May 1, 2011 Julie Kaufman, Senior Program Officer The Retirement Research Foundation ATTN: Accessible Faith Grant Program 8765 W. Higgins Rd. Suite 430 Chicago, IL 60631 Dear Ms. Kaufman, Thank you for this opportunity to submit a proposal for an Accessible Faith Grant. Our proposal outlines a plan to install an elevator in our church building to allow our many senior members and guests to participate in the social, service, and worship activities that occur on the second floor of our facility. North Eastside Church has a long history of serving the under-privileged in our North Chicago community. Our now-elderly members began this work shortly after they founded the church and most of them have continued to participate until recently. The infirmities of age now prevent many of them from climbing the stairs to our second floor. We would like to restore to them this rewarding option to serve and socialize. We have managed to raise more than half the cost to install an elevator in our building. Now, we welcome the opportunity to request a grant to cover the remaining cost. Thank you for taking the time to consider our proposal. We look forward to your response. For questions or additional information, I invite you to contact me at 800.888.1700 or by email at fmckain@northeastside.org. Sincerely, Fran McKain Elder Care Ministry Leader

P.O. BOX 11743 • NORTH CHICAGO, IL 55617 • 800.888.1700 WWW.NORTHEASTSIDECHURCH.ORG

An Elevator for Second-floor Access

An Accessible Faith Grant Proposal to The Retirement Research Foundation from North Eastside Church in North Chicago, Lake County May 1, 2011

Contents Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 1

An Elevator for North Eastside Church: A Grant Request to Retirement Research Foundation .................. 3

Accessibility Issues at North Eastside Church .......................................................................................... 5

Our Plan: An Elevator Between First and Second Floors ......................................................................... 6

Table 1. The Schedule ............................................................................................................................... 7

Stage One: Create Design, August 2011 ............................................................................................... 7

Stage Two: Plan Construction and Maintenance, October 2011 .......................................................... 8

Stage Three: Obtain bids/Negotiate and award construction contract, January 2012 ........................... 8

Stage Four: Construction/Install Equipment, March 2012 ................................................................... 9

Stage Five: Conclude Project, May 2012 .............................................................................................. 9

Qualifications at North Eastside Church ..................................................................................................... 10

Biographies of Key Personnel ............................................................................................................. 10

Background of North Eastside Church ............................................................................................... 11

Existing Senior Services ..................................................................................................................... 12

Past Grants at North Eastside Church ................................................................................................. 13

Conclusion: Benefits and Project Costs ...................................................................................................... 13

Appendix A: The Project Budget Rationale ............................................................................................... 14

Table A. The Budget ............................................................................................................................... 15

Appendix B: Conceptual Drawings ............................................................................................................ 16

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Executive Summary As the Baby Boomers move into their retirement years, they find it harder to participate in their churches. These older members often encounter barriers within their church facilities that their declining physical abilities cannot surmount. As a result, even long-time members may cease to participate in the activities of their faith communities and may have to accept the lower quality of life that this means for them.

At North Eastside Church, we think this withdrawal can be corrected, and see a need to take action soon. Already, several of our seniors can no longer climb the stairs to the second floor of our building. They are now unable to participate in many of our church activities, including our upstairs community service center and food pantry. The declining physical abilities of a large percentage of our older members are the main reason why we must improve access to our church building.

Our plan is to install an elevator between the two floors of our building so all members and guests can participate in the activities that occur on the second floor. The plan is to:

1. Create a design 2. Plan construction and maintenance 3. Obtain bids and negotiate and award the construction contract 4. Construct the elevator shaft and equipment room and install the

elevator equipment 5. Conclude the project and perform an implementation evaluation

Many people will benefit from this plan. First, our senior members will be able to participate in the programs and activities that occur in our church building. Secondly, members of our community, including those with disabilities, will be able to access the food pantry and community service center. And finally, our staff will more easily move the food and clothing we provide through this program into and out of the building.

Caring for the needs of our seniors is part of a long track record at North Eastside Church of serving the elderly and underprivileged in our community. We are committed to valuing our seniors and to supporting the quality of their lives. As such, we are well-aligned with the objectives of The Retirement Research Foundation (RRF).

“An elevator will allow our senior

members and guests to participate.”

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This proposal was written in response to the request for proposal for accessible faith grants posted on the RRF website: http://www.rrf.org/apply/apply-accessible-faith. Thank you for the opportunity to apply for this grant. We look forward to partnering with RRF on this project.

