With generous support from AT&T, America’s Promise will invest in two states and three communities to support more young people toward the critical milestone of high school graduation. Submission deadline is November 8th, 2017

1. September 20 and 27, 2017
Acceleration Grant
Informational Webinar
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2. Welcome
Overview of the GradNation Acceleration Grant
• America’s Promise Alliance and AT&T Collaboration
• Purpose of the GradNation Acceleration Grant
• Eligibility Criteria
• Grantmaking timeline
• Key Application Components
• Benefits for Grantees
• Application & Selection Processes
Q&A
Agenda
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3. • AT&T: AT&T Aspire brings together the power of AT&T’s network – its
employees, technology and work with best-in-class organizations – to
improve access and quality of education and job training. Since 2008,
AT&T has committed $400 million to create a diverse and skilled
workforce that powers our company – and our country – for the future.
www.att.com/aspire
• America’s Promise Alliance leads an alliance of organizations,
communities and individuals dedicated to making the promise of America
real for every child. As its signature effort, the GradNation campaign
mobilizes Americans to increase the on-time high school graduation rate
to 90 percent by 2020 and prepare young people for postsecondary
enrollment and the 21st century workforce. www.americaspromise.org
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4.  GradNation Acceleration Grant
• Intended to support state- and community-level efforts poised to get even
more young people to high school graduation and postsecondary
success. All to accelerate progress to a 90 percent graduation rate.
 Objectives
• Accelerate Graduation Rate Progress through the GradNation Action
Platform
• Accelerate Progress in Priority States
Purpose of the GradNation Acceleration
Grant
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5. High school graduation: Where is the
nation?
• As America’s Promise takes a more focused
approach to the GradNation campaign, we find
ourselves drawing upon the hard work and
success of practitioners and community leaders
across the country.
• The GradNation Action Platform acknowledges
and reflects their accomplishments and elevates
them for others to learn from and replicate.
Graduation Rate For the Class of 2015: 83.2 percent
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6. Action Platform
Use high quality data to monitor cohort
progress, identify struggling students,
inform effective interventions, and
provide accountability for overall
progress.
Respond to non-academic factors that
influence school participation and
performance (e.g., chronic absenteeism,
social-emotional development, impacts of
poverty).
Improve school climate by promoting a
sense of caring and connection between
students and in-school staff through
disciplinary practices and polices that are
inclusive and ensure students stay in
school through to graduation.
Increase the number and quality of
caring adult relationships in students’
lives.
Re-engage young people who have left
school by providing accessible and
effective options for completing high
school prepared for success in college
and/or career.
Connect the high school
experience with pathways to
postsecondary education,
workforce readiness and
participation, and overall adult
success.
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7. Top 10 Priority States
1. California
2. Colorado
3. Florida
4. Georgia
5. Michigan
6. New Mexico
7. North Carolina
8. Oregon
9. Pennsylvania
10. Washington
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8. America’s Promise will fund proposals from two (2) eligible state
organizations and three (3) eligible community organizations.
Applicant Eligibility Criteria
• State Organization:
 A state-level government agency, statewide nonprofit, or statewide community-based
organization
 Must have a role as a ”statewide convener” that facilitates cross-sector collaboration
• Community Organization:
 Local nonprofit or community-based organization, Local government agencies (e.g.,
local educational agencies) and educational foundations
 Must demonstrate role as a “local convener” that facilitates cross-sector collaboration
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9. GradNation Acceleration Grant Applicant
1. In a priority state
2. Doing work aligned to the
GradNation Action Platform
4. Are an eligible state
or community
organization
If you are:
Then, you should apply for a GradNation
Acceleration Grant!
3. If you’re not a district,
you’re partnering with a
district(s)
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10. Grantmaking Timeline Overview
Sep 13:
Application
Released
Sep 20+27:
Informational
Webinars
Nov 8:
Applications
Due
Jan:
Announcement
of Winners
Useful links and documents:
- Grant Application Portal
- Application template
- Scope of Work template
- Budget and Budget Narrative template
- Review Criteria
- Frequently Asked Questions
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11. Grant Application Sections and Level of Effort
• Section 1: Proposal Aligned to GradNation Action Platform
• Six yes/no questions; three narratives; one Scope of Work
• Section 2: Ability to Accelerate
• Three narratives
• Section 3: Impact
• Three narratives; one set of performance measures
• Section 4: Budget and Budget Narrative
• One excel budget
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12. Yes or No Questions
Narrative Questions
Click Here to View
the GradNation
Action Platform
Click Here to View the
Review Criteria
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13. What Does the Scope of Work Document Look Like?
