Welcome to the Safe Dates Grant Writer’s Toolkit!
Thank you for your interest in bringing the Safe Dates curriculum to your community. As you
know, too many teens and young adults encounter emotional and physical abuse by their dating
partners. In fact, teen dating abuse is getting attention at the national level. Since 2006, the first
week of February has been declared “National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention
Week” by the federal government. Fortunately, Hazelden Publishing offers Safe Dates, the only
dating violence prevention curriculum recognized by the National Registry of Evidence-based
Programs and Practices.
An increased awareness of teen dating abuse and its devastating effects has helped open
federal, state, and local funding sources for groups seeking to acquire effective prevention
programs and curriculum. Hazelden Publishing prepared this toolkit to assist your funding efforts
and to facilitate successful implementation of Safe Dates. The toolkit provides resources you can
use to complete funding applications for Safe Dates. Easy-to-follow instructions, sample
wording, and Web site references are included to help with portions of the application requiring
information unique to your program.
The following tools are included in the kit:
•
A Guide to Successful Grant Writing includes step-by-step instructions with a needs
assessment section, ideas to help you find funders, and tips to help you critique your
proposal through a grant reviewer’s eyes.
•
Fact Sheets summarize the dating violence epidemic and Safe Dates to help you “sell”
your grant proposal.
•
Sample Letter Requesting a Letter of Commitment
•
Sample Letter of Commitment that may be included with your request.
•
Grant Application Template, includes a sample budget
•
Sample Logic Model
•
Sample Grant Application Transmittal Letter
If you decide to seek grant funds for Safe Dates, the prevention, training, and development
specialists at Hazelden Publishing can help with technical assistance as you prepare your grant
application. We can also connect you with a regional sales representative who can help you
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select program materials to address your needs. Please contact Hazelden Publishing at
gtemplate@hazelden.org to access these services.
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A Guide to Successful Grant Writing for Safe Dates
Introduction
Congratulations! You have just begun investigating options available to help your school or
organization acquire and implement a curriculum to address teen dating abuse. Highly engaging
and interactive, Safe Dates gets young people thinking about:
•
how they want to be treated by a dating partner
•
how they want to treat a girlfriend or boyfriend
•
what abusive dating relationships look like
•
why dating abuse happens and its causes and consequences
•
how to tell if they are in an abusive relationship
•
what to do about feelings of anger and jealousy
•
how to help a friend who might be in an abusive relationship
Safe Dates, proven to be effective with both boys and girls, 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 “going out” for a long time.
Safe Dates is the only evidence-based curriculum that prevents dating abuse (a factor often
linked to other violent behavior and alcohol and other drug use). This program helps teens
recognize the difference between caring, supportive relationships and controlling, manipulative,
or abusive dating relationships. Safe Dates was designated as a Model Program by the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. In 2006, Safe Dates was selected for the
National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), receiving high ratings on
all criteria.
This Guide to Successful Grant Writing has four parts:
1. The Grant Process, Step-by-Step
A. Initial Approvals and Letters of Commitment
B. Grant Application Committee
C. Needs Assessment
D. Identifying Potential Funding Sources
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E. Grant Management
F. Program Implementation
2. Potential Funding Sources
3. Through a Grant Reviewer’s Eyes
4. Additional Resources
This document is one of several tools provided in the Safe Dates Grant Writer’s Toolkit.
Together, these tools are intended to help you secure funds to implement the Safe Dates
curriculum.
1. The Grant Process, Step-by-Step
Before you decide to pursue outside funds for Safe Dates, consider the tasks involved in applying
for grants and, if funded, managing the grant agreement. The following are the primary steps in
grant application and grant management processes.
A. Initial Approvals and Letters of Commitment
Before you begin writing grant applications, you must obtain the necessary authorization to do
so. Letters demonstrating commitment from the key people responsible for implementing Safe
Dates (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. Recognize that obtaining the approval to
seek funding for Safe Dates is tantamount to approval to implement Safe Dates, if funded. You
do not want to be in the position down the road of having to decline grant funds because a top
authority in your school or organization no longer agrees to implement the curriculum.
