Proposal - 2026 Impact Grant for Deaf Organizations

Описание: [VIDEO DESCRIPTION: Ernest, a white-presenting person with short curly brown hair and light facial hair, stands against a plain gray background, wearing clear-framed glasses and a black collared shirt. They are facing the camera and signing.]

[TRANSCRIPT: The following section is the proposal in which you will describe your organization’s request for funding. There are four questions, and you can respond to the last two questions with an up to 500-word response or a 3-minute video response in American Sign Language (ASL). If choosing the video response in ASL, please upload your video file to YouTube, and then provide the URL in the response field under the specific question you are answering. 
 
Question #1: Requested Funding Amount. Applicants can request up to $20,000 USD. Please do not use commas when inserting the funding amount requested. For example, you can enter 20000 or the amount you are requesting.  

Question #2: Which of DOF's priority areas does your proposal address? If none, select "Other." 

One of DOF’s priority areas is the immediate, urgent needs of the community by meeting the time-sensitive needs of community members you serve.  For example, food, housing, safety, and access to mental health services, among other fundamental aspects of well-being. That is one of the priorities, does your proposal align with it? AND/OR The second priority area is the sustainable, long-term needs of the organization by addressing the capacity building needs of the organization. For example, cost-sharing of resources among partner organizations, development fundraising efforts, administrative business needs of the organization, etc. That is one of the priorities, does your proposal align with it?

The third option is “Other” where the applicant organization has identified other areas of need. These are the three options for question #2; please check all that apply. 
 
Question #3: What is the issue that your organization is seeking to address with this grant? 

This brief example is provided only to highlight the type of information requested:  
Between 2024 and 2025, deaf communities in A, B, and C counties have requested clothing, bedding, and other household goods from our organization. Through tracking client request data, we saw a 25% increase in this category of requests during that time period, and this has never happened prior to 2024-2025. Most of our community members also reported they did not know where to find free textiles or housewares, did not have sufficient income from their jobs or from SSI/SSDI to otherwise afford such items, and some of them (roughly 20%) were also turned away from mainstream resources. We have observed that local government programs and other organizations occasionally provide clothing-only drives, but information about these events has not been made accessible to our deaf communities, and they do not fully meet their needs. 
 
Question #4: Outline a plan, including activities, rough expenditures, and a timeline for how your organization will utilize the grant funds. See below for an example. 

This brief example is provided only to highlight the type of information requested:  
To help address the increased demand for textiles and housewares, Organization X will use this grant to distribute an additional 25% of the typical volume of clothing, bedding, and small household goods we provide annually to support members of deaf communities of all ages residing in A, B, and C counties.  

During Q1, we will conduct a simple survey of our community members and existing clients to gather information on specific items needed. 5% of the grant funds ($1K) will be used to develop and distribute the survey, including ensuring its accessibility.  

During Q2, we will enter into a contract with two vendors to order the requested items. 60% of grant funds (approximately $12K) will be used to cover the cost of the order.  

During Q3 and Q4, we will distribute all items in person or by mail to our clients, and host one event for item pickup as an alternative. 30% of grant funds ($6K) will be used to partially cover the personnel costs for two staff positions, along with volunteer appreciation items for community members who assist with the distribution effort. The remaining 5% of grant funds will be used to cover indirect costs on this project.]