Seven Proposals for Federal, State and Foundation Grants

CHAPTER NINE Sample Proposals
This chapter presents seven actual proposals that successfully
won federal, state, and foundation grants. The first proposal was
submitted by the Midwest Music Fest to the Winona Fine Arts
Commission in Minnesota. The second was submitted by the
Winona Dakota Unity Alliance to the Elizabeth Callender King
Foundation in Minnesota. The third was submitted by the
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation to the Will Rogers
Institute-Variety Children’s Charity of Wisconsin. The fourth
proposal was submitted by the Winter Park Day Nursery to the
Winter Park Health Foundation in Florida. The fifth proposal
was submitted by the Mentor Parent Program in Pennsylvania to
the U.S. Department of Education. The sixth was submitted by
the La Crosse Medical Health Sciences Consortium to the
Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant Program
in Wisconsin. The seventh proposal was submitted to the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security Assistance to Firefighters
Grant Program by Lancaster Emergency Medical Services
Association in Pennsylvania.
You will note that the last three grants, all submitted to either a
federal department, federal agency, or state program, tend to
have longer narratives and are more complex than the other four
grants. The Winona Fine Arts Commission application is
relatively short and took far less time to write than the others.
These seven examples were chosen to illustrate the vast
differences between the formats of proposals and funder
specifications. They are concrete, real examples of proposals
that combine the art of proposal writing with the technical
aspects of what the funders were looking for.
These proposals are not perfect—they never are! However, the
reviewers felt that each applicant responded clearly to the RFP
or guidelines and presented a project they felt was worthy of
being funded.
PROPOSAL #1

Form name:
On-line grant application
Date Submitted:
03/01/2010
Form type:
Email
Contact Name
Samuel Brown
Address
Phone
E-mail
[email protected]
Title of Project
Mid West Music Fest
Project Location
throughout downtown Winona
Amount Requested from the Fine Arts Commission $
$4,000
Will the FAC receive any funds from the project?
Yes
Approximate amount of funds the FAC will receive.
40% of profits generated
Please check the deadline you are submitting this application
for:
March 1
Please provide a brief description of your project. (150–200
words)
Mid West Music Fest (MWMF) is a music festival scheduled for
JULY 30–31, 2010. MWMF will be a fundraiser for both the
WFAC (pending approval) and Semcac Head Start in Winona.
This event will serve as a platform for musicians, artists and
their fans to celebrate the diversity of music in the Winona

community. The event will encompass multiple venues in local
businesses downtown Winona. Along with live music the event
will feature music workshops, hands on demos, arts and crafts
and musical programming for both children and adults. It will
feature local, regional and national musical talent. We will also
invite local visual artists to show their work during the festival.
Experience
During my years as a college student I was involved in
organizing our school’s music festival. My senior year of
college I was elected as the festival’s president by my peers.
During my time as president we were able to take the event to
the next level. We became very organized and showed the
university that we were serious about raising the quality of the
event. We doubled the budget from $7,500 to $15,000 in
funding from our school, and topped over $20,000 in total our
total budget.
During my senior year of college I began working for a
nationwide concert production company. They offered me a full
time position upon graduating and I worked at the company
for two years. I also helped with the coordination of two similar
events in Salem, OR. Both of these events were awarded grant
money and had 10+ venues with 75+ acts performing, each.
Event Budget:
Revenues:
Sponsorship $8,000
Grants $5,000
Admission Fees $9,000
Merchandise $1,000
Total $23,000
Expenses
Permits $2,000
Advertising $8,000
Contracts $10,000
Contingency $3,000
Total $23,000
income:

Budget
Please note: the following figures are subject to change based
on our needs for the festival. All-access wristbands will cost
$30 in advance, $40 once the festival starts. Admission for
individual shows will range from $5–$15 depending on each
show’s expenses. Donation cans will be set out at all shows. We
will sell merchandise for the event as well (Tee Shirts, Posters
etc.)
amount requested from WFAC: $4,000.
Matching funds—I am confident that we can get a matching
donation either from another grant or private donors. We have
several other foundations in mind that we will approach for
funding.
In-kind—Part of the model for this event will engage
AmeriCorps members from my corps, giving us a large source
of in-kind hours from very capable driven individuals. Most of
our members are placed in schools, meaning once school is out
we need to become creative to find ways to put our hours in. I
believe many members would be excited to help out in bringing
this event together.
In-kind donations will be sought for advertising and contracts
line items, specifically newspaper, radio, television, internet,
outdoor and printed advertising and talent fees, rental
equipment, venue rental, accommodations, beer, wine, cider,
specialty foods, and restaurants contracts.
Special Request—That the Fine Arts Commission supports a
waiver of the rental fees for city-owned venues.
Partial funding
At this point funding is critical to the project due to its
importance for securing additional funding. If the amount is
reduced, we will reduce advertising, contracts or try to raise
additional funding elsewhere.
Additional information
I have already begun to assemble volunteer committee chairs to
make this event possible. I presently have seven individuals,
also volunteer, who have taken on responsibilities, including

two AmeriCorps members, three Winona State students and two
community members.
Name, Title (if applicable) & date
Samuel Brown, Program Director / Founder, March 1 2010.
PROPOSAL #2
ELIZABETH CALLENDER KING FOUNDATION
Proposal
Courtesy of the The Winona Dakota Unity Alliance.
Purpose of the Organization
The Winona Dakota Unity Alliance (WDUA) became a 501(c) 3
in January of 2006. The mission of the WDUA is to promote
and support the reconciliation process between the people of
Winona, MN and the people of the Dakota nation through
cultural and educational exchanges. In order to accomplish its
mission, each year since 2005, the WDUA has held a Gathering
and Homecoming Weekend in early June and invited the people
of the Dakota Nation to attend. This event, which has grown
each year, consists of a variety of traditional Native American
activities including talk circles, learning tents, moccasin
tournaments, Unity feasts, storytelling, a blended spiritual
service, a grand entry and dancing.
In addition to the Homecoming Weekend, the WDUA also works
with the City of Winona to improve life on the Crow Creek and
Santee Reservations and sponsors, in conjunction with other
community partners, collections of clothing, appliances,
furniture and toys for the Dakota people in Nebraska, North and
South Dakota, Montana and Canada.
Organization’s Staff and Directors
The WDUA is an all volunteer organization. Our current board
members include:
Ron Luchau, President
Denis Carter, Vice-President
Gail Bradbury
William McNeil
John Borman
Jerry Kellum

Ed Lohnes, Jr.
Ken McCullough
Carol Davitt
Bunny Welle
Eric Sorenson
Terry Goldman
Leonard Wabasha
Deb Ward
IRS Determination Letter
See attached
Current Operating Budget
Advertising/Promotion
$ 7,500.00
Housing
15,000.00
Facilities
5,500.00
Encampment
10,000.00
Language and Genealogy Camp
7,000.00
Spiritual Service
500.00
Moccasin Tournament
6,000.00
Wacipi
25,000.00
Food
12,000.00
Vending
400.00
T-shirts for participants
3,000.00
Annual Meeting
1,500.00
Supplies

400.00
TOTAL
Project Description
The project is the Seventh Annual Great Dakota Gathering and
Homecoming hosted by the Community and City of Winona and
it is the center piece of the activities of the Winona Dakota
Unity Alliance in our efforts to continue to create and sustain
the developing relationships with the people of the Dakota
Nations. Our vision is to continue the reconciliation process
initiated at the first Gathering in 2004 by promoting truth,
understanding and continued cultural interaction.
We will hold the Gathering at the newly developed Unity Park
site. This year, at the Gathering, we will emphasize the
importance and the role of youth in Dakota culture through
education and genealogy camps and related activities. We are
planning two dancing sessions with grand entries both days, a
blended spiritual service and daily breakfasts and Unity Feasts
which will be provided to all in attendance. There will be a Bob
Bone Winona Dakota Moccasin Tournament in honor of our
deceased elder and friend from Sioux Valley, Manitoba.
One of the features of our Gathering that has been most
appreciated by the visiting Dakota is the sincere hospitality of
our community. Their reception in Winona is always truly warm
and friendly; the excellent food and unanticipated lodging we
provide are further evidence of our sincere welcome. Our
efforts have always emphasized the importance of involving the
elders and wecontinue that focus. We anticipate housing
significantly more elders and participants this year and have
increased our lodging budget. This year we hope to limit the
number of motel rooms while continuing to utilize housing at
local higher education institutions and to encourage camping at
both Unity Park and a local campground.
The history of the Dakota Nation people and Winona stretches
back to the late 1800s. The Dakota people were the first

inhabitants of what would later become the city of Winona. In
the late 1800s, a series of tragic events occurred which resulted
in the Dakota people being literally “run out of town” by the
new White immigrants and being murdered in Mankato. The
Annual Homecoming Weekend is an ongoing effort to promote
truth and reconciliation between the Dakota people and the
current residents of Winona. It is also an opportunity to develop
and nurture new relationships built on mutual respect,
admiration and an awareness of the Dakota culture.
The success of the Homecoming Weekend is measured in
several ways including: (1) the number of individuals who
return to the event on an annual basis; (2) the number of new
attendees at the event; (3) the verbal feedback we receive from
attendees at the event; and (4) the suggestions and comments we
receive from the Dakota elders about ways to promote Dakota
culture at the event.
Proposed Project Budget
The WDUA’s operating budget is comprised almost entirely of
expenses related to the Gathering and Homecoming Weekend
including advertising, housing, food, facilities, encampment, the
moccasin tournament and Wacipi (a social gathering where
people have the chance to watch and practice traditional
dances). On the budget listed above, all of the expenses are
related to the Homecoming weekend except the Annual Meeting
($1,500.00) and supplies ($400.00) line items.
Amount of Support Requested
We provide all of the meals during the Homecoming Weekend
in keeping with the Dakota tradition of feeding people if you
invite them to attend an event. We are requesting $5,000.00
from the Elizabeth Callender King Foundation to support our
food costs for the Homecoming Weekend. These funds will be
used to provide breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday, June 5.
It is also Dakota tradition to enjoy a meal in someone’s honor
and we would like to ask that the Foundation allow us to
dedicate Saturday evening’s meal to Elizabeth Callender King,
We will purchase food a day or two prior to the start of the