The Fact Sheets in this toolkit contain statistics about teen dating abuse and information
about the Safe Dates curriculum that you can use in your efforts to obtain buy-in from these
leaders. The Sample Request for a Letter of Commitment and the Sample Letter of
Commitment are also provided to facilitate this initial step. Later on, you may need to return to
these individuals to obtain more specific letters of commitment required for individual grant
applications.
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B. Grant Application Committee
Your school or organization may want to create a Grant Application Committee, consisting of
three or four people, that will assume primary responsibility for completing the tasks listed
herein.
C. 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 the
implementation of Safe Dates 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 Safe Dates outcomes and your needs assessment,
Safe Dates information will suffice for many of the other application components. The Fact
Sheets from the toolkit include additional information about the needs assessment and sources to
help you define the nature and scale of the teen dating abuse problem. Hazelden Publishing staff
members can further assist you with this task.
The following Web sites 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
•
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA),
http://www.workplace.samhsa.gov/WPWorkit/pdf/conducting_a_needs
assessment_br.pdf
•
Prevention Pathways, http://preventionpathways.samhsa.gov/programs.htm
•
Developing Competitive SAMHSA Grant Applications
http://www.samhsa.gov/Grants/TA/
•
Centers for Disease Control, http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/yrbs/
D. Identifying Potential Funding Sources
There has to be a match between Safe Dates objectives, the nature and scale of the teen dating
abuse problem, and the funding goals of the potential funding source. You will also need to
establish that your proposal is eligible for funding from each funding source. The Potential
Funding Sources section in this document suggests places to start looking for grant funds.
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Hazelden Publishing staff members can further assist you with this task by informing you of
other grant opportunities. Also, plan to periodically revisit the Web sites listed in the Potential
Funding Sources section, as funding opportunities change frequently.
E. Grant Management
The Grant Application Committee will need to develop, assemble, submit, and track the status of
all grant applications. The Grant Application Template in this toolkit describes the key content
of a typical grant application. 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
F. Program Implementation
Section IV of the Grant Application Template from this toolkit describes your school or
organization’s responsibilities in the implementation of Safe Dates.
2. Potential Funding Sources
Programs that implement Safe Dates have sought funding from many different sources, including
the following:
•
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
•
Program district funds
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•
City and county health department funds
•
In some circumstances, federal Title I, Title IV, and Title V funds can be used for the
program.
•
City block grants are another possible funding source. Some programs have found eager
sponsorship from local businesses.
•
Concerned parents might give financial and volunteer support through their local
PTO/PTA organization.
•
Other Web sites have information on grant writing and sources of funding, for example:
www2.scholastic.com/browse/search.jsp?query=grants&c17=7&x=21&y=8
Contact your Hazelden sales representative at 800-328-9000 for more information on
possible funding sources.
3. Through a Grant Reviewer’s Eyes
Funding sources are besieged by applications, so securing grant funding is highly competitive.
The job of a funding source’s application reviewer is to select the highest quality applications for
further review. A successful application will be complete, concise, and consistent with the
application form. The application will seek funding to address issues that the funding source has
a past record of supporting, and it will provide evidence that, if funded, the grantee will produce
quantifiable results.
The grant application writer should consider the application from the grant reviewer’s
perspective. Remember that grant reviewers are people too, so make your application compelling
and interesting to read. A grant is an investment that should further the funding source’s goals
and objectives in measurable ways. The job of the application writer is to show how the
proposed grant will be a good investment for the funding source as well as good for the grantee.
4. Additional Resources
There are many grant writing resources available on the Internet. A good starting point is a Web
site called SchoolGrants at http://k12grants.org, especially the ten grant writing tips listed there.
Another excellent resource is Developing Competitive SAMHSA Grant Applications. This
comprehensive online manual can help you acquire skills and resources for planning, writing,
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and preparing your grant application. It may be ordered and downloaded at
http://www.samhsa.gov/Grants/TA.
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Fact Sheets:
The Teen Dating Abuse Epidemic and the Safe Dates Curriculum
Cut and paste information and statistics from this document to support your Safe Dates grant
proposal. You are free to include any useful passages in your letters and applications. Citation
information for references is located at the end of the document.