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An Elevator for North Eastside Church: A Grant Request to Retirement Research Foundation Since its founding in 1972, North Eastside Church has passionately embraced a mission to serve the spiritual and physical needs of those living in its surrounding urban neighborhoods. The original members of the church began with a small food pantry. They later enlarged it and added a second floor to accommodate storage of used clothing and household items for those in need. Many of those original members are still with us forty years later and still desire to participate in this ministry. However, with the infirmities of age, many of them can no longer climb the stairs to our second floor to participate in this program and the other church activities that occur there.

Figure 1 North Eastside Church (“Anglican Christ church,” 2010).

To resolve this problem, this proposal recommends the installation of an elevator between the two floors. See Figure 2 for conceptual drawings which shows where the elevator could be positioned. See Appendix B for enlarged drawings. This solution will enable older members and guests who have disabilities to participate in all the activities the church offers.

“North Eastside Church has a mission

to serve its community.”

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Figure 2 Conceptual drawings showing possible placement of elevator (“Salem,” 1773.).

In this proposal, we will first explain the current situation with the older members at North Eastside Church and the results of our interviews with them about the accessibility of the facility. Second, we will present our plan for installing an elevator to enable our mobility-challenged members and guests to access the programs and activities that occur on the second floor of our church building. Third, we will discuss the qualifications of the North Eastside Church to meet the RRF criteria for an Accessible Faith Grant. And finally, we will present some of the benefits of implementing our plan and the costs it will incur. Our goal is to show that North Eastside Church is an ideal candidate and is well-prepared to satisfy RRF’s objectives in improving the quality of life for older members of Chicago-area faith communities.

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Accessibility Issues at North Eastside Church Before describing our plan, we want to explain the changes that created the need for elevator access to the upper floor of the North Eastside Church. The need results from the increasing physical disabilities of our large population of elderly members.

In 1972, when the North Eastside Church was built, the membership consisted entirely of young families. As the membership grew, they expanded the space of this inner-city church by adding a second floor. They thus created two classrooms, a fellowship hall and kitchen, and a community services center with storage space for used clothing, household goods, and a food pantry. In many ways, this second floor has become the heart of our faith community. This is where we study together, socialize together, and serve others together. Unfortunately, our “upper room” activities no longer include many of those who helped to create this space.

Today, more than 40% of our 180 church members are over the age of 65. Nearly half of these members no longer attend church regularly. The church interviewed almost all of its elderly members, particularly those who no longer attend, to find out what barriers prevent them from coming to the church. They indicated that they are no longer able to climb the stairs to the second floor of the church. As a result, they cannot participate in Bible study classes before the church service or in many of the social and service activities of the congregation. This discourages them so that they feel it is not worth the effort to get to church.

The findings of other research confirm what our seniors have expressed. Discouragement over accessibility barriers is a common reason for elderly people to stop attending church, according to a study by Douglas Fountain (Fountain, 1986). Our older members have many of the typical problems of the elderly, including several in wheelchairs or who use a walker, so their discouragement about our access issues is understandable.

Our housebound seniors told us that listening to recordings of the weekly sermons and even receiving regular visits is not the same as actually being there. They miss the social connection and sense of purpose that they have lost by not being able to attend in person. Being part of the group is important to them. Studies have shown that the quality of life and emotional health of the elderly are improved by active involvement within

Figure 3 Member Ann Stephan is now confined to a wheelchair..

(“US Navy 090302,” 2009).

“More than 40% of our 180 members

are over 65.”

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a church community (Puffer & Miller, 2001). Solitary confinement is not good for anyone.

Of all the things they miss, our seniors most frequently mentioned the community service center. Our elderly members are the most active participants in this program which feeds and clothes many of the poor in our downtown area. But to participate, they must be able to get to our upstairs community service center rooms. Those who are no longer able to do so have expressed the deep sense of loss they feel at being deprived of this opportunity for meaningful service.

Our Plan: An Elevator Between First and Second Floors To enable our older members to remain involved in the church programs, they need a way to access our upper floor. This need will be satisfied by a solution that meets the following objectives:

1. Enable our older members and guests who cannot climb stairs to participate in the services, activities, and community service programs that occur on the second floor.

2. Remain in our current facility. 3. Not overextend ours budget.

To meet these objectives, we propose to install an elevator between the two floors. An elevator is better than a chair lift because it will provide access to people with all types of disabilities, not just those in wheelchairs.