Homecoming Weekend on Friday, June 5. We would appreciate
receiving funds by the end of May, if possible.
Other Sources of Support
Winona Foundation
Committed
$6,000.00
MN Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund
Pending
$10,910.00
Works of Justice Fund
Pending
$5,000.00
William McNeil Family Fund
Committed
$7,000.00
MN Dakota Tribes
Pending
$20,000.00
The City of Winona has generously contributed support for
prior Gatherings, however, due to budget constraints, will not
be able to contribute to this year’s event.
PROPOSAL #3
WILL ROGERS INSTITUTE
Education for Today.
Research for Tomorrow.
The Will Rogers Institute is committed to helping hospitals save
the lives of premature infants, who are in desperate need of
pulmonary care. Our mission is to help as many hospitals as
possible purchase equipment needed for pulmonary critical care
and fund life saving critical care pulmonary programs, serving
the premature infant population.
If approved as a grantee, the WRI will provide you with a grant
that is restricted for the purchase of neonatal ventilator
equipment or funding for a specific neonatal pulmonary related
program. The grant cannot be used towards a fundraising
campaign, unless the campaign is restricted to the neonatal

intensive care unit.
DUE DATE FOR APPLICATION: JULY 2, 2010
Hospital Information
Name of Organization:
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation
Contact Person:
Amy Rewertz
Title:
Business Program Manager, Pediatrics
Address:
1900 South Avenue, FBO-004
City:
La Crosse
Phone:
608-775-2643
State:
WI
Zip:
54601
Email:
[email protected]
Funding Request
Please provide us with the following information:
· 1) Funding amount requested (maximum $50,000): $45,427
(based on quote for 2 Puritan Bennett Ventilators)
· 2) Equipment or services to be provided by funding: Two
Puritan Bennett Ventilators—model 840
· 3) Impact of funding/number of infants directly
affected: Below is the total number of days in 2009 and January
through June of 2010 that we had babies in the NICU on
ventilator support. We also included babies on nasal CPAP as
the machines we are requesting will also be able to deliver
CPAP.
January–June 2010
2009—total

Infant Ventilator Days
70
244
Infant Nasal CPAP Days
97
525
· 4) Are matching funds available? If yes, please
explain: Matching funds are available from Children’s Miracle
Network for costs not covered by this grant.
Overview
Please provide us with a brief overview of your hospital
including the following specific areas of interest.
· ■ Organizational Overview: Gundersen Lutheran Health
System, which is physician-led, employs about 6,000 people
who support more than 450 physicians and 280 associate staff.
We have more than 20 rural clinics located throughout our tri-
state service area. Our private, non-profit, state-of-the-art
teaching hospital is located in La Crosse, WI and has 325
licensed beds and a multi-specialty clinic. As a teaching
hospital, Gundersen Lutheran physicians, nurses, therapists and
counselors share their expertise with resident and student
doctors, student nurses, paramedics and other healthcare
professionals. We view teaching as an opportunity to influence
the next generation of practitioners and constantly improve the
quality of patient care in the communities we serve. In addition
to a focus on primary and preventative care, Gundersen
Lutheran has a full range of specialty care and the expertise of
some of the leading specialists in their fields at our Heart
Institute, Neuroscience Center, Center for Cancer and Blood
Disorders, Norma J. Vinger Center for Breast Care, New Life
Family Center and Eye Institute. Our Health System has been
consistently ranked in the upper 5% of hospitals in the
country.In 2009, we had 1,563 live newborns at our hospital in
La Crosse, WI. Our Level IIIb NICU at this hospital is a 12-bed
unit that is managed by a team of RNs, Nurse Practitioners,
Physician Assistants and Neonatologists. We care for babies

with most medical conditions, including heart and respiratory
problems, infections and birth defects.
· ■ Geographic and socio-economic status of patients in your
service area: We provide patient services in 19 counties
throughout western Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota and
northeastern Iowa. Our 13,800 square mile service area
stretches from south of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to north of
Dubuque, Iowa, and from east of Rochester, Minnesota to west
of Madison, Wisconsin. The estimated population of our service
area is 560,000. Many of our patients reside in small, rural
communities with populations less than 5,000.In 2009, we
served almost 100,000 patients age 17 and under (21%) and
over 364,000 age 18 and over (79%). Our payor mix for 2009
was 37% commercial insurance, 61% government (Rural Health,
Medicare and Medicaid) and 2% self-pay.
· ■ Affiliations with other hospitals or universities: Gundersen
Lutheran serves as the Western Academic Campus for the
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
(UW-SMPH). We offer residency programs in general surgery,
internal medicine, oral and maxillofacial surgery, pharmacy
practice, podiatric medicine and surgery, sports physical
therapy, and a transitional year residency which provides a
broad-based clinical education. We also offer fellowships in
hematology and medical oncology, and bariatric surgery and
advanced laparoscopy. Gundersen Lutheran plays an integral
role in the education of Physician Assistant (PA) students.
Started in 1995, the University of Wisconsin-La
Crosse/Gundersen/Mayo Clinic Physician Assistant Program is a
unique cooperative partnership with a strong track record of
quality PA education. Gundersen Lutheran is also involved in a
partnership with the University of Minnesota. Each year, since
2005, approximately six to eight anesthesia residents have come
to Gundersen Lutheran to participate in a four-week pain
rotation.
· ■ Does your NICU interact or partner with any other facilities
providing NICU services in your surrounding area? If yes,

please explain. Our NICU has a very active transport system—
both by ground and air. We transport babies from hospitals
throughout our service area of western Wisconsin, southeastern
Minnesota and northwestern Iowa. We have developed good
relationships with these outlying hospitals and providers
through our transport service and physician-to-physician
consults. Additionally, we are in the final stages of
implementing a pediatric telemedicine service to Winneshiek
Memorial Hospital in Decorah, Iowa using federal
appropriations funds.
· ■ What is the total dollar amount awarded to your institution’s
NICU in the past 12 months? $48,219.40
· ■ If yes, how were those dollars allocated? PNICU—
mannequin and lungs $532.75Hydraulic gurney for isolette
$10,000.00Giraffe Omni Isolette $20,000.00Transport warmer
with battery pack $10,000.002 Accuvein devices $7,686.65
· ■ Please explain how this donation will impact the neonatal
intensive care unit. These new, volume-regulated ventilators
would help us to provide better regulatory support and
respiratory management to our neonates. The ventilators will
give us the ability to offer small volume breaths consistently so
that our neonates are not working so hard at breathing. Because
the ventilators are time cycled, volume regulated and volume
limited, the risk of lung trauma in our micropremie population
is minimized.These ventilators also provide seamless transfer of
data directly into the patient’s electronic medical record, thus
creating fewer opportunities for errors. In addition, they have
the added benefit of standardization throughout the organization
which gives us greater flexibility in staffing and training and
creates a safer environment of care with increased familiarity of
equipment.
Direct All Submissions and Questions to:
Pat Samuelson, General Manager
The Will Rogers Institute
10045 Riverside Drive, Third Floor
Toluca Lake, CA, 91602

Phone: (818) 755-2340
Email: [email protected]
Fax: (818) 508-9816
www.wrinstitute.org
Gerise LaSpisa, Executive Director
Variety—The Children’s Charity of Wisconsin
Suite C120, PO Box 1997
Milwaukee, WI 53201-1997
Phone: (414) 266-3812
Fax: (414) 266-2671
www.varietywi.org
PROPOSAL #4
An Application from Winter Park Day Nursery, Inc.
Funding Application
(Response to Invitation to Apply)
Winter Park Health Foundation
February 2008
CONTACT & ORGANIZATION INFORMATION:
(This page is NOT included in the page limit)
Name of person originally submitting the idea: Judith E. (Judy)
Nelson
Not-for-profit organization applying for grant funding: (All
grants must be awarded to qualified not-for-profit
organizations)
Organization Name: Winter Park Day Nursery, Inc.
Mission Statement: “We assure that our educational programs
are affordable, exceed minimum state education requirements
and support the family structure.”
Year founded: 1939
Website:www.winterparkdaynursery.org
Organization Contact: Judith E. (Judy) Nelson
Title: Executive Director
Address: 741 S. Pennsylvania Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789
Phone: 407-647-0505

Fax: 407-647-0518
Name of individual completing this grant request (if different
from above): N/A
Title:
Address:
Email:
Phone:
Fax:
Application:
· 1) Please provide a one-paragraph summary of your proposal
for grant funding.
This grant project will involve Winter Park Day Nursery
(WPDN) collaborating with other community agencies to inspire
families at risk for poor nutrition, the ‘working poor,’ to
integrate healthier eating habits into their lives. We propose to
impact healthy nutritional practices among low-income families
on a multi-generational basis by giving these families the tools
and knowledge they need to practice sounder nutritional
practices. Winter Park Day Nursery brings to this project our
knowledge of the challenges of ‘working poor’ families of
preschool children in Winter Park and surrounding communities
and a strong networking relationship with other organizations
that serve the target audience. Our project will employ three
strategies: (1) Expanding our on-site “Super Suppers” program
through which we offer parents of preschool children in our
care nutritious take-out meals prepared by our cook; (2)
Offering our parents, and parents of children at other
preschools, evening workshop sessions on how to prepare
nutritionally complete meals that are quick, inexpensive and
child friendly; and (3) Offering training for other
childcare/preschool centers in geographic areas targeted for use
of Winter Park Health Foundation funding. These trainings will
educate these other centers on how to implement their own
“Super Suppers” program and parent training on healthy
nutrition and meal planning, enhancing the potential for
community-wide impact of this project.