Dating Violence
Dating abuse is a serious issue that can touch the life of any teen. Adolescents of all races and
income levels are 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 found to ever have been a victim 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 experience psychological or emotional abuse.1
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, forcing unwanted
sexual actions, choking, and using a weapon
•
emotionally abusive behaviors such as ignoring a date’s feelings, insulting a date’s
beliefs or values, isolating a date from others, displaying inappropriate anger, damaging
personal property, humiliating a date in public or private, and threatening to hurt oneself
Congress reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act in 2006 in response to alarming
statistics:
•
33% of teenagers report knowing a peer that has been physically hurt by his or her
partner.
•
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.
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In 2006, Liz Claiborne, Inc. commissioned Teenage Research Unlimited to conduct a survey
on teen dating abuse.2 The findings were alarming:
•
64% of teens who said they’ve been in a serious relationship with a boyfriend or
girlfriend reported that their partner acted very jealous and possessive.
•
One in five teens (21%) have been in a relationship with someone who tried to prevent
them from seeing their 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.3
•
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 13–14 year-olds say they know friends who have been hit, kicked, slapped, or
punched by their boyfriend/girlfriend.
•
Half of all tweens (49%) reported that they didn’t know the warning signs of an abusive
relationship.
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New state laws will require 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. Texas has passed a similar law.
The Safe Dates Curriculum
Goals of the Curriculum
The goals of this program are to:
•
raise students’ awareness of what constitutes healthy and abusive dating relationships
•
raise students’ awareness of dating abuse, its causes, and its consequences
•
equip students with the skills and resources to help themselves or friends if they are in an
abusive dating relationship
•
equip students with the skills to develop healthy dating relationships, including positive
communication, anger management, and conflict resolution
Content of the Curriculum
Safe Dates is intended for teachers of and youth in grades 6–12. The curriculum consists of five
components:
•
a nine-session dating abuse curriculum
•
a play about dating abuse
•
a poster contest
•
parent materials
•
a teacher training outline
All the materials needed to implement the program are included in the Safe Dates binder.
Safe Dates can be used as a dating abuse prevention tool for both male and female middle- and
high-school students. Safe Dates would fit well within a health education, family life skills, or
general life skills curriculum.
Safe Dates is an evidence-based curriculum with strong, long-term outcomes. It was the
subject of substantial formative research in fourteen public schools in North Carolina using a
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rigorous experimental design. The curriculum was found to be effective in both preventing and
reducing perpetration among teens already using violence against their dates.
Adolescents participating in the curriculum, as compared with those who did not participate,
also reported:
•
less acceptance of dating violence
•
stronger communication and anger management skills
•
less gender stereotyping
•
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 curriculum reported 56% to 92% less physical,
serious physical, and sexual dating violence victimization and perpetration than teens that did not
participate in Safe Dates. The curriculum has been found to be equally effective for males and
females and for whites and non-whites.
Funders recognize the value of dating violence prevention. The Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation (RWJF) includes Safe Dates in its recommended strategies. In 2008, New Jersey
Health Initiatives (part of RWJF) awarded eight grants of $240,000 to $400,000 each to projects
that implement Safe Dates to prevent dating violence among teens.
Why do evaluators, funders, and legislators endorse Safe Dates? It is the only evidence-based
teen dating abuse curriculum recognized by the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs
and Practices. Safe Dates effectively reduces dating violence.
•
Four years after Safe Dates participation, students report 56% to 92% less physical and
sexual dating violence than peers who did not participate.
•
Safe Dates is proven effective with both boys and girls.
•
Safe Dates is an effective tool for both prevention and intervention.
•
Students learn to discern between healthy, caring, supportive relationships and
controlling, manipulative, abusive relationships.
National Recognition of the Safe Dates Program
Safe Dates has received recognition from the following organization:
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•
Recognized as an effective program by the National Registry of Evidence-based
Programs and Practices (NREPP)
http://www.nrepp.samhsa.gov/programfulldetails.asp?PROGRAM_ID=84
Academic Achievement
Within the context of providing for safe, disciplined, and drug-free schools as required by the No
Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, 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 most likely impacts academic
performance due to inability to pay attention and missed classes.
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 and drug abuse. 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. Safe Dates supports NCLB both as an effective violence
prevention program, and as a curriculum that can easily be implemented community-wide.