Figure 5 Volunteers Cal Lowe, Byron Stitzer, Clay Wenger and Larry Howell pack bags of food in the food pantry every

Tuesday morning (Augustino, 2004).

Figure 4 Joe Denny can no longer join his friends to help in the food pantry (“US

Navy 040120,” 2004).

“Solitary confinement is not good for anyone.”

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An elevator will ease access for the program’s limited-ability clients. It will also ease moving the goods offered through our community service program in and out of the upstairs workroom.

We will implement our plan in five stages (see Table 1). First, we will work with an architect to create a design. Second, we will plan the construction phase, select materials and equipment, and arrange the maintenance plan for the elevator equipment. Third, we will solicit bids and negotiate and award the construction contract. Fourth, we will build the elevator shaft and install the elevator. And finally, we will perform the final inspections, project closure, a celebration, and an implementation evaluation.

Table 1. The Schedule Stage

Aug

‘11

Sep’

11

Oct

‘11

Nov

’11

Dec

’11

Jan

‘12

Feb

‘12

Mar

‘12

Apr

’12

May

‘12

Jun

‘12

Create design 60 days

Plan construction & maintenance 90 days

Obtain bids/Award contract 60 days

Construction/Install equipment 60 days

Conclude project/Conduct evaluation 60 days

Stage One: Create Design, August 2011 We will begin by working with our architect to create the detailed design and determine the project schedule. Because our budget is limited, we will ensure that the architect understands our financial guidelines prior to developing the design. Defining the design and the detailed project steps will help to refine the project budget. We will also ask the architect to consider that the design must integrate well with the existing facility. We do not want the current beautiful and functional design of the building to be compromised.

We estimate this stage to require sixty days. When complete, we will present the schedule, detailed design, and revised project budget to you, and to all our stakeholders, for review before we begin the next stage.

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Stage Two: Plan Construction and Maintenance, October 2011 With an approved design in place, we will work with the architect to plan the actual construction and the installation and future maintenance of the elevator equipment.

First, we will prepare a materials and equipment list and select the materials, equipment, and finishes for the project. The most important decision in this step is choosing the elevator equipment. We will identify several vendors to evaluate. We will seek references from previous RRF grantees as well as from the Better Business Bureau on both the equipment and the installer. We will obtain bids from each vendor. We will also request each vendor to arrange opportunities to observe their equipment at a client facility where the equipment is currently in use. We will interview the facility owners to learn their opinions about the equipment and the vendor.

Another factor we will consider in selecting the elevator equipment is the maintenance contract. We will ask each vendor for the typical maintenance costs for their equipment. Based on these, we will prepare a maintenance plan for the selected equipment. Also, once the elevator equipment has been identified, we will obtain the exact dimensions and specifications from the vendor. We will then work with the architect to prepare the construction drawings and specifications.

A further consideration is how to avoid disrupting the church community during the construction phase. Temporary changes to the usage of the facility will minimize this issue. These changes will include isolating the construction zone to ensure safety and to minimize dust and debris from pervading the building. They will also include arrangements for activities that are displaced during construction.

We estimate ninety days to complete this stage. At the conclusion of this stage, we will update the schedule, design, and budget as necessary and present these, along with the equipment list, construction documents, equipment maintenance plan, and temporary usage plan to you and our stakeholders for approval.

Stage Three: Obtain bids/Negotiate and award construction contract, January 2012 With the approval of the construction plan, we will work with our architect to begin the search for a qualified contractor, considering referrals from previous RRF grantees and the Better Business Bureau. From this list of prequalified contractors, we will solicit bids and select a contractor. We will submit a report to you and our stakeholders that

“The most important consideration in this step is choosing the

elevator equipment.”

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presents the bids, recommends the selected contractor, and explains the reasons for the choice.

After obtaining approval to award the contract , we will work with the architect and our legal counsel to prepare the construction contract and award it to the selected contractor. Of course, we will notify the other bidders of our decision. Finally, before beginning the construction stage of the project, we will obtain the necessary building permits, bonding, worker’s comp, liability, and builder’s risk insurance to protect our organization during the construction project.

We estimate sixty days for this stage of the project.

Stage Four: Construction/Install Equipment, March 2012 Once construction begins, we will work with the architect to review the project each week to ensure the quality and completeness of the work. We will also review the contractor’s payment requests each month. We will pay the contractor every month, according to the terms of the construction contract. We will work with the contractor and the architect to order materials and equipment to ensure that these are available as needed and thus avoid project delay.