· 2) What is the specific geographic area served by the project
and/or the demographics of the population you expect to serve
(check all that apply):
· 3) Please provide an overview of your proposed project.
Statement of Need for Project: Lifestyle habits, especially
eating and exercising behaviors, are established during
childhood. Nutritional research finds that children who eat
regular sit-down dinners with their family take in more fruits
and vegetables, and put down fewer fried foods and soft drinks.
Providing quick, healthy and cost-effective meals is the ultimate
challenge for harried parents, especially ‘working poor’ parents.
Many of these ‘working poor’ parents are single parents who
face financial and other stresses that other parents don’t. The
studies on family meals also go beyond nutrition. Children and
parents who eat together as a family have positive benefits
related to school, self-esteem and development.
Winter Park Day Nursery (WPDN) takes a multidisciplinary
approach to help low-income parents combat child obesity and
reinforce principles that will lead to a healthy lifestyle for their
children. Our curriculum includes daily outdoor play and active
rainy-day indoor play focus on physical activity. The federal
food program provides the foundation for our meals, but we
exceed their requirements, for example, by serving fish once a
week. A Tufts University pediatrician believes that the quickest
way to improve children’s eating habits may be by eating
together as a family. At WPDN, all classes eat lunch family-
style with a teacher sitting at each table and the children
passing bowls of food to serve themselves. UCF student nurses
screen our children twice a year for weight (obesity), vision and
hearing. They also teach the children about nutrition,
health/hygiene and fitness.
The Winter Park Day Nursery’s proposed grant project is
designed to support the family structure and improve the health
and nutrition of local low-income children by inspiring parents
and children to make healthy eating a regular part of their lives.

In order to accomplish this goal, Winter Park Day Nursery will
employ several strategies that will help these families put
together healthy meal plans and give parents distinct tools to
improve the health of their children. Working with these
parents, we believe we can help set a pattern of healthy living.
We want to help busy families integrate healthy food, cooking
and eating into their lives. Our project is aimed at instilling a
desire to eat healthy home cooked meals together as a family.
We want low-income parents to recognize that it just as quick,
easy and cost-effective to cook a healthy, balanced meal at
home than it would to go to a fast-food restaurant.
To accomplish our goals, Winter Park Day Nursery proposes
doing the following:
#1). Expanding our “Super Suppers” program through which we
offer our parents nutritious take-out meals that are prepared by
the nursery’s cook. These meals can feed a family of three (one
adult and two children) for two days (many of our families are
headed by single moms). Currently we charge $5 a meal because
the less we charge, the more likely our mothers will be to
purchase our nutritious meals instead of buying their family’s
dinner at a fast-food restaurant. We are proposing to make them
even more accessible to the families by offering them at no
charge. Currently, due to the constraints on our cook’s time,
WPDN provides these meals two Fridays per month and can
only feed 15 families. We have many more families who want to
participate in the program. The meals are easy for the parents
and meet or exceed the nutrition requirements and are
homemade items like Chicken Pot Pie and fruit salad. Frequency
of Activity: Our goal is to increase the numbers of families
served to 20 families twice a month for all three years of the
project and to provide all meals at no cost to the families.
#2) Offering Parent Workshops on Healthy Eating/Meal
Preparation. During evening cooking/nutrition workshops,
Shirley, our cook, will educate parents on how to integrate
healthy food, cooking and eating together in their lives and to
make family meals in minutes that are inexpensive, healthy and

kid friendly. Shirley holds a culinary arts degree from a
community college. WPDN has had requests from some of our
parents for such training and we believe such trainings would
also be popular with parents at other preschools and community
sites in Winter Park, Maitland and Eatonville. Activities will
include hands-on cooking demonstrations/lessons, recipes and
family handouts designed to engage the parents in learning
basic cooking skills, nutrition concepts and other key aspects of
taste and healthful eating. We will also focus on healthy eating
for young children. Winter Park Day Nursery plans to prepare a
written curriculum for these workshops to include educational
handouts. Frequency of Activity: We will offer six parent
trainings per year at WPDN and other preschool
centers/community sites. Each session will be open to up to 20
participants.
#3) Offering Training for Staff at Other Childcare/Preschool
Centers on How to Implement their Own Program. Our Director
of Education and our cook will develop a special training
workshop to be offered at childcare/preschool
centers/community sites from the targeted areas of Maitland,
Winter Park and Eatonville. These trainings would educate
these centers on how to implement their own “Super Suppers”
programs and parent training/workshops on healthy nutrition
and meal planning. Our training would also offer these centers
ideas on healthy, easy child-friendly snack/cooking activities
that meet the requirements for the federal food program (Child
and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), through which many
centers receive funding to feed their children while in their
care. Each participating center would receive a training manual.
Our ultimate goal is to perfect this training so that it can be
offered at a local childcare conference.
Frequency of Activity: We will offer at least two
trainings/workshops per year for staff at other
centers/organizations on how to start their own program.
Timeline: This project will be implemented over a three-year
period. The first year will include a three-month start up period

in which Winter Park Day Nursery will develop the training
manual for the workshops for our childcare/preschool
centers/community groups and for the parent trainings. The
expansion of our “Super Suppers” program will commence
within 30 days of notification of funding. All program activities
will continue on a regular schedule during years two and three
of the project.
This project is in keeping with Winter Park Day Nursery’s focus
on extending our reach more into the community. We recognize
that we have significant expertise that we can share with the
community. The Winter Park Day Nursery is among the most
recognized and respected childcarecenters and preschools in
Orange County. We are proud to say that the nursery is not only
a leader and innovator in nurturing and educating young
children but also a trusted resource for families. Our vision is to
use our knowledge to raise the level of preschool education for
all our community’s children by expanding our training
program, targeting not only our own teaching staff and the
parents of our children but also other early childhood education
providers.
Winter Park Day Nursery networks regularly in the community
with other preschools and childcare agencies and agencies that
serve the same target audience. This networking assures we are
coordinating and linking our services with other community
agencies and avoiding potential duplication of effort. To our
knowledge, no other organization is doing what we are
proposing to do with this project, although there is growing
awareness of the need to promote healthier eating and lifestyles,
especially among low-income families.
How will the project demonstrate collaboration? (20 points)—
With whom will you collaborate on this project? What roles will
they play? Are they committing resources to the project?
Financial support and/or in-kind? If so, how much or what?
Collaboration is built into the design for this project and will be
the vehicle through which Winter Park Day Nursery’s broadens
the impact of our project in the community. Winter Park Day

Nursery networks and coordinates with other
preschools/childcare agencies one-on-one, through our
participation in the Early Learning Coalition of Orange County
and other local organizations, and through conferences and
trainings. We have an excellent working partnership with the
Early Learning Coalition and our Director Education Mata
Dennis conducts trainings for coalition members on the
High/Scope method (High Scope Educational Research
Foundation) of preschool curriculum. Our plans are to
collaborate with the Early Learning Coalition to offer our
training to our preschools/child care centers. The Early
Learning Coalition will include our trainings in their training
calendar and otherwise help us get out the word on what we
plan to offer. Since submitting our project idea to Winter Park
Health Foundation, we have been approached by two others who
submitted ideas about collaborating with us on our project (Dr.
Kathy Garrett/Whole Health and the Center for Community
Health Ministry/Candace Huber). Both are interested in our
trainings; we will offer them to them at no charge. Attached
with our application are Letters of Collaboration.
Is the project sustainable? Will it lead to positive policies,
social norms and/or culture change?
This project will help eliminate the wrong messages parents and
children get about what is and what is not acceptable health
behavior by introducing them to healthier eating practices, and
making it easier for them to access affordable, nutritious meals.
We want to do everything we can to help families avoid the
implied ‘wrong message’ or trap of stopping by a fast food
restaurant on their way home! This project has the potential to
create lasting change in the targeted communities of Winter
Park, Maitland and Eatonville. It will arm parents with the
knowledge on how to prepare easy, kid-friendly nutritious meals
for their family and encourage them to be more personally
responsible for positively changing the health scape in their
home environment. This project will also provide them a
convenient location (their childcare/preschool center) to

purchase affordable, nutritious meals for their families. By
sharing how to do a “Super Suppers” program with other
childcare/preschool centers, and providing them with a lasting
resource (a training manual), this program has potential for
communitywide replication. It could become sustainable in
multiple locations. Winter Park Day Nursery might therefore be
able to permanently impact food quality and the way food is
prepared for children by other centers. Winter Park Day Nursery
believes that for all these reasons, the impact of this project will
continue well after foundation funding ends.
END OF APPLICATION SECTION
REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS:
Please include all of the following as separate attachments to
the proposal:
· a. Copy of the applicant organization’s IRS letter re:
determination of 501(c)3 status.
· b. Copy of the organization’s most recent Internal Revenue
Service Form 990.
· c. Copy of the organization’s current overall operating budget.
· d. Copy of organization’s most recent financial statements,
audited if available.
Note: These must be submitted electronically with your
proposal.
“If we want to be healthier, we should change our everyday
world in ways that encourage healthy behavior.”
Dr. Deborah Cohen and Dr. Tom Farley, Co-authors,
Prescription for a Healthy Nation
PROPOSAL #5
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SIGNIFICANCE
2
Potential contribution of MPP to increased knowledge

