Grant Proposal
Orff Instruments for (Sample) Elementary School
Request for Proposal – pg 1 of 4
Student Achievement Grants
http://www.neafoundation.org/programs/StudentAchievement_Guidelines.htm
Guidelines
Overview: The vision of the NEA Foundation is a great public education for every student.
Purpose: The NEA Foundation provides grants to improve the academic achievement of
students in U.S. public schools and public higher education institutions in any subject area(s).
The proposed work should engage students in critical thinking and problem solving that
deepen their knowledge of standards-based subject matter. The work should also improve
students’ habits of inquiry, self-directed learning, and critical reflection.
Proposals for work resulting in low-income and minority student success with honors, advanced
placement, or other challenging curricula are particularly encouraged.
The Student Achievement Grants replace the Foundation’s InnovationGrants, which have been
discontinued.
Amount: The grant amount is $5,000.
Grant funds may be used for resource materials, supplies, equipment, transportation, software, or
scholars-in-residence. Although some funds may be used to support the professional
development necessary to implement the project, the majority of grant funds must be spent on
materials or educational experiences for students.
Restrictions: Grant funds may not be used to




support after-school, weekend, or summer programs
pay indirect costs, grant administration fees, or salaries
pay stipends to the applicants
support conference fees for more than one person
Funds may not be used for lobbying or religious purposes. Identical applications will not be
considered.
Notification: Applications may be submitted at any time. Applicants are encouraged to plan
ahead. Applications are reviewed three times per year, every year.
Application RECEIVED by
February 1
June 6
October 15
Request for Proposal – pg 1 of 4
Notification
April 15
September 15
January 15
Request for Proposal – pg 1 of 4
Request for Proposal – pg 2 of 4
Please give careful attention to the timeline of your grant. Applications that include activities
scheduled prior to the date of notification will not be considered.
Only grant recipients will be notified in writing. A list of grant recipients will be posted on The
NEA Foundation's website. Please do not contact the foundation regarding the status of your
application.
Duration: Grants will fund activities for twelve months from the date of the award.
Eligibility: Applicants must be practicing U.S.



public school teachers in grades PreK–12,
public school education support professionals, or
faculty or staff at public higher education institutions.
Preference will be given to applicants who serve economically disadvantaged students.
Preference will also be given to members of the National Education Association.
The NEA Foundation especially encourages grant applications from


teachers with less than seven years of experience in the profession
education support professionals
The National Education Association uses the following job categories to classify education
support professionals: para-educators, school bus drivers, maintenance and custodial staff, food
services staff, school nurses and student services workers, clerical and office assistants, school
security officers, and technicians. For additional information about jobs classified as education
support professionals consultwww.nea.org/esphome/.
Employees, members of the board of directors, and immediate family members of the staff and
board of the NEA Foundation are not eligible to receive grants. Employees of the National
Education Association are not eligible to receive grants.
Application Instructions
Please adhere to the following submission instructions. Failure to comply with these instructions
will disqualify the application.
Part I: Applicant Data Sheet
Please complete the data sheet and include it with each copy of your application. For your
convenience the applicant data sheet is available in two formats Microsoft Word file or pdf file.
Request for Proposal – pg 3 of 4
Hand-printed data sheets will not be accepted. When completing the data sheet, please use
formal names and avoid nicknames.
Lead Applicant: The lead applicant will be the NEA Foundation’s contact person for award
notification, reporting, publicity, and other grant-related activities.
Partner Data: The applicant must collaborate with one partner. The partner should be prepared to
assume leadership of the project should the lead applicant be unable to complete the work.
Fiscal Agent Note: If no fiscal agent is designated on the applicant data sheet, grant funds will
be made payable to the lead applicant and reported to the Internal Revenue Service. Because the
grant funds may be considered taxable income, the lead applicant may wish to consult with a tax
advisor before submitting the application. NEA members who elect to designate a fiscal agent
are encouraged to consider their local NEA affiliate for this role.
Applications missing lead applicant and/or partner data will not be considered.
Part II: Narrative and Budget
Please consult our Student Achievement Grant Writing Tips.
The first page of the narrative must be on the letterhead of your institution. Proposals not
submitted on letterhead will not be considered. Handwritten applications will not be accepted.
The narrative and budget should not exceed four double-spaced pages, 12 point type with oneinch margins around.
The narrative must address the following items:
1. Provide an abstract/summary of your proposed work of 90 words or less. (For examples,
please see the descriptions of our recently funded grants.) Failure to comply with the
word limit may lead to disqualification of your application.
2. Describe your goals for student achievement and how you will measure each outcome.
3. Describe the student need for this work.
4. Describe the activities in which you and your students will engage to reach your goals.
5. Provide a line-item budget for the proposed work. Your request must total $5,000.
Identify any additional support (cash or in-kind) that will be provided by other sources.
Mail the original and one copy of your application to
Request for Proposal – pg 4 of 4
The NEA Foundation
Attn: Student Achievement Grants
1201 Sixteenth Street NW, Suite 416
Washington, DC 20036-3207
Please do not staple or bind your application. Applications that do not comply with the
guidelines or that include materials not specifically requested by The NEA Foundation will not
be reviewed. Applications sent by e-mail or fax, or incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
SELECTION CRITERIA