We estimate sixty days for this stage of the project. During this time, we will submit a report at the end of each month, to you and to our stakeholders, detailing the status of the project.

Stage Five: Conclude Project, May 2012 When construction is complete, we will work with our architect to inspect the construction and equipment installation for conformance to the construction contract. We will create a list of any items to be addressed and work with the contractor to ensure that these are completed. After our final inspection, we will arrange for official inspections to ensure the installation complies with building codes. We will receive and archive the “as built” drawings from the architect. At this point, we will submit a report to you and the stakeholders about the completed status of the installation. Upon approval, we will formally accept the completed work and make the final payment to the contractor and the architect. We will update our building insurance policies to include the new equipment. We will also receive and archive the operational and warranty information on the equipment.

Completing this important project calls for a celebration! We will stage an open house to inaugurate the new elevator and celebrate the improved access for our older members and guests. We will definitely send pictures so that you can enjoy this success too. You will enjoy seeing

“You will enjoy seeing some of our

older members smile as they roll their wheelchairs into that elevator!”

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some of our older members smile when they roll their wheelchairs into that elevator!

Finally, we wish to conduct an implementation evaluation of the project following the RRF guidelines. This will help our organization to learn from this experience and determine how well the project objectives have been met. We will submit a report of the results of this evaluation to our stakeholders and to you so that future grantees may also learn from our experience.

We estimate sixty days for this stage of the project.

Qualifications at North Eastside Church North Eastside Church is exceptionally engaged in providing resources for seniors, their families, and caregivers. With more than 40% of our members over the age of 65, we have recognized the reality of the aging baby boomer population and the necessity of caring for their needs. We want to serve as an example to other faith-based organizations about what can and should be done for, and with, the elderly.

Biographies of Key Personnel The project leaders for the elevator project will be Fran McKain and Larry Van Hees.

• Fran McKain is the Elder Care Ministry Leader at North Eastside Church. She chairs the Elder Care Ministry Committee. In this role she has the following responsibilities: 1) understanding the needs of the older members of the congregation, 2) maintaining programs to meet those needs, 3) assimilating elders into the active life of the church, 4) addressing physical access issues, 5) educating members and the local community about elder care, and 6) serving as a liaison to local organizations that provide services to seniors. She has a special regard for older people and a passion for this ministry. From her career as a business systems analyst, she brings strong analytical and organizational skills to this role. Fran is a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA, 2011)

• Larry Van Hees leads our Community Service Center which provides food, clothing, and household goods to those in need in our community. Larry is a Certified Senior Advisor. He also serves on our Elder Care Ministry Committee, lending his vibrant energy to the programs for our seniors. Larry is a retired building contractor and has extensive experience in construction for non-

“We have recognized the

reality of the aging baby boomer

population and the necessity of caring

for their needs.”

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profit organizations including churches, private schools, and assisted living facilities.

• Irwin Rogers is a member of our Elder Care Ministry Committee and is a great example of the value seniors can bring to the life of the church. He is over 80 years old, but is still actively involved in ministry. He regularly communicates with our older members—especially those who are home-bound. Irwin has a deep understanding of gerontology from his many years of providing insurance to retirement homes and assisted living facilities in the U.S. Irwin is also a Certified Senior Advisor.

• Milford Terrell is chair of our Executive Committee which oversees the Elder Care Ministry Committee. Another very active senior, Milford still owns and operates a plumbing contracting company and serves on the state Board of Education. Milford has led several successful fundraising efforts.

• Nick Voth is a building contractor and a member of both the Executive Committee and the Elder Care Ministry Committee. Nick is also a Certified Senior Advisor. He has a personal interest in elder care because he and his wife share their home with his mother-in-law.

• Gary Crawford chairs the North Eastside Finance Committee. He has extensive experience in church governance at both the local and regional level and has overseen several church building projects. He owns and operates Crawford Network Consulting.

Other members of our Church Board and Elder Care Ministry Committee will participate in the project. Many of these members are long-time residents and are well-acquainted with the needs of our local community and our church members. They will review and consult on each stage of the project.

Background of North Eastside Church North Chicago is a struggling town. Since 1972, when North Eastside Church was founded, the population of North Chicago has declined from its peak of more than 47,000 to fewer than 36,000 today (“North Chicago,” 2009). This exodus was due in part to the closing of the city’s largest employers and to reduced activity at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station after the Vietnam War (“North Chicago,” n.d.). The population and the income level of our city have both plummeted until we are now one of the poorest municipalities in the state with an average income of approximately $35,000 (Record Information Services, 2011).