2
A history of providing information, support & training
3
Current Mentor Parent services
4
Extent to which the MPP builds local capacity
5
Figure 1—MPP Service Region in PA
5
Figure 2—Small Area Income & Poverty Estimates
6
Needs
6
Importance of the results attained by MPP
13
QUALITY OF PROJECT DESIGN
15
Figure 3—Program Logic Model
16
Goals, objectives, activities & anticipated outcomes

17
Extent to which the design is appropriate
24
Extent to which the MPP establishes linkages
25
Extent to which the MPP encourages parental involvement
29
Plans for addressing Section 427 of GEPA
32
QUALITY OF PROJECT PERSONNEL
32
Nondiscriminatory employment practices
32
Qualifications of project director
33
Qualifications of key project staff
34
ADEQUACY OF RESOURCES
35
Budget is adequate to support project
35
Costs are reasonable
35

QUALITY OF THE MANAGEMENT PLAN
36
Adequacy of management plan
36
Evidence of past experience
36
Figure 4—MPP management flow chart
38
Board of Directors
38
Project Staff Job Descriptions/time commitments
39
Use of Resources and Personnel to achieve objectives
41
Figure 5—Personnel Loading/Benchmark Chart
41
Fiscal and administrative control
42
Adequacy of ensuring feedback/continuous improvement

42
Figure 6—The Evaluation Plan
44
Conclusion
46
(a) SIGNIFICANCE
Founded in 1990 as a community-based parent support program,
the Mentor Parent Program (MPP) is a nonprofit organization
designed to inspire, teach, lead and support families who have
children (birth-26) with disabilities in rural western PA, and to
enhance the awareness of educators and service providers who
are involved with families who have a child with a disability.
For the past 20 years, the MPP has been led, directed and
staffed by parents of children with disabilities. The Mentor
Parent Program provides information and support to families of
children with a full range of disabilities; has a demonstrated
capacity to deliver effective training for all disability groups
and has a tradition of reaching out to include unrepresented or
underrepresented parents in its planning and training efforts.
Consistent with the No Child Left Behind Act, parents need
access to meaningful information about their children, measures
of adequate yearly progress and how assessment serves as a
diagnostic tool that measures not only a child’s strengths and
weaknesses, but also their yearly progress. This information can
help teachers develop evidence-based practices that they can
then use in classroom instruction to benefit each student. The
Department of Education should increase support for programs
that promote parents’ understanding of their rights and
educational services under IDEA so they can make informed
decisions about their children, particularly programs that serve
families who have not traditionally been informed or involved
in their children’s education.—
President’s Commission on Excellence in Special Education—
Final Report 20021

(i) Potential contribution of the Mentor Parent Program to
increased knowledge of educational problems, issues or
effective strategies
A History of Providing Information, Support and Training to
Parents
The Mentor Parent Program was created by a group of parents
in 1990 that had very little access to information, support or
training opportunities. This program originated in rural
northwest Pennsylvania, a place blighted by poverty and all the
social ills that accompany it. These parentswere the
unrepresented; some of the families who have not been
traditionally informed referred to in the President’s Commission
on Excellence in Special Education Final Report. The need for
access to information, advocacy and training was great. A
leader emerged and, with the help of a small group of
committed parents, the MPP was formed to address the
overwhelming need.
That was 20 years ago. Much has changed in western
Pennsylvania since the birth of this program. The poverty
remains, but access to training, information, support and
advocacy for parents of children with disabilities has grown
exponentially. The Mentor Parent Program was launched with
the assistance of a $100,000 federal grant ($33,000 per year for
three years) for parent training and information centers in 1990;
followed by an experimental rural PTI grant for six years. In
addition, the MPP has received funding to support parent
training from the PA Department of Education, the PA
Department of Public Welfare, and the PA Developmental
Disabilities Council. Building on its success in providing
training, skill building and information to parents traditionally
underserved in northwest PA, the MPP has expanded its service
area to include much of western and central Pennsylvania. Since
2007, the MPP has been a successful, federally funded
Community Parent Resource Center.
The Mentor Parent Program has established and maintains a
host of collaborative relationships with other parent

organizations, professionals within the local school districts,
government agencies, and service providers while staying
focused on meeting the needs of the unserved and underserved
parents in the region.
Current Mentor Parent Services
With 20 years of experience in providing parent training and
information services, the Mentor Parent Program has strived for
and perfected a way to pull in those who are unserved or who
are underserved. This is accomplished by one-to-one mentoring,
parent to parent. By individualizing services or mentoring
parents, the MPP builds capacity in those traditionally outside
of the system. Mentoring helps identify educational issues,
provides relevant information and provides strategies for
parents to use as they learn to advocate for an appropriate
education for their child with disabilities. All of this is
accomplished in the supportive environment created through the
mentoring process.
As the level of trust increases among those parents who have be
previously unserved or underserved, they feel more comfortable
in participating in group trainings and even taking on leadership
roles by becoming a volunteer Mentor Parent or serving on the
MPP Board of Directors. The MPP presents, on
average, 11 regional workshops per year.
Information provided to parents is available in a variety of
formats that accommodates the needs of individuals. The MPP
maintains a website for those who have access to the Internet.
In addition, the MPP produces and distributes an annual
Resource Directory (both print and CD) that provides a tangible
way for parents to locate service they or their children may
need. That and other support materials are produced to
accommodate those who speak English as a second language or
in Braille, large print or audiotape, as requested. A
collaborative relationship between the MPP and HUNE, a
Spanish-American Community Parent Resource Center located
in Philadelphia provides language appropriate support and
materials.

An 800 V/TDD telephone line is maintained so that parents who
do not have long distance on their phones can still access the
services provided by the Mentor Parent Program.
(ii) Extent to which The Mentor Parent Program builds local
capacity to provide, improve or expand services for rural
Appalachian PA families
The vast majority of the counties included in the MPP Region of
Pennsylvania share a common culture and common needs. These
families are primarily Appalachian Caucasian (less than 2% are
ethnic minorities), but as impoverished rural families, they
share many of the same challenges of ethnic minority families—
poverty, disempowerment, lack of transportation and childcare,
and illiteracy.
FIGURE 9.1 MPP Service Region in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is a large state. The 11 county MPP service area
encompass more than 3,000 square miles which is roughly equal
to two times the land area of the state of Delaware.
The 11 counties in the MPP region are poor. In fact, according
to the 2008 census data,1 an increase in the poverty level can be
seen. Figures broken down by age show that an average of 21%
of children 0–17 are living in poverty in this rural Appalachian
region; the state average is 16.6%. Median household income in
this region averages almost $11,000 lower than the state
average.
FIGURE 9.2 Small Area Income & Poverty Estimates (SAIPE):
2008—US Census Bureau2
According to the PA Department of Education’s most current
special education enrollment data, there are approximately
28,624 children with identified disabilities being served by
school districts or regional education service agencies in the 11
county service area of the MPP. As far as ethnic backgrounds of
enrolled children: 0.2% are American Indian/Alaska Native,
0.6% are Asian/Pacific Islander; 16.7% are Black (non-
Hispanic), 5.8% are Hispanic, and 76.7% are White (non-

Hispanic).3
NEEDS:
1) Information Dissemination and Outreach to assist parents in
becoming informed partners
In the 20+ years the Mentor Parent Program has been in
existence, it has been reaffirmed over and over again that
parents, for the most part, are unaware of their rights or
responsibilities under the law and overwhelmed and confused by
the myriad of (mis)information that exists about disabilities and
education. This is true for both parents of preschool and school
age children and those of young adults (age 21–26) who exit the
educational system. A coordinated effort must be undertaken
through collaborative relationships among service providers,
educators, government, and advocacy groups to assist parents in
negotiating this maze of information.
2) Training and mentoring to help parents become active
partners in decision-making
In the experience of the MPP, the best approach to supporting
parents and helping them become an informed advocate for their
child is to provide both group-based workshops and oneto-one
mentoring. The MPP has reached more than 22,000 parents in
its 11 county region this way and, as a result, has created a web
of support for parents. In addition, the MPP likes to include
professionals in its training efforts so parents and professionals
can meet each other outside the classroom conflict and learn
from each other; teaming up with each other to learn and
present. Knowing the law is only one part of the equation,
parents must also have the skills to interact with professionals—
communication, negotiation and mediation are all skills that
must be learned and supported; building trust and mutual
respect.
3) Parent/Professional Partnership Building
The Mentor Parent Program takes a non-adversarial approach to
advocacy. A well-informed supported parent is a full partner in
his/her child’s educational program. Including professionals in
training opportunities allows parents to create relationships

with professionals away from the classroom. Building the
relationship—the partnership—creates enhanced communication
between the two parties and benefits the child. That is not to
say that the MPP will not refer parents for legal assistance when
rights are violated or communication fails; but the MPP works
hard to create and maintain relationships with educators and
service providers so that positive outcomes can be reached for
the child. Negotiation and mediation are always the first
responses by the MPP to conflict and the needs of the child are
central to action taken.
4) Information and Training for Parents Who Speak English as a
Second Language
Some of the rural counties MPP serves have several pockets of
populations where English is the second language; primarily
Hispanic communities of migrant farm workers in northwestern
PA. This minority population is, in large part, un/underserved in
information and training about special education. Training and
information that is culturally and linguistically appropriate
needs to be disseminated in these communities. Partnerships
with existing organizations with expertise in this area will be
developed and implemented. The MPP and PEAL (the Parent
Education & Advocacy Leadership Center, the federally-funded
PTI for Region 2 in PA) have formally created a Cooperative
Agreement to share expertise and resources including those that
support the Hispanic population. Other partnerships will be
developed to support other ethnic group needs as identified.
Diversity is a large challenge for any CPRC serving
Pennsylvania. Developing collaborative relationships among the
many parent support groups, service providers and
governmental agencies will be key in assisting parents. The
Mentor Parent Program has quality relationships with a broad
spectrum of these organizations including the PA Department of
Education, Office of Special Education; The Education Law
Center; the PA Training and Technical Assistance Network; The
Question, Inc.; PEAL—the Region 2 PTI in PA; Riverview
Intermediate Unit, a multi-county regional education service