National Education Standards
Safe Dates helps schools meet federal mandates and implement important initiatives such as the
Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, school connectedness, high-stakes testing,
juvenile delinquency prevention, school dropout prevention, school health programs, suicide
prevention, and the promotion of developmental assets.
The Safe Dates curriculum supports the following National Health Education Standards:4
Health Education Standards: (grades 6–8)
•
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.
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•
Knows appropriate ways to build and maintain positive relationships with peers, parents,
and other adults (e.g., 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.
•
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.
Health Education Standards: (grades 9–12)
•
Knows situations that require professional health services.
•
Understands the responsibilities inherent in dating relationships, marriage, and
parenthood.
•
Knows skills used to communicate effectively with family, friends, and others, and the
effects of open and honest communication.
•
Understands the role of denial as a negative influence on mental and emotional health,
and ways to overcome denial and seek assistance when needed.
•
Knows strategies for solving interpersonal conflicts without harming self or others.
•
Knows how refusal, negotiation, and collaboration skills can be used to avoid potentially
harmful situations.
•
Understands the short- and long-term consequences of safe, risky, and harmful behaviors.
•
Knows how the abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs often plays a role in dangerous
behavior and can have adverse consequences on the community (e.g., domestic violence,
date rape).
Life Skills:
Thinking and Reasoning: (grades 6–8)
•
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.
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•
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.
Thinking and Reasoning: (grades 9–12)
•
Applies trouble-shooting strategies to complex real-world situations.
Working with Others: (grades 6–12)
•
Demonstrates respect for others in the group.
•
Engages in active listening.
•
Communicates ideas in a manner that does not irritate others.
•
Determines the causes of conflicts.
•
Identifies an explicit strategy to deal with conflict.
•
Displays empathy with others.
•
Communicates in a clear manner during conversations.
Program Support
•
Safe Dates trainers can aid in program implementation. Contact Hazelden at 800-3289000 for more information.
•
The Hazelden Publishing Web site (http://www.hazelden.org/safedates) provides
background information about the program and specific information about purchasing
program materials.
Endnotes
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).
2. Liz Claiborne Inc., Topline Findings—Teen Relationship Abuse Survey, 2006.
3. Liz Claiborne, Inc., The National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline: Tween and Teen Dating
Violence and Abuse Study, February 2008.
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4. 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: Midcontinent Research for Education and Learning [MCREL], 2000).
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Sample Letter (from Grant Writer to Key Leader) Requesting a Letter of
Commitment
Before you begin writing grant applications, you must obtain the necessary authorization to do
so. Also, your grant application will be much stronger if you submit it with letters of
commitment to implement the Safe Dates program from key personnel, such as your district
superintendent, school principal, school social worker, school board president, or PTO/PTA
president. Obtaining approval from these key leaders to seek funding sources for Safe Dates is
tantamount to their approval to implement Safe Dates, if funded. Be sure to print your letter on
letterhead from your school or organization.
[Insert date]
[Insert key leader’s complete name, title, and mailing address]
Re: Request for a letter of commitment to implement the Safe Dates program at [Insert the
name of your school or organization]
Dear [Insert key leader’s name]:
We have a teen dating abuse problem at [Insert the name of your school or organization].
[Summarize what you know today about the teen dating abuse problem at your school or
organization.] As you know, 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, Hazelden Publishing offers Safe
Dates, an award-winning program that has been proven effective.
I am requesting support and authorization to seek outside funding to implement Safe Dates at
[Insert the name of your school or organization] beginning next fall [or whatever the correct
start-up date may be]. Safe Dates is the only evidence-based curriculum that prevents dating
abuse: a factor often linked to other violent behavior, and alcohol and other drug use. This
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program helps teens recognize the difference between caring, supportive relationships and
controlling, manipulative, or abusive dating relationships. Safe Dates, proven to be effective with
both boys and girls, 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 that
have not started dating as well as those who have been “going out” for a long time.
Safe Dates has received numerous acknowledgments of excellence, including:
•
In 2006, Safe Dates was selected as a model program for the National Registry of
Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), receiving high ratings on all criteria.