“Many of our Elder Care Ministry

Committee members are Certified Senior

Advisors.”

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Our community has a great need for social assistance and our church is helping to fill that need.

The members of North Eastside Church started our Community Service Center and food pantry in 1976 as a means to help our struggling community. We receive donations of food and used clothing and household items from various neighboring areas and offer them, free of charge, to local residents. Most of the volunteer staff for this effort are our seniors who spend two or three days each week working at the center.

They find the work rewarding because it provides socialization and a gives them a worthwhile purpose. They especially enjoy the quilting bees. Staff members share a meal and then the women work together on quilts or afghans while the men repair various items or just visit. Several seniors from the community participate in these social events, also. The staff give the quilts and blankets to clients of the Community Service Center, and donate baby-size quilts to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at our local hospital.

Existing Senior Services In 1999, North Eastside Church recognized that it is no longer just our community that needs our support. We realized that our senior members also needed a little assistance in order to continue enjoying our activities. We had several with hearing loss, so we installed assisted listening devices. We installed a ramp at the front entrance to ensure wheelchair access. We also formed our Elder Care Ministry Committee and began to investigate the needs of our seniors. To learn how to help our seniors, several of our members attended training to receive the Certified Senior Advisor credential. Today we have ten members on our elder care ministry team who provide training and hands-on assistance to seniors and their families and caregivers both within our membership and for seniors in our community. For those who are house-bound, we provide a live web broadcast of our church service. One of our Bible study classes meets at the local assisted living center, rather than at the church, so that our members (and others) who are residents there can participate.

Figure 6 Volunteer, Ardith Tait, packs used clothing (Booher, 2004)

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Past Grants at North Eastside Church To help with our community service activities, our church has received two previous grants. In 1992 we received a grant of $8,000 received through the Jewel-Osco Hunger Relief Grant Program which we used for a

panel truck to pick up donations. In 2008 we received a grant of $1,000 from the Congressional Hunger Center which we used for refrigerators for the food pantry.

Based on these descriptions, it is evident that North Eastside Church has a strong track record of supporting older adults so they may enjoy a good quality of living. Installing an elevator to improve access is the logical next step for us. We invite you to visit www.NorthEastsideChurch.org to learn more

about our senior ministry.

Conclusion: Benefits and Project Costs To conclude, let us summarize the benefits and costs of our proposal.

The total cost of the elevator project is $61,800, of which our church community has raised just over half ($34,000). The remaining cost is $27,800, and we request a grant for this amount from RRF.

With this elevator in place, all our older members and community guests will have to access our second floor. As a result, seniors and those with disabilities will be able to come out of solitary confinement and re-engage in our programs and activities. All will be able to participate in our Community Service Center and food pantry. These elderly members can then remain involved both socially and in various service roles, thus increasing their quality of life. We look forward to watching 76-year-old Ann Stephan roll her wheel chair out of the

elevator and down the hall to re-join her friends at the quilting bee.

Thank you for considering our request. We look forward to hearing your response. We invite you to ask questions or make suggestions about our proposal to Fran McKain, our Elder Care Ministry Leader. Her phone number is 800.888.1700. You can also reach her by email at

Figure 7 Picking up donations for the food pantry from a local grocer (Wheeler, 2003).

Figure 8 Elderly members busy making a quilt (“Gee’s Bend,” 2005).

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fmckain@northeastside.org. We appreciate your time and interest in our project.

Appendix A: The Project Budget Rationale We have received excellent advice on researching the budget for this project and on ways to keep the cost low from the two experienced building contractors among our church membership. We have determined that the biggest expense for the project will be the elevator equipment and installation, followed by the fees for the architect and contractors. To fully cover the costs of operating the new equipment, we have included maintenance for the first year as well as the increased insurance premium we will incur once the elevator is installed.

To reduce costs, our members with construction experience will guide volunteers in our congregation to perform several of the building tasks. These volunteers will perform demolition, construction site cleanup, and texture and painting. Also, our members plan to donate the costs of any travel and communication, other than a small amount for postage and documents. These cost savings, combined with the $36,000 that our congregation has raised by diligent fundraising efforts over the last five years, will enable us to complete the project without exceeding RRF’s $30,000 grant limit.