agency; numerous school districts; Parent to Parent of PA; PA
Protection and Advocacy, and Philadelphia Hispanics United for
Exceptional Children, among many others.
Despite its creation as a project addressing the un/underserved
in rural Pennsylvania, the model the Mentor Parent Program has
created in concert with the relationships the program has will
allow the MPP to expand to serve the needs of all the
populations of its rural service area.
This proposed project’s goals and objectives, as described in the
Quality of Design section, not only provide a broad range of
supports and services to the families of this impoverished
region, to help them have the training and information they need
to enable them to participate effectively in assisting their
children with developmental disabilities to (1) meet
developmental goals; and (2) lead productive, independent adult
lives to the maximum extent possible; but the proposed
activities of The Mentor Parent Program include training and
on-going support for volunteer Mentor Parents, many who have
disabilities, who will be fully prepared to assist and support
families as they participate effectively in planning and
implementing appropriate educational programming for their
children with disabilities.
How the Mentor Parent Program Components Build Local
Capacity to Provide Services
In order to meet the diverse needs of the families referred to
MPP, the program will continue to provide a wide-range of
services to support families in first meeting their basic life
survival needs so that they then can participate in the training
and support offered by MPP to assist parents to (a) better
understand the nature and needs of their child’s disability; (b)
provide follow-up support for the educational programs of their
children with disabilities; (c) communicate more effectively
with special and regular educators; (d) participate fully in
educational decision-making, including the development of the
IFSP and IEP for their child with a disability; (e) obtain
information about options, services, and resources available at

the local, state, and national levels for children with disabilities
and their families, and (f) understand the provisions for
educating children with disabilities.
The expanded opportunities for shared learning and mutual
referrals will build local capacity and set precedents for serving
families that will continue beyond the life of the grant.
Sustaining the Corps of Mentor Parents in service to other
parents
A Mentor Parent is a parent of a child with a disability or a
parent with a disability who, through the Mentor Parent
Program, volunteers to establish a one-on-one relationship with
a parent/family of a child with a disability to provide
information, consistent support and guidance, and concrete help
in meeting the life and educational needs of a family with a
child with a disability. The goal of this relationship is to help
the parent/family gain the skills and confidence to be self-
advocates and advocates for their child with a disability. Mentor
Parents are matched with parents/families in need by the
Director.
Mentor Parent Training & Certification—Parents Empowering
Parents
By establishing a network of well-informed, caring and positive
parents over the past 20 years, the Mentor Parent Program has
created the Mentor Parent Training and Certification process.
The parent participates in a series of trainings on procedural
safeguards, special education laws and regulations, IFSP & IEP
development, positive advocacy, mediation and communication
skills. The Mentor Parents are the core of the program and they
must be good, effective communicators and well informed about
IDEA and PA special education laws. Mentor Parents assist
parents in becoming full partners in their child’s education
process by helping them understand their child’s disability, the
special education maze, IEP/IFSP development, and their
child’s educational rights. Many of the parents then become
Mentor Parents to carry on the work. “Oil City School district
states “Parent attendance at IEP conferences has increased

significantly over the past years due to this Program.”
“Parent attendance at IEP conferences has increased
significantly over the past years due to this Program.”
Oil City School District
Oil City, PA
Toll-Free Hotline—Parents Helping/Talking to Other Parents
The Mentor Parent Program has an established, publicized,
statewide toll free number that parents can call to talk to other
parents and receive information, referral, support and guidance,
or assistance through a Mentor Parent. The Program regularly
receives over 3,500 calls per year and always responds to the
needs of the parent. Educators & service providers also use this
line as a resource.
Community Networking—Creating the Seamless Web of
Support for Parents
The Mentor Parent Program has had 20 years to create its
existing network by getting to know key communicators within
the community and attending community functions that were
family-related. The Director, Associate Director, Board of
Directors and Mentor Parents have a variety ofcontacts with
persons and organizations and individual parent groups that are
operating in central and western Pennsylvania. This network has
grown over the past 20 years and now reaches across
Pennsylvania. Sharing resources and expertise and working
collaboratively are a MPP hallmark.
Workshops—Parents Teaching Parents
The Mentor Parent Program has coordinated and presented many
regionally based parent workshops on IEP & IFSP development,
Disabilities, Life After School Annual Conference, special
education laws and regulations, communication skills and
negotiation, transition, mediation and self-esteem building. In
addition, small group parent trainings have been conducted
throughout the region to help build trust, self-esteem, and
awareness.
Professional Workshops—Parents Teaching Professionals
The Mentor Parent Program believes in building positive

partnerships with professionals in the education and service
agency areas. Partnerships take at least two participants. Good
partnerships withstand questions, conflicts, debates, and
disagreements; provide structures and processes to solve
problems; and are maintained–even strengthened–after
differences have been resolved(Joyce Epstein, et. al., 1997)
Getting professionals to participate can be difficult. However,
the Mentor Parent Program has built up a trust with area
administrators and, in the past few years, has been invited into
the schools to in-service staff members. This trust building has
been a process that has taken 20 years of positive interaction
with education and service agency personnel. The Mentor
Parent Program is respected for its knowledge and positive
approach to conflict resolution/mediation between parent &
professional.
Accessible Website—Connecting Across the Miles
The Mentor Parent Program has an established website
(www.mentorparent.org) that has become Bobby-Approved.
Bobby is a web-based tool that analyzes Web pages for their
accessibility to people with disabilities. The MPP website posts
training opportunities, information and referral options, a
calendar of events, a directory of service-providers in the
region, and the newsletter.
National Networking—A National Perspective for the
Un/Underserved
In addition to the services that are provided to western PA
families who have children with special needs, and to current
and future service providers, MPP is one of 13 members of the
Grassroots Consortium on Disabilities—a national multicultural
coalition of community-based parent programs dedicated to
serving un/underserved families that include a child with a
disability. All of the Grassroots Consortium on Disabilities
member programs regularly share and exchange resources and
strategies for meeting the needs of underserved families.
The financial support requested in this proposal will allow the
MPP to continue and expand our services to those who are

vastly underserved in this 11 county region so that more parents
are prepared to participate in educational decision making for
their children with disabilities as intended under IDEA, and
providers are better prepared to support them on their journey.
(iii) Importance of the results attained by the Mentor Parent
Program
The Mentor Parent Program has a history of results. Over the
past 20 years, more than 32,500 parents have received direct
assistance from the MPP. Each family served by the program
hasreceived and benefited from assistance with basic life needs
as necessary to enable them to focus on the disability-related
needs of their children; received and been empowered by
linguistically and culturally appropriate on-going informational
and emotional support to parents about disabilities, disability
resources, parents’ rights and responsibilities under IDEA,
strategies for using procedural safeguards, strategies for
communicating with education personnel and participating in
the decision-making process and in the development of the IEP
& IFSP, mediation, school reform issues, to enable them to
participate as full partners in the educational decision-making
for their children with disabilities. The MPP resolve disputes in
an effective, expeditious manner and employs alternative
methods of dispute resolution, if warranted and serves people
with all kinds of disabilities ages birth–26.
In addition more than 8,700 professionals (educators and
service providers) have received training and information from
the MPP, both through individual contacts and group workshops
and trainings.
In its effort, as outlined in this proposal, the Mentor Parent
Program anticipates serving 5,000 parents over the course of
three years. Each family served by the program will: receive
and benefit from assistance with basic life needs as necessary to
enable them to focus on the disability-related needs of their
children; receive and be empowered by linguistically and
culturally appropriate on-going informational and emotional
support to parents about disabilities, disability resources,

parents’ rights and responsibilities under IDEA, strategies for
using procedural safeguards, strategies for communicating with
education personnel and participating in the decision-making
process and in the development of the IEP & IFSP, mediation,
school reform issues, to enable them to participate as full
partners in the educational decision-making for their children
with disabilities; grow through training and on-going support to
serve as Mentor Parents.
The importance of these results is that (1) traditionally
underserved rural families in the Appalachian region of PA will
be prepared to participate effectively in helping their children
with disabilities to develop to their greatest potential; (2)
additional un/underserved parents will be trained and
empowered to serve as Mentor Parents—expanding the capacity
of the Mentor Parent Program to offer its services across the
entire 11 county service area of; and (3) service providers and
educators in this region will become more knowledgeable in
how to effectively deliver services to these families and will be
able to better connect with their counterparts across the region;
and (4) parents will understand their role in the special
education process.
(b) QUALITY OF PROJECT DESIGN
On the following page, Figure 3, the Mentor Parent Program has
included a logic model that illustrates this program’s conceptual
framework for creating change for parents/families of children
with disabilities and the professionals who work with them; how
the day-to-day activities of the MPP will connect to the desired
outcomes that the Secretary wants to see in CPRCs. The logic
model designed for this program will also act as a tool to guide
the evaluation process.
Following the logic model are the MPP’s goals, objectives,
activities, responsibilities and timelines that support the
program design as outlined in the logic model. Each objective
has specific performance indicators tied to it to measure its
success.
(iii) Goals, objectives, activities & anticipated outcomes