Proposed goals for student achievement are challenging and rigorous
Proposed work engages students in critical thinking and problem solving
There is alignment between goals, assessment, activities, and budget
The NEA Foundation may allocate a number of grants based in part on geographic
considerations.
REMEMBER TO






Check your application for compliance with these guidelines.
Complete all required information on the data sheet.
Assign a fiscal agent if desired.
Obtain your principal’s or dean’s signature on the data sheet.
Complete the first page of your narrative on school or higher education institution
letterhead.
Enclose the original and one complete copy of your application, including the data sheet.
Failure to complete any of these items will disqualify your application.
Summary of Grant Proposal
To get students to learn to appreciate music, Ms. (Sample) and Ms. (Sample), along with
other staff at (Sample) Elementary School, will implement Orff instruments into their classes.
(Sample) does not have a music program. Teachers set aside class time for music instruction.
There is no budget for music education, so it is impossible to purchase musical instruments.
Music goes beyond entertainment values; it promotes students’ academic achievement
and cooperation efforts. The goal in receiving a set of Orff instruments is to have a unit on
multi-cultural music.
We are requesting $5168.50 for this NEA Student Achievement Grant. The $168.50
above the $5000 grant limit will be financed by fundraisers the students have been conducting.
For nearly a decade, (Sample) Elementary School has been without a music program. In
the small community of (Sample), students have been slipping through their primary years with
little to no music education. There is simply no budget available for this program. It has come
to the attention of the current faculty at (Sample) that without music, students are not getting the
complete education they could be getting in order for them to grow to be well rounded
individuals and to live up to their full potential. Former US President Gerald Ford said, "Music
education opens doors that help children pass from school into the world around them -- a world
of work, culture, intellectual activity, and human involvement. The future of our nation depends
on providing our children with a complete education that includes music." (Quotes About Music
Education, n.d.).
Since there is currently no music program at (Sample) Elementary School, teachers have
been conducting music lessons near the end of the school day three times a week. To assist in
teaching music, we would like to purchase a set of Orff Instruments. This set includes four
glockenspiels, four metallophones, and seven xylophones. The Orff program is organized and
structured and has many lesson ideas, which will help the teachers in leading music education
where there is no curriculum in place.
Carl Orff was a composer and teacher of music. He developed a simple approach to
learning music in which the students are actively engaged. Orff’s approach is to allow students
to freely participate in music by listening, feeling, moving and composing music (The Orff
Schulwerk, n.d.). His ideas about music education are that music is an individual experience and
will be different for each child. We, the faculty, at (Sample) Elementary School believe The
Orff Approach is ideal for our students because it meets their individual needs. Having the Orff
set of instruments would open the doors to many possibilities for music education at (Sample).
Students at (Sample) love instruments! To get students playing instruments without
having a budget for music, we have created our own tambourines, rhythm sticks, shakers and
sand blocks for use in our music time. The children get so excited when we take out the rhythm
instruments for part of the music lesson. They are very enthusiastic and would remain highly
interested and motivated to have music lessons if we had the musical xylophones, glockenspiels,
and metallophones that the Orff set includes.
According to school records, since 1999 when the elementary school music program was
cut, the participants in middle school and high school music programs have decreased. The high
school’s band has dropped from 56 members to 22 since 1999. In ’99, the middle school choir
boasted 32 members out of a total student population of 201. In 2007, the same middle school
choir has dwindled to 8 members out of a total student population of 212. These declines are at
least in part due to the cut of the elementary school music program. If students are not exposed
to music in school, often times they do not receive any type of musical education outside of
school, which causes them to have no desire to participate in band or choir during their
secondary years of schooling. Giving students the opportunity to experience music in school
enhances their academic performance in many ways and it develops their ability to do team
work.
“Since I have been taking music in school, I am able to concentrate better and follow
along with even the hardest things we learn,” Nine-year-old (Sample) attendee Meredith told me
(personal communication, October 15, 2008). One of the reasons we want to provide music
education to the (Sample) Elementary students is because music enhances children’s academic
performance. Studies show that music education boosts IQ and test scores (Hopkins, 2007). The
best time for people to learn is in their childhood, so by introducing music at a young age,
children are more likely to perform better as they grow up and enter high school and higher
education. Music also increases students’ ability to think abstractly and critically and to be
effective problem solvers in increasing this type of thinking (Hopkins, 2007). Research studies
tell us students are better at math, puzzle assembling, and spatial arrangements as a result of
taking music training and/or education (Research Briefs: Did You Know?, n.d.). Using a variety
