific
information related to each particular population.
In 2008, Break the Cycle partnered with the DC Office of Victim Services and District of
Columbia Public Schools to launch a comprehensive program to address teen dating violence.
This pilot program was the foundation for the model school policies.
In 2009, Break the Cycle implemented and tested the model policies along with comprehensive
education and teacher training. Outcomes from this evaluation will be available in the fall of
2010.
19
Safe Dates
Safe Dates is an evidence-based adolescent dating abuse prevention program. Highly engaging
and interactive, Safe Dates helps teens recognize the difference between caring, supportive
relationships and controlling, manipulative, or abusive ones. The Safe Dates curriculum consists
of five components:
•
A ten-session dating abuse curriculum
•
A play about dating abuse
•
A poster contest
•
An evidence-based parent program
•
A teacher training outline
Safe Dates is a program with strong, long-term outcomes. It was the subject of substantial
formative research in fourteen public schools in North Carolina using a rigorous experimental
design. The program was found to be effective in both preventing and reducing perpetration
among teens already using violence against their dates.
Adolescents participating in the program, as compared with those who did not participate,
reported
•
less acceptance of dating violence,
•
stronger communication and anger management skills,
•
less gender stereotyping, and
•
greater awareness of community services for dating abuse.
Researchers studied the same group of students four years after implementation and found that
students who participated in the Safe Dates program reported 56%–92% less physical, serious
physical, and sexual dating violence victimization and perpetration than teens who did not
participate in Safe Dates. The program has been found to be equally effective for males and
females and for various races.
[Ending Violence]
Extend and enhance students’ learning about dating violence with Break the Cycle’s [Ending
Violence] curriculum. [Ending Violence] is an innovative curriculum that provides teens with the
tools they need to prevent and safely end abusive relationships, understand their legal rights
and responsibilities, and build healthy relationships in the future.
While flexible in duration, [Ending Violence] is divided into three sessions. In the first, teens are
informed about basic dynamics of abuse, definitions, scenarios, and warning signs. In the
second, teens are taught about the laws as they relate to domestic and dating violence and how
young people can protect themselves. Finally, teens review safety planning and participate in a
mock trial in which students learn what it would be like to obtain a restraining order. [Ending
Violence] teaches youth that domestic violence is not just wrong but also illegal—the choice to
use violence carries serious consequences and the law can protect teenage victims as well as
adults.
The curriculum comes in an interactive DVD format, which allows presenters to incorporate
video segments, interactive classroom activities, discussion prompts, animation, role-play
20
activities, and extended research projects into presentations. The DVD also offers a self-guided
mode for students to use on their own.
[Ending Violence] has been used successfully in classroom and after-school settings as well as
in alternative settings such as juvenile detention facilities. The program is designed to be easily
used by educators, law enforcement, medical professionals, domestic violence advocates, and
youth service providers. No prior expertise in dating violence is required.
Speak.Act.Change Youth Advocacy Kit
Speak.Act.Change is a guide to engage students in advocacy and leadership around the issue
of teen dating violence. It engages, educates, and empowers youth to become advocates for
healthy relationships and promotes positive development.
It uses youth activism, service-learning, and peer leadership so teens can
•
raise awareness about dating violence on campus and in the community,
•
develop the next generation of anti-violence advocates, and
•
learn about leadership and other positive youth development skills.
Students ages thirteen and up can follow the kit's instructions independently or in small teams.
The program’s activities require minimal assistance from adults. However, Break the Cycle
encourages educators to participate and serve as positive role models for teen participants.
A Reminder on Program Support
If you decide to implement Respect WORKS!, the prevention, training, and development
specialists at Hazelden Publishing can help you as you prepare your grant application. We can
also connect you with a regional sales representative who can help you select program
materials to address your needs. Please contact Hazelden Publishing at 1-800-328-9000 to
access these services.
21
Sample Logic Model for Implementation and Evaluation of Respect WORKS! [title]
Presented to: [Name of funder] on behalf of [Your program]
Resources
Activities
To conduct Respect
WORKS!, we need:
To achieve our
outcomes, we will:
Funding from [Name
of funder]
Draft a dating
violence policy or
review and edit the
existing one.