FIGURE 9.3 Mentor Parent Program
Mentor Parent Program–MULTIYEAR PLAN OF ACTION
GOAL:To enable parents of children with disabilities (birth–26)
to more fully participate with professionals in meeting the early
intervention, educational and transitional needs of their
children.
OBJECTIVE 1: To increase parent knowledge and
understanding of their rights and responsibilities under IDEA,
the availability and effective use of procedural safeguards
(including dispute & resolution) to help their children with
disabilities (1) meet developmental and functional goals,
challenging academic achievement goals & (2) prepare them to
lead productive and independent lives.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES: At the end of Year 1, 65% of
participants will indicate an increase of
knowledge/understanding as demonstrated on at least two
indicators below; Year 2, 70%; Year 3, 75%; Year 4, 80%; Year
5, 85%.
EVALUATION INDICATORS: Attendance sheets from each
workshop/training conducted; mentoring session evaluation
sheets; personal interviews of participants; workshop/training
evaluation forms; phone interviews and follow up
TOTAL NUMBER OF PARENTS/FAMILY MEMBERS
REACHED OVER 5 YEARS: 9,000
Activities
Responsibility
Timeline
(1)
Coordinate and conduct 10 community-based workshops for
parents & family members targeting topics such as IDEA,
IEP/IFSP development, least restrictive environment, inclusive
settings, procedural safeguards, special ed. laws & regs.,
transition, response to intervention, developing self-advocacy
skills, assistive technology, effective communication skills,
resources available to assist children with disabilities and their

families in school and at home, scientifically-based research
practices, school reform and mediation, dispute and resolution.
These annual workshops will employ both parents &
professionals as presenters showing collaboration and
partnership.
Director, Family Coordinator Associate Director Mentor Parents
Administrative Ass’t.
Begin Year 1 & on-going
(2)
Continue the operation of the toll-free Parent Helpline that
offers parents
Director, Admin. Ass’t.
On-going information and referral services. Promotional
activities (news releases, radio programs & newsletter
dissemination, web posting on MPP site and school district web
sites) will be done in each community to increase awareness.
(3)
Disseminate information about disabilities & MPP services to
local and regional agencies for display and family outreach
Director, Admin. Ass’t. Family Consult., Mentor Parents
On-going
(4)
Maintain MPP website (www.mentorparent.org) to post relevant
info.
Director, Admin. Ass’t. Family Consult., Mentor Parents
On-going and calendar of events; translate info. to appropriate
format that meets the literacy, disability-related or language
needs of the consumer and distribute.
Mentor Parent Program—MULTI YEAR PLAN OF ACTION
children.
OBJECTIVE 2: To increase parent participation in school
meetings by conducting one-on-one mentoring sessions either in
person or by phone to prepare parents to act as equals in the

mutual determination process of their child’s programming.
parents participating in the mentoring process will report an
increase of knowledge/preparation to more fully participate in
school meetings as demonstrated on at least two indicators
below; Year 2, 78%; Year 3, 83%; Year 4, 85%, Year 5, 88%.
EVALUATION INDICATORS: mentoring session evaluation
sheets; personal interviews of participants; phone interviews
and follow up
TOTAL NUMBER OF PARENTS/FAMILY MEMBERS
REACHED OVER 5 YEARS: 4,000
Activities
Responsibility
Timeline
(1)
Recruit and train parent volunteers to act as Mentor Parents.
Mentor Parents will be trained to provide information on
disabilities, procedural safeguards & IDEA, programs and
services; support, guidance, and advocacy assistance. Support to
parents may also include literacy assistance (including LEP),
basic life needs and agency referral.
Director, Family Consult.
On-going Training 4× per year
(2)
Mentor Parents and the Program Director will also pay
particular attention to parents of children who may be
inappropriately identified as having disabilities when, in fact,
they do not and will work with parents and school officials to
resolve these issues.
Director, Mentor Parents
On-going
(3)
The PA Office of Dispute Resolution (ODR) will provide 2
information & training sessions to Mentor Parents who will
assist other parents in understanding the value of mediation in
trying to resolve conflict between themselves and school

officials.
Director to coordinate w/ODR
Fall & Spring of each year
Mentor Parent Program—MULTI YEAR PLAN OF ACTION
children.
OBJECTIVE 3: To increase professionals’ knowledge &
understanding of disabilities and parental rights under the law.
participating professionals will demonstrate an increased
knowledge/understanding of disabilities and parental rights as
demonstrated on two indicators below; Year 2, 75%, Year 3,
78%; Year 4, 80%; Year 5, 82%.
EVALUATION INDICATORS: Workshop/training written
evaluations; increased parental participation in school meetings
(school documentation); documentation of school professional
inquiries to MPP; # of districts that list MPP as parent resource;
# of requests for disabilities information
TOTAL NUMBER OF PROFESSIONALS REACHED OVER 5
YEARS: 3,000
Activities
Responsibility
Timeline
(1)
To work collaboratively with Parent-to-Parent and PEAL
(Region 2 PTI) to conduct 10 training sessions over 5 years to
increase professionals’ knowledge of disabilities and parental
rights under the law.
Director to coordinate
Fall & Spring each year
(2)
Disseminate information to professionals on various disabilities
and other topics including but not limited to: IDEA, special ed.
laws and regs., IFSP & IEP development, dispute & resolution,

transition and assistive technology.
Director, Admin. Ass’t Family Consult., Mentor Parents
On-going
(ii) Extent to which design is appropriate/addresses needs of
target population
The Mentor Parent Program, a community-based parent program
and currently funded CPRC with a 20 year history of providing
supports and services to underserved families in rural northwest
PA, has developed successful strategies for meeting the diverse
needs of the families it serves. These successful strategies are
replicated in the design of the project activities and the Mentor
Parent Program staff has been implementing these best practices
targeted to the needs of these underserved families for more
than 20 years, so is fully capable of carrying out the project
design.
The project design is appropriate because parents of children
with disabilities have developed it.These parents not only
understand the needs of their neighbors and communities, but
also the service & education system in the region. The design
outlined below will address the needs identified by the families
the Mentor Parent Program has been serving. Each family will
receive:Assistance with basic life needs as necessary to enable
families to focus on the disability-related needs of their
children with disabilities; culturally and linguistically
appropriate on-going informational and emotional support about
disabilities, disability resources, parents’ rights &
responsibilities under IDEA and mediation, and school reform
issues, and positive behavioral support strategies to enable them
to participate as full partners in educational decision-making;
and training and on-going support for those who wish to serve
as Mentor Parents. Each professional will
receive: Opportunities to attend workshops and training sessions
designed to enhance their understanding of the needs & realities
of underserved families who have children with disabilities and
strategies to enhancing the support they provide to these
families; and requested information on disability issues,

positive behavioral support strategies, IDEA & any other related
issue.
By the end of Year 5 of this project, The Mentor Parent
Program will have provided service to an estimated 10,000
underserved families, thereby enabling these families to (1)
understand their children’s disabilities; (2) provide follow-up
support for the educational programs of their children with
disabilities; (3) communicate more effectively with special and
regular educators and other professionals; (4) participate more
fully with providers in the educational decision-making in
securing the services that are guaranteed to them under IDEA;
(5) obtain information about the range of services and resources
available at the national, state and local levels to children with
disabilities and their families; and (6) understand the provisions
for educating children with disabilities under IDEA. The
program will have also provided training in cultural competence
to 3,000 educators/service providers thus enhancing their
capacity to work with underserved, impoverished families
(including the homeless) in sensitive & responsive ways.
(iii) The extent to which the Mentor Parent Program establishes
linkages with other agencies providing services to the target
population
The Mentor Parent Program has developed some significant
organizational linkages over the course of its 20 years of
service. In addition to the natural linkages with school districts,
medical facilities and service providers, the Director and
Associate Director have developed important relationships at
the local, state and national levels that help them meet the needs
of local parents. Maintaining these linkages is an important
aspect of operating the program in an effective manner.Many
linkages/collaborations are outlined through letters in the
Appendix.
Significant Regional Linkages:
Riverview Intermediate Unit—a regional education service
agency serving 11 counties in western PA, provides in-kind
office space, meeting rooms for workshops, supplies and

materials, as well as financial support for two parent workshops
per year. (see letter of collaboration in Appendix)
Significant State Linkages
PA Department of Education—PDE has strongly endorsed this
proposal.
Education Law Center-PA—a non-profit law firm based in
Philadelphia that provides free legal assistance to families of
children with disabilities pledges its support in continuing this
partnership by providing parent education workshops, written
materials for parents, and assistance for individual families. As
their Program Coordinator stated in a letter of cooperation, “It’s
unfortunate—but true—that the northwest has always been an
underserved portion of Pennsylvania. In fact, you (The MPP)
are really the only ball game in town in that part of the state!
Your familiarity with local school officials, community leaders,
and the officials of the Children & Youth and Mental
Health/Mental Retardation systems provides an excellent
foundation for a successful Parent Center.”
“It’s unfortunate—but true—that the northwest has always been
an underserved portion of Pennsylvania. In fact, you (The MPP)
are really the only ball game in town in that part of the state!
Your familiarity with local school officials, community leaders,
and the officials of the Children & Youth and Mental
Health/Mental Retardation systems provides an excellent
foundation for a successful Parent Center.”
Education Law Center-PA
Pennsylvania Office of Dispute Resolution—A service of the
Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Mentor Parent
Program has had ODR conduct parent and professional training
programs in northwest Pennsylvania. The program will continue
to maintain this linkage to support the mediation process &
train Mentor Parents so as to better disseminate the features of
this service for parents and schools.
PEAL—Parent Education & Advocacy Leadership Center—the
newest PTI developed when OSEP reapportioned Pennsylvania
and divided the existing funding to support two PTIs.