Click Here to View the
Scope of Work
Template
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14. Budget and Budget Narrative Template
What is needed in a budget narrative?
The budget narrative should indicate what the
dollar amounts will accomplish (e.g., 2 FTEs,
meeting materials, web development contract).
Click Here to View the
Budget and Budget
Narrative Template
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15. Don’t Forget About the Second Tab in the
Budget Template (Budget Summary)
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16. Characteristics of High-Quality Applications
• Demonstrate an understanding of school- and community-level
graduation rates and related data
• Describe a collaborative relationship with high schools and/or
districts.
• Demonstrate a commitment to meet the needs of students most
at-risk of not graduating: low-income students, Black and
Hispanic/Latinx students, students with disabilities, English
learners, and those served by low-graduation rate high schools.
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17. Our Approach to Application Review
• Using the Review Criteria, reviewers will assign scores of 0, 1, 2
or 3 for each component of the application
• Consult with partners with content expertise
• Identify top state applicants and top community applicants
• Determine final winners
milestones connection between
needs of young people
and a reasonable
strategy; selected
strategies are
educationally sound;
timeline for
implementation may
not be reasonable
• Scope of Work includes
timelines, responsible
parties, activities, and
critical milestones
needs of young people
and a reasonable
strategy; selected
strategies are
educationally sound;
timeline for
implementation may be
reasonable
• Scope of Work includes
timelines, responsible
parties, activities, and
critical milestones
between needs of
young people and
innovative strategies;
selected strategies are
educationally sound;
timeline for
implementation is
reasonable
• Scope of Work includes
timelines, responsible
parties, activities, and
critical milestones
Section 2: Ability to accelerate
Applicant Question 1 point 2 points 3 points
1. What current work is the
applicant doing that will
be helpful in successfully
executing this proposal?
What existing or planned
supports for young people
signal the applicant’s
ability to accelerate
progress?
• Response describes a
record of action or
sufficient context that
does not make
continued graduation
gains likely
• Response describes a
record of action or
sufficient context that
makes continued
graduation gains likely
• Response describes a
record of action or
sufficient context that
makes continued
graduation gains highly
likely
2. What local, state, or
national partners have
supported the applicant in
the past or are able to
support implementation
of the two-year proposal?
In what ways do partners
complement the proposal
and/or the capacity of the
applicant?
• Response describes
partnerships with the
lead organization that
have positively
impacted the schools,
but not graduation
rates
• Partnership efforts do
not match student
need such that
continued gains are
likely
• Response describes
partnerships with the
lead organization that
have positively
impacted the schools,
but in a way that may
not be connected to
graduation rates
• Partnership efforts
match student need
such that continued
gains are likely
• Response describes
complementary
partnerships with the
lead organization that
have positively
impacted graduation
rates
• Partnership efforts
match student need
such that continued
gains are likely
3. What policy, political, or
program conditions in the
state or community make
• Response describes
conditions that do not
increase likelihood of
• Response describes
conditions that may
increase likelihood of
• Response describes
conditions that increase
likelihood of continued
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18. Benefits for Grantees
• State awards are up to $125,000 per year for two years for a
total of up to $250,000.
• Community awards are up to $50,000 per year for two years for
a total of up to $100,000.
• Support for sharing progress and results to a national audience
• Shared learning for adoption and replication in other states and
communities.
• Strengthened local capacity to improve outcomes for young
people based on young people’s needs and strengths.
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19. • Application Submission: Applicants should submit their application for funding
through the Grant Application Portal by midnight on Wednesday, November 8,
2017.
• Review Period: America’s Promise Alliance, AT&T, and partner organizations
will review applications through December 2017. Please see the GradNation
Acceleration Grant Review Rubric for a sense of the criteria being used to
evaluate each application.
• Application Notification: Applicants will be notified of a funding decision in
January 2018 via an e-mail to the lead organization. AT&T and America’s
Promise reserve the right to ask clarifying questions or request additional from
finalists.
Application & Selection Process and
Timeline
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20. Q & A
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See the Frequently Asked Questions for more information
about the GradNation Acceleration Grant

21. For more information, visit our website at:
http://gradnation.americaspromise.org/action-
platform/funding-opportunity
For specific questions, contact the GradNation
team:
gradnation90@americaspromise.org
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