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Table A. The Budget Item Cost Totals

1. Direct Labor $10,000

Architect (50 hours @ $200/h) $10,000 2. Facilities and Equipment $47,400

Contractor fees Framing and sheetrock installation $8,000 Electrical $1,000 Phone $200 Plumbing (elevator mechanical room) $1,000 Finish carpentry $2,000

Building permits $200 Elevator

Equipment and installation $35,000 First year maintenance $1,500

Insurance $500 3. Materials $4,100

Blueprints (4 sets @ $50/set) $200 Lumber & sheetrock $1,500 Electrical $1000 Plumbing $500 Texture and paint $400 Finishes $500

4. Communication $300

Postage $50 Documentation $250

TOTAL COSTS $61,800

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Appendix B: Conceptual Drawings The drawings below are enlarged to show the possible placement of the elevator within our church building.

Figure 9 Conceptual drawings showing possible placement of elevator (“Salem,” 1773).

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References

Anglican Christ Church [digital image]. (2010). Retrieved June 22, 2011 from

http://www.public-domain-image.com

I am using this photograph of the Anglican Christ Church in western Australia as a stand-

in for the fictional North Eastside Church which is the subject of this proposal. The photograph

helps to illustrate that the church does, in fact, have a second floor and is in good enough

condition to be worth the investment of installing an elevator.

Augustino, J. (2004). FEMA - 10575 [digital image]. Retrieved June 22, 2011 from

http://commons.wikimedia.org

I am using this photograph as a stand-in for the semi-fictitious volunteers who are

members of the fictitious North Eastside Church in this proposal. This photograph demonstrates

that the elderly men also find fulfillment in the camaraderie of working together at the

Community Service center.

Booher, A. (2004). FEMA – 10046 [digital image]. Retrieved June 22, 2011 from

http://commons.wikimedia.org

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I am using this photograph as a stand-in for the semi-fictitious Ardith Tait who is a

member of the fictitious North Eastside Church in this proposal. The photograph demonstrates

the fulfillment older members find in participating in the Community Service center.

CSA, (2011). Society of certified senior advisors. Retrieved April 17, 2011 from

http://www.csa.us/

This is the official website of the Society of Certified Senior Advisors (CSA). The site

explains the growing need for services for seniors, especially as the Baby Boomers rapidly

dominate the ranks of the retired. CSA provides training and certification to prepare people to

provide these services. This information clarifies the significance of the fact that North Eastside

Church has several CSA certified Senior Advisors. This underscores our commitment to

supporting our seniors and demonstrates that we are a good match for RRFs grant criteria.

Fountain, D. E. (1986). Assimilation of the elderly into the parish [Electronic version].

Concordia Theological Quarterly, 50(1), 19-24. Retrieved March 18, 2011 from

http://www.ctsfw.net/media/pdfs/fountainassimilationoftheelderly.pdf

The research discussed in this article about the church attendance of the elderly was

conducted in 1986 and may be outdated in some ways. However, the point that I draw from this

article—that physical access issues discourage the elderly with disabilities from attending

church—seems unlikely to change with time. This point helps to explain why North Eastside

Church must resolve its access issues.

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Gee’s Bend quilting bee [digital image]. (2005). Retrieved June 22, 2011 from

http://commons.wikimedia.org

I am using this photograph as a stand-in for the semi-fictitious quilters who are members

of the fictitious North Eastside Church in this proposal. This photograph demonstrates the

socializing which adds to the quality of life of the seniors at this church.

North Chicago, IL. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2011 from

http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/900.html

This article is presented by the Chicago Historical Society and is posted in their online

The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. It provides a history of the city of North Chicago,

Illinois from the late 1800s through the present time. This history explains the factors that caused

the decline of the population and average income level in this depressed community. These facts

are an important part of explaining why the North Eastside Church needs assistance to install an

elevator.

North Chicago, IL. (2009). Retrieved April 17, 2011

from http://www2.illinoisbiz.biz/communityprofiles/profiles/NORTHCHICAGO.htm

Based upon statistics from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic

Opportunity, this website presents population demographics for the city of North Chicago,

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Illinois from 1980 to the present. This helps to substantiate my argument that the city has been in

a population decline since the 1970s.

Puffer, K. A., Miller, K. J. (2001). The Church as an Agent of Help in the Battle Against Late

Life Depression. Pastoral Psychology, 50(2), 125-136. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

This article is from the journal, Pastoral Psychology, and is co-authored by Keith A.