PEAL serves Region 2 (43 counties) in Pennsylvania and as the
Executive Director states in her letter of collaboration to the
MPP—“. . . The Mentor Parent Program has developed expertise
in serving parents in rural communities in 11 counties in
northwestern PA. Working together with the MPP will be a
tremendous asset for the PEAL Center . . .” (see letter of
collaboration in Appendix)
Philadelphia HUNE, Inc—a federally funded CPRC located in
Philadelphia that has worked with the MPP for more than seven
years to assist families with ESL issues. HUNE assists with
translation services and cooperative support for rural families of
Hispanic origin.
PA Department of Public Welfare, Office of MR & Mental
Health—The MPP provides services to the region through the
State IM4Q (Independent Monitoring for Quality) project
through the Office of Mental Retardation. The IM4Q Program
was begun in response to a 1997 recommendation of the OMR-
PAC in its Multi-Year Plan. MPP was recognized by the Bureau
Director for having more than 50% of its board members and/or
IM4Q monitoring team members as people with developmental
and other disabilities or family members of people with
disabilities. This relationship of encouraging participation of
people with disabilities is critical and a core value of the MPP.
Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network—
Regionalized training centers funded through the Department of
Education.
PA Protection and Advocacy Program Significant National
Linkages:
The Grassroots Consortium on Disabilities—is a consortium of
13 community-based, parent-directed programs (including the
Mentor Parent Program) and the diverse parent constituencies
they serve. Each of the community-based parent programs of the
Grassroots Consortium on Disabilities provides comprehensive
and culturally and language-appropriate training, information
and support services to traditionally and historically
un/underserved individuals with special needs and their

families. Families served by the programs of the Grassroots
Consortium live in un/underserved rural and urban communities
and predominantly in empowerment/enterprise zones. The
purpose of the Grassroots Consortium and each of its member
programs is to ensure that all families assume their role as
active decision-makers in the education of their children with
disabilities. The Grassroots Consortium on Disabilities will
support the work of this proposed project by sharing best
practices, resources and materials from each program.
The Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers—a
federally funded organization that provides technical assistance
for establishing, developing and coordinating parent training
and information projects under IDEA. The Mentor Parent
Program has used this organization’s services over the years and
will continue to rely on it for technical assistance during this
proposal’s funding period.
The Beach Center on Families and Disability—is a NIDRR-
funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Center located at
the University of Kansas. The Beach Center and the Grassroots
Consortium have a long-term partnership characterized by
shared vision, collaborative activities, and reliable reliances.
Specifically, Beach Center staff will be readily available to the
project director of this project to assist in any capacity that will
be helpful in accomplishing the program goals. (see letter of
(iv) Extent to which the MPP encourages parental involvement
The Mentor Parent Program began as a grassroots organization
of parents that grew up through the community. It maintains
that core characteristic from which it grew—a parent driven,
family-centered program.
The MPP has operated as a multi-county region since its
inception because, in a rural region with a low population
density, many services are often offered only on a regional
basis. These founding parents created a regional Board of
Directors, the majority of which is comprised of parents of
children with disabilities, that is representative of the

geographic community the program serves. The board
establishes policy and guides the focus of this program so it
maintains its core characteristic of being parent-driven and
family-centered.
The Mentor Parent Program has a Board of Directors comprised
of 13 members, 54% of who are parents of children (birth to age
26) with disabilities. This board was created in 1990 and has
been active in program activities since its inception. The Board
of Directors meets quarterly to review activities undertaken by
the program and its staff, make modifications, and to discuss
future activities. Board members also are local advocates within
their respective communities for the program in terms of
locating resources and networking with other community-based
groups.
The proposal’s Director and Associate Director are people with
disabilities and are also parents of children with disabilities.
MPP staff is comprised of parents and has operated in the
community for more than 20 years. Each has personal
experience in navigating the mazes of service systems in this
region, they know about disability issues, special education and
community resources. Because they are trusted and respected by
parents and professionals in the region, and because they are
delivering the services that families need, parents will be much
more comfortable in taking advantage of the services that the
Mentor Parent Program offers. The MPP works with parents,
schools and agencies to problem solve and develop outcomes to
benefit families & children with disabilities.
Parental involvement is encouraged in a variety of ways: (1)
support for meeting basic life needs; (2) education and training
about disability issues and their rights and responsibilities
under IDEA; (3) one-to-one informational and emotional
support; (4) resource materials made available at the
appropriate literacy/language level, and (5) opportunities for
personal and professional growth through workshops and
Mentor Parent trainings. All of these services will be provided
by parents to other parents.

(v) Extent the Mentor Parent Program encourages consumer
involvement
The consumers of the services of the Mentor Parent Program
include parents of children with disabilities and their families,
educators, and service providers. The Board of Directors for the
MPP, which is made up of 54% of parents, allows for consumer
involvement in planning and implementing all aspects of this
project. Other parental involvement as consumers was discussed
in the previous section.
As far as the involvement of educators and service providers, it
happens on a variety of levels. Two service providers and one
educator serve on the board so that their concerns and visions of
the program can be expressed. However, most of the interaction
from these consumers comes in meeting the needs of both the
parents and children with disabilities.
The staff from the program has built alliances with service
providers to facilitate meeting the basic life needs of many of
the families it serves. Although advocates in both the
educational and service settings, Mentor Parent Program staff
work to build bridges with providers to obtain the appropriate
educational and human services that the child with disabilities
requires. It teaches self-advocacy skills to parents and their
children with disabilities and encourages relationship building
with providers. The collaboration has continued to grow and
expand with positive outcomes for families and children with
disabilities in an area where resources are limited and school
districts struggle with budgets.
“The focus of the Mentor Parent Program efforts to provide
parents with the information, communication skills, and
opportunities to participate as knowledgeable decision-makers
in the education of their children along with providing the
families with a network of field-based support seems to be the
right combination of assistance to promote informed parent
participation in the educational decision making process . . .
PaTTAN is deeply invested in the work that you and your staff .
. . perform for parents.”

Dr. Ellen Romett
PA Training & Technical Assistance Network
Dr. Ellen Romett, Managing Director of the Pa Department of
Education’s PA Training and Technical Assistance Network, has
written, “The focus of the Mentor Parent Program efforts to
provide parents with the information, communication skills, and
opportunities to participate as knowledgeable decision-makers
in the education of their children along with providing the
families with a network of field-based support seems to be the
right combination of assistance to promote informed parent
participation in the educational decision making process . . .
PaTTAN is deeply invested in the work that you and your staff .
. . perform for parents.”
In addition, the Mentor Parent Program has become a resource
to both educators and service providers. The Director is
frequently contacted by school administrators and service
providers for assistance with special education problems in the
schools. Many schools in this region are desperately poor and
consequently, their staff members are not always afforded the
opportunity to obtain the most current professional
development, especially in special education. The Mentor
Parent Program has been assisting schools in filling in the gaps
by providing workshops for district staff on a wide variety of
topics.
Plans for Addressing Section 427 of GEPA
As a parent information and support program for families who
have family members with special needs, the Mentor Parent
Program offers its services to children, parents, extended family
members, service providers, and educators without regard to
gender, race, national origin, color, disability, or age. To
address disability barriers, the Mentor Parent Program holds all
programming & workshops in fully accessible, community-
based sites. Program staff work out of their homes and travel to
meet with parents at community sites that have to be accessible
by law. All materials will be made available in Braille and on
audiotapes, as needed, to meet the needs of individuals with

visual and/or hearing impairments. In addition, staff members
will verbally translate informational resources, either personally
or via audiotape, for individuals who are unable to read due to
literacy or language issues.
(c) QUALITY OF PROJECT PERSONNEL
Nondiscriminatory Employment Practices
The Mentor Parent Program will not discriminate in educational
programs, activities or employment practices based on race,
color, national origin, gender, disability, age, religion, sexual
orientation, ancestry, union membership or any other legally
protected classifications. This policy is in accordance with the
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the
Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities
Act of 1990. The Mentor Parent Program has and will continue
to make positive efforts to seek to employ qualified individuals
with disabilities in project activities (Section 606 of IDEA).The
MPP encourages applications for employment from persons who
are traditionally underrepresented based on race, color, national
origin, gender, age or disability.
(i) The qualifications, including training and experience, of the
Project Director
The Director of the Mentor Parent Program is Kim Rhodes, an
individual with disabilities and a parent of children with
disabilities. Ms. Rhodes began serving the MPP as a trained,
volunteer Mentor Parent in 1999 and, for the past seven years,
as a MPP staff member-Family Consultant. As a Family
Consultant, Rhodes has: educated and encouraged families with
children who are attending gifted, regular and special education;
taught skills to families so they may become more confident in
advocating for their child’s needs; Maintained regular face-to-
face and telephone contact with:
· ■ Individuals, family members and legal guardians
· ■ Gifted, Regular and Special Education professionals
· ■ Service providers, including local, county, state and federal
organizations and programs