Endorsement from
administrators at
[Your program]
Identification of
appropriate classes
and sites in which to
incorporate Respect
WORKS!
Commitment from
staff members to
implement the
program
Selection of
facilitators for
Hazelden/Break the
Cycle to train on
Respect WORKS!
Train [number]
teachers and staff to
implement Respect
WORKS! and give
them materials to
support their efforts,
including preparing
them to respond to
dating violence on
campus.
Secure curricula and
supporting materials
to educate [number]
students about abuse,
with [number]
participating in
extended servicelearning activities.
Educate [number]
parents about [Your
program]’s efforts to
address dating
violence.
Short and LongTerm Outcomes
Outputs
We expect the
following evidence of
service delivery:
Implement new dating
violence policy.
Educate [number]
students through
Respect WORKS!
curricula.
Give pre- and posttests to students.
Students participating
in Speak.Act.Change
reach [number]
people, addressing
dating violence as an
entire campus or
community.
Educate [number]
parents about dating
violence and how to
keep their teens safe.
These outputs will
create the following
changes:
Teachers and staff
members effectively
respond to dating
violence on campus.
Students educated
through Safe Dates or
[Ending Violence]
have the tools and
information they need
to prevent, diagnose,
and escape abusive
relationships.
Students participating
in Speak.Act.Change
report having more of
the developmental
assets needed to
successfully transition
into adults.
Parents are more
likely to set clear
standards for their
teens and to talk with
them about healthy
and unhealthy
relationships.
22
Impact
Evaluation
Methods
In seven to ten years:
We will measure our
success by:
Students who
participated in the
Respect WORKS!
program will be more
likely to report
incidents of abuse to
appropriate officials.
Surveying school staff
to determine their
satisfaction with
Respect WORKS!
Students who
participated will be
less likely to be
involved in abusive
relationships, as the
perpetrator or as the
victim.
Students who
participated will be
more likely to
intervene if they see
problems related to
dating abuse.
Problems associated
with dating violence,
including declining
school performance,
depression, and
substance abuse will
decrease.
Administering preand post-tests for
students participating
in each curriculum.
Analyzing data from
[School-specific
survey] in [year]
against results from
[year] to determine
trends in dating
violence.
Using [School-specific
survey] to measure
parent communication
about relationships
and teen dating
violence.
Sample Letter (from Grant Writer to Key Leader)
Requesting a Letter of Commitment [title]
[Date]
[Key leader’s complete name, title, and mailing address]
Re: Request for a letter of commitment to implement Respect WORKS! at [Your program]
Dear [Key leader’s name]:
We have a teen dating abuse problem at [Your program]. [Summary of what you know today
about the teen dating abuse problem at your school or organization.] Currently, too many teens
and young adults encounter emotional and physical abuse by their dating partner. In fact, teen
dating abuse is getting attention at the national level, with the first week of February being
declared “National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week” by the federal
government. Fortunately, Break the Cycle and Hazelden Publishing offer Respect WORKS!, a
model response that gives middle and high schools, youth service providers, and domestic
violence agencies the tools they need to respond effectively to teen dating violence issues on
and off campus.
I am requesting support and authorization to seek outside funding to implement Respect
WORKS! at [Your program] beginning next fall [or the correct start-up date]. Respect WORKS!
is the only comprehensive response to prevent dating abuse: a factor often linked to other
violent behavior and alcohol and other drug use. This program (1) helps teens recognize the
difference between caring, supportive relationships and controlling, abusive ones; (2) helps
schools and community organizations develop dating violence policies that make it easier for
students to seek help; and (3) activates student leadership on the issue. Respect WORKS! is
proven to be effective with both boys and girls and addresses perpetrators of violence as well as
victims. It works as both a prevention and intervention tool, with case studies and activities that
are relevant for teens who have not started dating as well as those who have been dating for a
long time.
The goals of Respect WORKS! are to
•
prevent incidents of teen dating violence;
•
raise awareness among staff and students about what constitutes healthy and abusive
dating relationships;
•
raise awareness among staff and students about teen dating abuse and its causes and
consequences;
•
equip students with the skills to develop healthy dating relationships, including positive
communication, anger management, and conflict resolution;
•
equip staff and students with the skills and resources to be able to help themselves or
anyone experiencing teen dating violence;
•
create a comprehensive school policy on teen dating violence;
•
encourage adults and youth to advocate for teens affected by dating abuse.