The goals of this program are to
•
raise student awareness of what constitutes healthy and abusive dating relationships
•
raise student awareness of dating abuse and its causes and consequences
•
equip students with the skills and resources to help themselves or friends in abusive
dating relationships
•
equip students with the skills to develop healthy dating relationships, including positive
communication, anger management, and conflict resolution
In addition, Safe Dates will help [Insert the name of your school or organization] meet the
requirements of federal mandates and initiatives we have already undertaken: [List your school
or organization’s programs, 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, [Insert the name of your school or organization] would add Safe Dates to our
yearly curriculum. It would be very beneficial to have your support of this program. Safe Dates
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 Safe Dates
program. If you agree that our school and community would benefit from this evidence-based
approach, I ask that you provide me with a letter of commitment to implement Safe Dates, if
funded. Inclusion of your letter would strengthen [Insert the name of your school or
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organization]’s grant applications by providing evidence of the overall support we have and will
continue to receive as we move toward program implementation.
Please address your letter to [Insert the 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 send the letter back 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,
[Insert grant writer’s name]
Attachments:
1. Synopsis of the teen dating abuse epidemic and the Safe Dates program
2. Sample letter of commitment
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Sample Letter of Commitment
Please print your letter on letterhead. Thank you.
[Insert date]
[Insert contact person’s complete name, title, and mailing address]
Re: Letter of commitment to implement Safe Dates at [Insert the name of your school or
organization]
Dear [Insert contact person’s name]:
I submit this letter of commitment with full enthusiasm in the hope that [Insert name of
potential funder] will approve [Insert the name of your school or organization]’s application
for funds to implement the Safe Dates curriculum. I firmly believe that Safe Dates is an effective
program that addresses the teen dating abuse problem we have here at [Insert the name of your
school or organization]. I am pleased to convey my complete support of the goals and
objectives of Safe Dates and my ongoing commitment to doing what is necessary to ensure its
implementation at [Insert the name of your school or organization]. As [Insert 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 the program, 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
•
helping to provide students with the skills and resources to help themselves or friends in
abusive dating relationships
•
helping to establish partnerships with community members to support [Insert the name
of your school or organization]’s teen dating abuse prevention program
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I have reviewed the components of Safe Dates, and I am aware that Safe Dates is a program
that requires a high level of communication, collaboration, and involvement on the part of those
involved.
Rest assured, that [Insert the name of your school or organization] has my ongoing
support and gratitude for implementing a proven approach to teen dating abuse that will benefit
[Insert the name of your school or organization] as well as the entire community.
Since we lack the financial resources to fund Safe Dates internally, we must rely on support
from [Insert name of potential funder] to fund this remarkable program. I hope you choose to
invest in [Insert the name of your school or organization]’s teen dating abuse prevention
efforts.
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration.
Sincerely,
[Insert your name and title]
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Grant Application Template:
Primary Components of a Typical Grant Application
This Grant Application Template provides sample text for a grant writer to use to create
funding applications for implementation of the Safe Dates curriculum. Included in this document
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. Instructions and comments for the grant
writer are in italics or brackets. Please ensure that complete citations from this document are
preserved to properly document the source from which references are drawn. A list of complete
citations is located at the end of the document.
When using the text from this template to create your grant application, you should add
specific details regarding your program and vision to help the grant reviewer (1) positively
envision this curriculum enacted at your program, and (2) understand that your program is the
ideal recipient of their funding assistance. It will take time and effort to assemble sufficient
details. Remember that these are the essential ingredients that will bring this template, and
ultimately your plans, to life.
I. Needs Assessment
A. National Information
Review the “Dating Violence” section of the Fact Sheets 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 touch the life of any teen. Adolescents of all races
and income levels are 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 found to ever have been a victim of dating violence
ranges from 10% to 38%. Among students who are currently dating, as many as 59% have
22
experienced physical violence, and 96% have experience psychological or emotional
abuse.1
Congress reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act in 2006 in response to alarming
statistics:
•
33% of teenagers report knowing a peer who has been physically hurt by his or
her partner.
•
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.
New state laws will require 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. Texas has passed a similar law.
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.
B. State Information
Include information from sources such as your state’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey or
Department of Education. Refer to http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/yrbsto see if your state
participates in the state-by-state collection of data by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention that comprises the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. This example can serve as a guide:
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).