· ■ Collaboration with other advocates
In addition, Rhodes has informed and educated families on
services, information and referrals available through the Mentor
Parent Program, assessment procedures, and procedural
safeguards;provided information and assistance available for
transition processes involving preschool, elementary, high
school and post secondary education students; and has been
responsible for regular attendance at meetings, trainings-
formal/informal, seminars, workshops and conferences, as
needed, to stay current on the most updated regulations and
procedures. Rhodes’ greatest strength has been her grassroots
involvement as a Mentor Parent/Family Consultant advocating
assisting and maintaining effective communication between
MPP families and schools for the past 11 years. Her resume
appears in the Appendix.
(ii) The qualifications, including training and experience, of key
project staff Associate Director (.15 FTE): The MPP Associate
Director, Marie Fairman, is an individual with disabilities and
the parent of children with disabilities. She has been involved
with the MPP for more than 10 years as a volunteer Mentor
Parent and, since 2008, as Project Coordinator for the MPP’s
IM4Q Project—monitoring and collecting data, and conducting
interviews with consumers and family members to assess their
satisfaction with Mental Retardations services. For the past
three years she has also worked for the PA Department of
Education as a Peer Monitor whose responsibility includes
monitoring the special education programs and services
provided by local education agencies. Her resume appears in the
Appendix.
Family Consultant (TBD): This project will employ one part
time Family Consultant (.85 FTE). The person to be hired as a
Family Consultant position must be certified as a Mentor
Parent; have participated in this effort as a volunteer for five
years or more; have positive, established relationships with
schools and service providers; and be an excellent
communicator. Employing qualified staff with disabilities is a

priority of the MPP. This practice will continue.
(d) ADEQUACY OF RESOURCES
(i) Budget is adequate to support the proposed project
This budget provides the resources and the services of the MPP,
using its 20 years of experience and best practices to serve the
11 county region targeted in this proposal. With the resources
provided through this project, a Family Coordinator will be
strategically located out in the field to assist in the coordination
of Mentor Parent Program components, assisting the Director
and Associate Director in getting services to families in need.
Additional Mentor Parents will be trained and additional parent
training opportunities will be offered. The outcome of these
expanded resources will be the extension of the web of support
for parents and families of children with disabilities in the
central and western regions of PA,—truly underserved
communities.
This budget supports the Director (.85 FTE), the Associate
Director (.15 FTE), one Family Consultant (.85 FTE) and a part-
time administrative assistant. This is a labor-intensive program
because of the one-to-one support component. Because of the
extreme ruralness of this region (over 3,000 sq. miles), travel
costs (mileage calculated at the IRS rate) are high. It will
support the toll-free parent hotlines, a real lifeline for parents
who are too poor to have long distance on their phones. This
budget also supports the duplication and creation of reading-
level/language appropriate information and resources for the
parents this program serves. It provides funding for a quarterly
newsletter to assist the program in getting the word out on
training opportunities, parent rights, disability issues, etc. And
it will support the website for the program, which is maintained
and updated by program staff.
Costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives, design, and
significance
There are many reasons that contribute to the cost-effectiveness
of this proposed project:
· ■ The Director has been working to meet the needs of this

rural, underserved and impoverished region for more than 11
years. She has on-going and trusting relationships with parents
and professionals across the service area. This project needs no
start-up time, but can hit the ground running.
· ■ The Board of Directors members live in this region of
Appalachian Pennsylvania and are largely parents of children
with disabilities. They are well connected to parents, educators
and service providers and provide these linkages to the
community as a part of their board service. Many who originally
requested services from MPP are now Board Members.
· ■ There is an existing corps of volunteer Mentor Parents that
will be strengthened through this plan. These volunteers provide
added value to the small staff this project supports. These
volunteers requested services from MPP and now want to
continue to support this program.
· ■ There are strong existing linkages with local, regional, state
and national organizations that recognize the value of the MPP
and have pledged to provide a variety of priority-related
collaborative programs and services to meet the needs of
families and children with disabilities. (see letters of
(e) QUALITY OF THE MANAGEMENT PLAN
(i) Adequacy of management plan
Evidence of Past Experience
The Mentor Parent Program, a community-based parent
program, has more than 20 years of experience serving parents
and families of children in this economically and educationally
underserved region. It has been funded by the US Department of
Education, first as an experimental rural PTI, and currently as a
Community Parent Resource Center. The Mentor Parent
Program exists to provide support and services to parents of
children with disabilities through a coalition of united efforts of
parents, educators, service agency personnel, and professionals
to effectively meet the needs of children with disabilities and
their families in the Appalachian region of rural Pennsylvania.
The MPP has been meeting this mission over the years by (1)

providing one-on-one mentoring and support to build self-
advocacy skills; (2) providing representation and advocating for
the rights of underserved, impoverished rural children with
disabilities and their families in the human services and
education systems; (3) providing assistance and training
opportunities for underserved parents and families; (4) building
home-school partnerships through the modeling of positive
advocacy practices; (5) acting as a resource for community-
based information; (6) creating a web, a network, of parent
support through the vast ruralness (over 3,000 sq. mi.) of this
region to meet the needs of underserved parents & families of
children with disabilities; (7) acting as a voice on the state and
national level on behalf of rural parents and families of children
with disabilities; & (8) providing assistance & support in
addressing transition issues.
The Mentor Parent Program approach is recognized throughout
the state. Sue Scott Dolan, Director of the PA Parents and
Caregivers Resource Network, writes in her letter of
collaboration for this proposal, “The Mentor Parent Program has
led the way in collaborative relationships with other parent
projects, professional agencies and schools and brought about
astounding results . . . Your personal attention toward assisting
families with low literacy skills to develop the strength and
abilities they need to be partners on school based teams is
matchless. The 14 years of collaboration between the MPP and
the PPCRN has brought information and support to rural and
urban families across the state. Our deeply held core values of
giving personal, respectful support and going the extra mile has
helped to reach families who are often forgotten.”
Management Design-
Board of Directors
The Mentor Parent Program currently has a Board of Directors
comprised of 13 members, 54% of whom are parents of children
with disabilities, 2% are ethnic minorities. Board members are
representative of the rural region currently served. Board
members represent each county served through the program. The

board was created in 1990 and has been active in program
activities since its inception. The Board of Directors meets
quarterly to review activities undertaken by the program and its
staff, make modifications, and to discuss future activities. The
Board also participates in an annual review of the program staff
as a required part of the evaluation process. Board members
also are local advocates within their respective communities for
the program in terms of locating resources and networking with
other community-based groups.
Project Staff Job Descriptions/Time Commitments
FIGURE 9.4 MPP Management Flow Chart
· ■ Project Director (.85 FTE)—The Director is an individual
with disabilities and a parent of children with disabilities and
will serve in a full time capacity and will be responsible for the
following: networking with existing parent support groups in
the MPP service area; coordinating parent trainings and
workshops; supervising the Family Consultantand
Administrative Assistant; providing mentoring services to
parents; representing the Mentor Parent Program on national,
regional, and state levels; completing and submitting reports to
the Department of Education, OSEP, Alliance, and Regional
TA; preparing vouchers in a timely manner and submit for
payment to the fiscal agent; facilitating, organizing,
implementing and evaluating overall goals, objectives and
activities of MPP; preparing statements and supporting data in
responds to questions, and meeting with the board to discuss
operations and formulating policies and procedures; attending
local meetings within the 11 rural counties MPP serves such as:
LICC, Transition Council, Local Task Force, Early Head Start,
Head Start; communicating with OSEPs thru email/phone
consults; and performing other duties as assigned by the Board
of Directors.
· ■ Associate Director (.15 FTE): The Associate Director is an
individual with disabilities and a parent of children with
disabilities and will serve in a part-time capacity in this project

and will be responsible to: assist in presentations, workshops
and help facilitate meetings, trainings that are sponsored by
MPP; assist in developing and coordinating network
communication for public awareness and educating agencies;
assist/coordinate special projects, data for brochure, handouts,
and MPP materials and update MPP manual; attend all regional,
state and national meetings/represent the Mentor Parent
Program on National, Regional, and State levels; assist in
facilitating quarterly board meetings providing, written/oral
summary reports; assist in managing budget expenditures:
tracking expenditures, complete reports for the board; assist in
preparing vouchers in a timely manner and submitting for
payment to the fiscal agent; assist in completing and submitting
reports to the Department of Education, OSEP, Alliance, and
Regional TA; assist in preparing statistical and progress reports
as mandated by Department of Education, OSEP, Alliance and
Regional TA; assist in facilitating, organizing, implementing
and evaluating overall goals, objectives and activities of MPP;
assist in preparing statements and supporting data in responds to
questions, and meet with the board to discuss operations and
formulating policies and procedures; attend local meetings
within the areas served by MPP.
· ■ Family Consultant (.85 FTE)—The FC will be a parent of a
child(ren) with disabilities or an individual with disabilities
who will perform the following duties: provide local
dissemination of information; coordinate local parent training in
cooperation with the Project Director; network with local
service agencies, school districts and the area intermediate unit;
attend regional Local Interagency Coordinating Council,
Transition Council & Local Task Force meetings, as well as
others assigned by the Project Director; refer potential Mentor
Parent candidates for review to the Project Director; provide
mentoring services to parents; assist in the coordination of
presentations; perform other duties as assigned by the Director.
· ■ Administrative Assistant (PT hourly)—will be a parent of a
child with a disability or an individual with a disability who

will perform the following duties: provide administrative
support for all activities for the project; collect all data &
maintain data base; perform clerical duties; other duties as
assigned by the Director.
· ■ Mentor Parents—are volunteer parents who are trained and
certified, assigned by the Project Director, and agree to perform
the following duties: build a trusting relationshipwith
parent/family in need; provide one-on-one mentoring; provide
advocacy in meetings; • will contact the Director for assistance
& follow-up; assist in securing resources to meet family needs;
empower families and individuals with disabilities to make
decisions; help reduce barriers with professionals and service
providers; • will be an integral part of sharing concerns and
needs of families and communities.
Use of Resources and Personnel to Achieve Objectives
Following is Figure 5, the Personnel Loading Chart, which
describes the percentage of time each staff member will be
devoting to each project activity.
Fiscal and Administrative Control
The Mentor Parent Program was incorporated and received its
federal IRS 501(c) 3 status in 1995. However, the program’s
board has chosen to contract with Riverview Intermediate Unit
to provide the program’s bookkeeping and payroll services. The
Riverview Intermediate Unit is a regional education service
agency, an arm of the PA Department of Education. It has in
place all the required personnel and systems needed for fiscal
control including accounting procedures to assure compliance
with EDGAR regulations and state-of-the-art procedures for
accounting. Program control remains with the Board of
Directors and the Project Director. This allows the unhindered
focus of the program to remain on serving the families. The
Riverview Intermediate Unit’s fee for this service is discussed
in the budget section of this proposal.
FIGURE 9.5 MPP Personnel Loading Chart
(ii) Adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and

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