of music techniques, like musical instruments, voices, rhythm instruments, listening, writing
music, and analyzing music, add to the students’ capacity to think critically and abstractly. It is
so important for students to have proficient critical and abstract thinking skills if they are to be
individuals who contribute to their societies.
Another academic reason that music education is a priority to our faculty is because it is a
universal language. Music notes have the same name in every culture. Music has melody and
rhythm in all cultures. This global similarity promotes studies beyond our borders into the lands
of other cultures, people and places. Countries have their own unique styles of music, which
would be incorporated into a unit of lessons. This is where implementation of the Orff
instrument set begins to scratch the surface of possibilities for music lessons. Once we have our
own instruments, we will study music and instruments from Germany, Africa, India, Mexico and
Russia. At the end of the unit, we will commemorate by performing a recital using a song or
dance from each culture. We have already begun this process by beginning to learn about these
cultures. A set of Orff instruments would immensely augment our learning by enabling students
to create, hear, and feel the music. Julie, who is 10 years old and a student at (Sample) said,
“Music helps you to understand people and cultures. It has a way of bringing people together. If
we study music we can enrich these skills and become better citizens and hopefully have a better
world,” (personal communication, October 15, 2008).
Greg, a former (Sample) Elementary student, is now 12 and in sixth grade. He says, “I
believe that music is not just an elective, but a course that teaches people how to live together. It
teaches teamwork, leadership, open-mindedness, respect, and mostly, joy,” (personal
communication, October 14, 2008). Music education promotes team work and cooperation.
Music is performed in group settings (especially in elementary school) more often than not –
bands, duets, plays and musicals, choirs, or orchestras. “The success of these kinds of
performances depends of the cooperation of a group of individuals,” (Yoon, 2000, p.31). The
music performed in our elementary school involves group practice and working together. If one
student is singing louder than the rest when he/she should not be, it causes a disruption in the
song. Likewise, if only a few people were singing when the whole group was supposed to be
singing, it causes a disruption in the song. Our homemade rhythm instruments are the same
way—each student has to be aware and considerate of his/her neighbor when playing these. The
involvement of students in musical groups during the music lesson develops their social skills,
which is also beneficial for students later in life as it prepares them for participating in
community music groups if they so desire (Jones, 2007). Each person
According to the Gallup Poll entitled “American Attitudes Toward Music” conducted in
2003, 88% of Americans believe that participating in music is vital to an elementary education
(Quotes About Music Education, n.d.). As far back as Ancient Greece, Plato and Aristotle
believed that music had the power to influence children’s development. The children of
(Sample) Elementary School believe that music is an important and fun part of their days at
school. Countless research studies conclude that music is proven to effectively improve
students’ academic performance in school. Music will provide a channel for students to
outsource their creativity and energy, and a set of Orff instruments would be fundamental to the
music program. Music and the addition of instruments will give children the skills to grow up to
be well rounded citizens of their communities. These children are the future educators, police,
governors, doctors and leaders. Gregory Anrig, the President of Educational Testing Service
said, “The things I learned from my experience in music in school are discipline, perseverance,
dependability, composure, courage and pride in results. . . Not a bad preparation for the
workforce!” (Music Advocacy’s Top Ten Quotes, n.d.).
References
Heimonen, M. (2008). Nurturing towards wisdom: Justifying music in the curriculum.
Philosophy of Music Education Review, (16)1, 61-78.
Hopkins, G. (2007, February 26). Making the case for music education. Retrieved from
http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr123.shtml
Music advocacy’s top ten quotes. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.schoolmusictoday.com/advocacy/toptenquotes.html
The Orff Schulwerk. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.orff.de/Introduction.1616.0.html?&L=1
Quotes about music education (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.tmea.org/025_Advocacy/musicquotes.htm
Quotes about music education. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.westville.k12.il.us/band/whyquotes.html
Westerlund, H. (2008). Justifying music education. Philosophy of Music Education
Review, 16(1), 79-95.
Yoon, J.N. (2000). Music in the classroom: its influence on children’s brain development,
academic performance, and practical life skills. Retrieved from
http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nf
pb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED442707&ERICExtSearch_SearchType
_0=no&accno=ED442707
Line Item Budget
Pricing information for items for purchase was found on the following website:
http://www.westmusic.com/category.aspx?id=145
Sonor Global Beat Set of 15 Orff Instruments…………………………………...………$3,897.00
Sonor Global Beat Set of 5 Orff Instruments…………………………………………….. $922.50
Basic Beat Orff Xylophone/Metallophone Dust Covers (20 @ $16.96-17.95 ea)………. $349.00
TOTAL: $5168.50*
*The $168.50 above the $5000 grant limit will be financed by fundraisers the students have been
conducting. They have earned $99.75 so far, and can raise the other $68.75.