1
23
According to the Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey, in 2005, 10% of
Massachusetts high school students reported being abused by their dating partner. This
abuse included being hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose. As a result, of the students
who had experienced any kind of dating violence, 35% reported considering suicide, 24%
reported attempting suicide, and 18% reported drinking and driving.2
Again, be mindful of choosing information that will be interesting and relevant to each funder.
C. Local Information
Be as specific as you can when you describe the teen dating abuse problem at your school or
organization, and don’t assume the grant reviewer knows anything about your community or the
situation. Don’t dwell on the negative or present the problem as one that’s too overwhelming to
solve; just briefly and concretely describe it in a way that makes it clear it can be addressed if
your program is able to implement Safe Dates. 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 program’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 program
II. Organizational Capacity
2
Massachusetts Department of Education Youth Risk Behavior Survey Web site:
www.doe.mass.edu/cnp/hprograms/yrbs/05/ch5.pdf.
24
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 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.
Demonstrate that your school or organization is well positioned for success with the Safe
Dates program. 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:
community organizations, parent and volunteer groups, neighborhood leaders, volunteers, and
so on.
You can also indicate Safe Dates support components that you plan to use as resources:
•
Although training isn’t necessary for implementing Safe Dates, it is available. It would
benefit your grant application to state that you plan on taking advantage of this training
opportunity. The Safe Dates Web site (http://www.hazelden.org/safedates) provides
information on training for Safe Dates.
•
This Web site also provides background information about the program and specific
information about purchasing program materials.
You might also discuss your selection of Safe Dates, in terms of its research-based approach,
demonstrated effectiveness, and national recognition, as the ideal program to meet the needs of
your program. Information detailing these aspects of Safe Dates may be cut from the Fact Sheets
in your toolkit and pasted directly into this document to support your grant application.
III. Anticipated Outcomes
Safe Dates is an evidence-based curriculum with strong, long-term outcomes. It was the subject
of substantial formative research in fourteen public programs in North Carolina using a rigorous
experimental design. The curriculum was found to be effective in both preventing and reducing
perpetration among teens already using violence against their dates. [Your Program] anticipates
similar, if not stronger, outcomes.
25
•
[Your Program] will raise students’ awareness of what constitutes healthy and abusive
dating relationships.
•
[Your Program] will raise students’ awareness of dating abuse, its causes, and
consequences.
•
[Your Program] will equip students with the skills and resources to help themselves or
friends if they are in an abusive dating relationship.
•
[Your Program] will equip students with the skills to develop healthy dating
relationships, including positive communication, anger management, and conflict
resolution.
•
[Your Program] will improve the social climate in classrooms and throughout the school
or organization’s environment by lessening acceptance of dating violence, building
stronger communication and anger management skills, lessening gender stereotyping, and
creating a greater awareness of community services for dating abuse.
•
Implementation of Safe Dates will also help [Your Program] meet National Health
Education Standards as follows:3
Health Education Standards
Students in grades 6 through 8 will better
•
know how to locate and use community health information, products, and services that
provide valid health information.
•
know how cultural beliefs within a community influence the health of its members.
•
understand how peer relationships affect health.
•
know appropriate ways to build and maintain positive relationships with peers, parents,
and other adults (e.g., interpersonal communication).
•
understand the difference between safe and risky or harmful behaviors in relationships.
•
know techniques for seeking help and support through appropriate resources.
•
know potential signs of self- and other-directed violence.
3
. 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: Midcontinent Research for Education and Learning [MCREL], 2000).
26
•
know the various possible causes of conflict among youth in schools and communities,
and strategies to manage conflict.
•
know how refusal and negotiation skills can be used to enhance health.
Students in grades 9 through 12 will better
•
know situations that require professional health services.
•
understand the responsibilities inherent in dating relationships, marriage, and parenthood.
•
know skills used to communicate effectively with family, friends, and others, and the
effects of open and honest communication.
•
understand the role of denial as a negative influence on mental and emotional health, and
ways to overcome denial and seek assistance when needed.
•
know strategies for solving interpersonal conflicts without harming self or others.
•
know how refusal, negotiation, and collaboration skills can be used to avoid potentially
harmful situations.
•
understand the short- and long-term consequences of safe, risky, and harmful behaviors.
•
know how the abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs often plays a role in dangerous
behavior and can have adverse consequences on the community (e.g., domestic violence,
date rape).