23
In addition, Respect WORKS! will help [Your program] meet the requirements of federal
mandates and initiatives we have already undertaken: [List of your programs’ initiatives, such as
Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities, school connectedness, juvenile delinquency
prevention, school dropout prevention, school health programs, suicide prevention, and the
promotion of developmental assets].
If funded, [Your program] would add Respect WORKS! to our yearly curriculum. It would be very
beneficial to have your support. Respect WORKS! requires communication, collaboration, and
“buy-in” from school staff, as well as parent involvement, to be successful.
Please review the attached synopsis of the teen dating abuse epidemic and the Respect
WORKS! model. If you agree that our school and community would benefit from this evidencebased approach, I ask that you provide me with a letter of commitment to implement Respect
WORKS! if funded. Inclusion of your letter would strengthen [Your program]’s grant applications
by providing evidence of the overall support we have and will continue to receive as we move
forward.
Please address your letter to [Name of the contact person for the source from which you will
seek funds] and include a variation, in your own words, of the attached sample letter. Please
return the letter to me. I will include it in the grant application.
Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to and consideration of this matter.
Very truly yours,
[Grant writer’s name]
Attachments:
1. Fact Sheet on Teen Dating Violence and Respect WORKS!
2. Sample letter of commitment
24
Sample Letter of Commitment [title]
[Date]
[Contact person’s complete name, title, and mailing address]
Re: Letter of commitment to implement Respect WORKS! at [Your program]
Dear [Contact person’s name]:
I submit this letter of commitment with full enthusiasm in the hope that [Name of potential
funder] will approve [Your program]’s application for funds to implement Respect WORKS! I
firmly believe that Respect WORKS! is an effective model that will address the teen dating
abuse problem we have at [Your program]. I am pleased to convey my complete support of the
goals and objectives of Respect WORKS! and my ongoing commitment to doing what is
necessary to ensure its implementation at [Your program]. As [Job title], I will be one of the
people responsible for ensuring the school’s faculty and staff are also fully committed to the
success of Respect WORKS!, and I will work to involve the students, their parents, and the
community.
I understand that this commitment may involve
• providing staff time for training,
• helping in the efforts to promote the message of preventing teen dating abuse
throughout the school and our community,
• providing students with the skills and resources to help themselves or friends in abusive
dating relationships, and
• helping to establish partnerships with community members to support [Your program]’s
teen dating abuse prevention program.
I have reviewed the components of Respect WORKS!, and I am aware that Respect WORKS!
requires a high level of communication, collaboration, and involvement on the part of those
involved.
Rest assured, that [Your program] has my ongoing support and gratitude for implementing a
proven approach to address teen dating abuse that will benefit [Your program] as well as the
entire community.
Since we lack the financial resources to fund Respect WORKS! internally, we must rely on
support from [Name of potential funder] to fund this remarkable best-practices model. I hope
you choose to invest in [Your program]’s teen dating abuse prevention efforts.
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your name and title]
25
Sample Grant Cover Letter [title]
[Date]
[Name, title, and mailing address of contact person at funding source]
Re: Grant application of [Your program] to implement Respect WORKS!
Dear [Name of contact person at funding source]:
We have a problem with teen dating abuse at [Your program]. [Provide a brief summary of the
dating abuse problem at your school or organization including statistics if available.] We are
distressed to observe the negative impact of teen dating abuse on our students’ mental and
physical health, attendance, and academic performance. Fortunately, there is a program that
can help: Respect WORKS! Because [Your program]’s limited resources prevent the selffunding of Respect WORKS!, we submit the attached grant application for your consideration.
I have also included letters of commitment and support from school officials and community
leaders who will share responsibility for long-term implementation of Respect WORKS! I ask
that you review our application carefully, consider the deep level of our community commitment
for this program, and award us the resources we need to address our teen dating abuse
problem.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
[Your name, title, and school or organization name]
Attachments:
1. [Your program]’s grant application for [Name of potential funder]
2. Letters of commitment from the following people: [List of names and job titles]
26