A real grant draft, start to finish.

In the Riverside Unified School District, [INSERT: % of 3rd graders reading below grade level — from CA Smarter Balanced 2023 results] of third graders are reading below grade level, with rates climbing to [INSERT: % at Title I schools] at the district's nine Title I elementary schools. Reading proficiency by the end of third grade is the single strongest predictor of high school graduation, yet the children most at risk — those from low-income families, English learners, and students of color — are also least likely to receive the structured, one-on-one reading support that closes the gap. Families in our service area face compounding barriers: [INSERT: median household income for service area]; [INSERT: % of households where English is a second language]; and a district tutoring waitlist that has grown to [INSERT: current waitlist number] children. Without targeted intervention before fourth grade, these children enter the upper grades trying to learn from texts they cannot decode — and the achievement gap widens every year. The Riverside Youth Literacy Project was founded in 2018 specifically to meet this need. Over the past three program years we have served [INSERT: total children served 2021–2024] children, with [INSERT: % of participants who advanced one or more reading levels]% of participants advancing at least one reading level over a 20-week tutoring cycle.

Goal 1: Improve grade-level reading proficiency for 120 K–3 students in Riverside Title I elementary schools during the 2025–26 academic year. Objective 1.1: 80% of participating students will advance at least one Fountas & Pinnell reading level over a 20-week tutoring cycle, as measured by pre- and post-program benchmark assessments. Objective 1.2: 70% of participating third graders will meet or exceed grade-level proficiency on the spring Smarter Balanced ELA assessment. Goal 2: Strengthen family engagement in early literacy for the families of all 120 participants. Objective 2.1: At least one caregiver from 90% of participating families will attend two or more family literacy nights over the program year. Objective 2.2: 100% of participating families will receive a curated home library of 10 grade-appropriate books in their preferred language. Goal 3: Build organizational capacity to sustain and grow the program beyond the grant period. Objective 3.1: Recruit, train, and retain [INSERT: target number of new volunteer tutors] new volunteer tutors using our evidence-aligned 12-hour onboarding curriculum. Objective 3.2: Secure [INSERT: dollar amount or % of budget] in renewable funding commitments by month 10 of the grant period.

Our tutoring model is built on the science of reading and adapted from the Reading Recovery and Sound Partners evidence base. Each participating student receives: • Two 45-minute one-on-one tutoring sessions per week, delivered after school at their home campus by a trained volunteer. • A structured lesson plan covering phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension — sequenced to the student's current Fountas & Pinnell level. • Pre-, mid-, and post-cycle benchmark assessments administered by our program coordinator. Volunteer tutors complete a 12-hour onboarding (foundations of reading instruction, lesson plan delivery, trauma-informed practice, mandated reporter training) before their first session, plus monthly two-hour ongoing coaching led by our program coordinator, a credentialed reading specialist. Family literacy nights are held monthly at rotating school sites and include a shared meal, a read-aloud modeled by staff, and a take-home activity in English and Spanish. Curated home libraries are assembled in partnership with First Book and distributed at the first family night of each cycle. We coordinate directly with each campus's principal and reading specialist to align our tutoring with classroom instruction and to avoid duplication with Title I services.

We will evaluate this program against the objectives above using a mix of standardized assessment data, program records, and family feedback. Reading growth (Objectives 1.1 and 1.2) will be measured using Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System levels collected at intake, mid-cycle (week 10), and exit (week 20). District-level Smarter Balanced ELA results for participating third graders will be obtained through our existing data-sharing MOU with Riverside USD ([INSERT: MOU date]). Family engagement (Objectives 2.1 and 2.2) will be tracked through sign-in sheets at family literacy nights and signed receipt forms for home library distribution. Organizational capacity (Goal 3) will be tracked through our volunteer management system (active tutors, retention rate, hours contributed) and our development tracker (committed renewable funding by source). The program coordinator will compile a quarterly internal dashboard for the Executive Director and Board, and a full mid-year and year-end report for The Hartwell Family Foundation that includes disaggregated outcome data, narrative reflection on what worked and what didn't, and any proposed program adjustments.

The requested $25,000 from The Hartwell Family Foundation will directly support the personnel, materials, and assessment costs of delivering one full 20-week tutoring cycle to 120 K–3 students at three Title I campuses during the 2025–26 school year. Personnel ($16,400 / 65.6%): Partial salary support for our 0.5 FTE Program Coordinator ([INSERT: hourly rate and total hours]), who recruits and trains volunteers, administers benchmark assessments, and coordinates with school partners. Includes associated payroll taxes and benefits at [INSERT: org fringe rate]%. Program materials ($4,200 / 16.8%): 120 curated home libraries at $25 each ($3,000); leveled reading texts and decodable readers for the tutoring sessions ($800); printed lesson plan packets and assessment booklets ($400). Volunteer training and coaching ($1,900 / 7.6%): Background checks for 30 new volunteer tutors at $35 each ($1,050); training materials and refreshments for the 12-hour onboarding ($550); monthly coaching session materials ($300). Family engagement ($1,500 / 6.0%): Food, childcare, and bilingual materials for six family literacy nights at $250 per event. Indirect costs ($1,000 / 4.0%): Charged at our federally negotiated indirect cost rate of [INSERT: NICRA % or de minimis 10%] on direct costs, capped at $1,000 in deference to the foundation's preference for direct program impact. Other funding committed or pending for the same program year includes [INSERT: other funders and amounts], representing [INSERT: %] of the total program budget of [INSERT: total program budget].