Life Skills
Thinking and Reasoning
Students in grades 6 through 8 will better
•
identify alternative courses of action and predict likely consequences of each.
•
select the most appropriate strategy or alternative for solving a problem.
•
examine different alternatives for resolving local problems and compare the possible
consequences of each alternative.
•
identify situations in the community and in one’s personal life in which a decision is
required.
•
when appropriate, take action to implement the decision.
Students in grades 9 through 12 will better
27
•
apply troubleshooting strategies to complex real-world situations.
Working with Others
Students in grades 6 through 12 will better
•
demonstrate respect for others in the group.
•
engage in active listening.
•
communicate ideas in a manner that does not irritate others.
•
determine the causes of conflicts.
•
identify an explicit strategy to deal with conflict.
•
display empathy with others.
•
communicate in a clear manner during conversations.
•
Safe Dates will help [Your Program] with our efforts to meet the following federal
mandates and programs:
•
[Outline your program’s relevant initiatives, such as Safe and Drug-Free Schools,
program connectedness, high-stakes testing, juvenile delinquency prevention,
program dropout prevention, program health programs, suicide prevention, and the
promotion of developmental assets.]
IV. Implementation Plan
This section will particularly benefit from your addition of many details and the greatest possible
level of specificity regarding your program and your unique vision. Remember, the goal is to get
the grant reviewer to visualize and value your plans.
A. Determine the need for implementing Safe Dates 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 Safe Dates help us to achieve the expected learning and behavior changes?
28
d. What is the cost to our program for implementing Safe Dates?
e. What community resources are available for ongoing support?
3. Purchase the Safe Dates curriculum.
B. Hold a Safe Dates training event for staff.
1. Set date and publicize by creating posters, announcing it on your Web site and in your
staff newsletters.
2. Invite teachers to training by sending emails, flyers, and postcards. [Specify all teachers
who will be trained at your site and what they teach. If there are people other than
teachers who will also be implementing Safe Dates, specify who they are and the position
they have within the program district.]
3. Hold the training on the specified day. (See the Teacher Training Outline located on pages
243–248 of the Safe Dates binder.)
4. Evaluate the training.
C. Administer pre-test and implement program.
1. Administer the pre-test found on pages 25–26 of the Safe Dates binder to gauge what
students might already know (or not know) about teen dating abuse. Answers for this test
are found on page 27. (Note: this will be used for the post-test as well.)
2. Implement the program according to the format of the curriculum (nine sessions).
D. Administer post-test and evaluate effectiveness of teaching the program.
1. To gauge the students’ retention of program concepts and to evaluate the effectiveness of
the teaching of the Safe Dates program, administer the post-test, found on pages 25–26 of
the Safe Dates binder. Answers for this test are found on page 27.
V. Budget
These are some of the basic costs to be considered in a Safe Dates 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.
29
Basic Costs
(based on 30 students)
Total
Safe Dates curriculum
Materials
Photocopies of handouts for students
(46 pages @ $0.07/copy)
Photocopies of materials for
parents/guardians (3 pages @
$0.07/copy)
Postage for parent materials
Binders for students
Photocopies of play for 7 characters
and 1 coach (14 pages @ $0.07/copy)
Consumables (markers, tape, etc.)
Incentives
Total
Facilitator Training Costs
(based on 24 participants)
Safe Dates trainer (includes travel)
Refreshments for facilitator training
Notebook and materials
Total
Cost per facilitator
Cost (each)
$215.00
Number
1
$215.00
$3.22
30
$96.60
$0.21
$0.50
$1.50
45
45
30
$9.45
$22.50
$45.00
$0.98
$10.00
$5.00
8
1
1
$7.84
$10.00
$5.00
$411.39
Cost (each)
$3,500.00
$10.00
$10.00
Number
1
24
0
Total
$3,500.00
$240.00
$0.00
$3,740.00
$155.83
Training is available on an open-enrollment basis at Hazelden. Contact 800-328-9000, ext. 4672
for more information.
VI. Summary Statement
Use this section to summarize why the grantor should give the grant for which you are applying
to your program. Feel free to pull information from any of the above sections to enhance your
summary.
VII. Attachments
Other items to include with typical grant applications:
•
a grant application transmittal letter (keep it brief; see the sample provided in this toolkit)
•
letters of commitment from key parties (samples provided in this toolkit)
30
•
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)
31
Sample Logic Model for Implementation and Evaluation of Safe Dates
Presented to: [Insert name of funder] on behalf of [Insert name of school or organization]
Resources
Activities
Outputs
Short and Long-
Impact
Term Outcomes
Evaluation
Methods
In order to
In order to achieve
We expect that once
We expect that if
We expect that if
We will use the
accomplish our set
our outcomes, we
accomplished, these
accomplished, these
accomplished, these
following methods
of activities we will
will accomplish the
activities will
activities will lead
activities will lead
to measure our
need the following:
following activities:
produce the
to the following
to the following
short- and long-
following evidence
changes:
changes in 7 to 10
term outcomes:
of service delivery:
years:
Endorsement from
[Insert number]
Facilitators will
Students who
Young people will
School staff
administrators at
staff members will
implement the 9
participate will
be less likely to be
members will be
[Insert name of
be trained to
Safe Dates sessions,
report:
involved in dating
surveyed to
school or
implement Safe
providing 8 to10
• less acceptance of
violence—to abuse,
determine their
organization]
Dates and will be
hours of instruction
dating abuse and
or to be abused.
satisfaction with the
given materials to
to [Insert number]
violence
Safe Dates
• stronger
Peers will be more
appropriate classes
communication and
likely to intervene if
and sites in which to Classroom materials The pre- and post-
anger management
they see problems
The Safe Dates pre-
incorporate Safe
will be ordered for
test will be given to
skills
related to dating
and post-test will be
Dates
[Insert
students in order to
• less gender
abuse.
administered at the
number]students.
measure outcomes.
stereotyping
Identification of
support their efforts. students.
32
curriculum.
beginning and end
Selection of
• greater awareness
Parents will be more of each Safe Dates
facilitators to be
Over [Insert
[Insert number]
of community
actively engaged in
trained in Safe
number] parents
parents will receive
services for dating
talking to their
Dates
will receive
a letter about Safe
abuse and violence
children about
Data from the
information about
Dates, and a guide
• less physical,
relationships and
[Insert your data
Safe Dates.
designed to help
serious physical,
dating abuse.
instrument (such
technical assistance
them understand
and sexual dating
from Hazelden
dating violence and
abuse and violence
Publishing
know how to keep
Training and
their teens safe.
Safe Dates materials
implementation.
as a survey)]
People will be less
administered in
likely to be involved [Insert year] and
Parents will be more in intimate partner
again in [Insert
likely to set clear
year] will be
violence as adults.
and data collection
[Insert number]
standards for their
tools from Hazelden
participants will
teens, and to talk
Problems associated
Publishing
view the 45-minute
with them about
with dating violence dating violence. The
play, “There's No
relationships and
will decrease,
Funding from
Excuse for Dating
take steps to prevent including declining
instrument] will
[Insert name of
Abuse,” in [Insert
dating violence.
school performance,
also measure parent
funder]
location (such as
depression, and
communication
“at a school
alcohol and other
about relationships
assembly”)].
drug use.
and teen dating
Commitment from
staff members to
analyzed to
determine trends in
[insert data
violence.
implement the
[Insert number]
program
people will see
posters about dating
violence prepared
33
by student
participants.
34
Sample Grant Application Transmittal Letter
Print your letter on letterhead from your school or organization and have it signed by the
appropriate person.
[Insert date]
[Insert name, title, and mailing address of contact person at funding source]
Re: Grant application of [Insert the name of your school or organization] to implement the
Safe Dates program
Dear [Insert name of contact person at funding source]:
We have a problem with teen dating abuse at [Insert the name of your school or organization].
[Insert 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 school performance.
We are especially concerned to see evidence of the national teen dating abuse crisis and its
effects reflected in our community by increasing violence. Fortunately, there is a nationally
recognized program that can help: the Safe Dates program. Because [Insert name of school or
organization]’s limited resources prevent the self-funding of Safe Dates, 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 Safe Dates. 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,
35
[Insert your name, title, and school or organization name]
Accompanying documents:
1. [Insert the name of your school or organization] grant application for [Insert name of
potential funder]
2. Letters of commitment from the following people: [List names and job titles]
36