Puffer, Ph.D., LMHC, NCC, who is an ordained minister, counselor, and an Associate Professor

of Psychology. The authors present well-cited evidence to explain the phenomena of late life

depression. They show that the church is in a good position to help older adults avoid or

overcome this problem by providing both socialization and a sense of purpose and well-being

through being involved. This helps to support my argument that restoring access to the second

floor activities at North Eastside Church is vital to the well-being of our currently house-bound

elderly members.

Record Information Services, Inc. (2011). Lake County municipalities and demographics.

Retrieved April 17, 2011 from http://www.public-

record.com/content/municipalities/lake/index.asp

Based upon statistics from the current U.S. Census Bureau, this website presents

population and median household income demographics for the municipalities in Lake County,

Illinois. This substantiates my point that North Chicago is one of the poorest cities in the county.

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Salem Munster Grundriss [digital image]. (1773). Retrieved June 22, 2011 from

http://commons.wikimedia.org

I am using this set of drawings from the Salem Munster Grundriss Church as a stand-in

for the fictitious North Eastside Church in this proposal. The drawings demonstrate the

feasibility of placing an elevator in this church building and also show the facilities available on

the second floor which illustrates the importance of providing access to them for all members.

US Navy 040120-N-0879R-009 Pearl Harbor survivor Bill Johnson stares at the list of names

inscribed in the USS Arizona Memorial [digital image]. (2004). Retrieved June 22, 2011

from http://commons.wikimedia.org

I am using this photograph as a stand-in for the semi-fictitious Joe Denny who is a

member of the fictitious North Eastside Church in this proposal. This photograph is important to

show the emotional impact of the impossible barrier a flight of stairs presents to a person

confined to a wheelchair. It also demonstrates the loss such a person feels when not able to

participate in the activities of those who can climb the stairs.

US Navy 090302-N-3241S-011 Electrician's Mate 1st Class Kellie Matzen cleans a resident's

wheelchair [digital image]. (2009). Retrieved June 22, 2011 from

http://commons.wikimedia.org

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I am using this photograph as a stand-in for the semi-fictitious Ann Stephan who is a

member of the fictitious North Eastside Church in this proposal. This photograph demonstrates

the loneliness an older person can feel when confined to a wheelchair.

Wheeler, D. (2003). FEMA - 8577 [digital image]. Retrieved June 22, 2011 from

http://commons.wikimedia.org

I am using this photograph as a stand-in for the semi-fictitious volunteers who are

members of the fictitious North Eastside Church in this proposal. The photograph helps to

demonstrate the value that the Community Service center provides to the community. This factor

is a value held by the grant making organization, so demonstrating it shows the this church

matches their values.

Reflection

This class has provided excellent guidance through the process of writing a grant

proposal and has helped with the challenges and supported effective learning.

The Process

The hands-on, step-by-step approach of this class kept me focused on developing each

component, and on the overall design and editing process. Tackling that all at once would have

been confusing and overwhelming. One example was the guidance in the first two units to

choose a problem and an RFP. Doing this early in the class was especially important in my case.

I had to invent the case for the grant because the grant-making organization I selected

(the Retirement Research Foundation, or RRF) only provides grants to Chicago-area churches. I

defined the characteristics of this fictional church to make them a good match for RRF’s values.

Doing so was insightful because it required me to think about the organization’s values and

determine what they would want to see. Of course, writing fiction is not a skill that writers of

grant proposals should cultivate, but in this case it was a good learning aid.

Because my church is fictional, I had to do research about the Chicago area to identify a

low-income community (one of the values of my grant maker). Then I had to learn about the

history of the community in order to build a story that made sense about the history of my

church. I also wanted it to be a compelling story that would demonstrate that this church has

values similar to those of RRF. A church with a long history of caring about the needs of the

underprivileged in a community that has suffered a economic decline served that purpose.

Challenges

The class materials not only helped with the process of writing my proposal. They also

helped with some of the challenges. One of those challenges was figuring out the schedule and

the budget. I have never hired a construction crew and I knew nothing about elevators. I had to

do quite a bit of research to learn how a construction project is planned. I was pleased to locate a

website published by the First Baptist Church, Tallasee, which provides a number of articles and

guides about planning and executing church building projects (“Church Building Program

Resources,” n.d.). This advice was indispensible as I created my plan and schedule.

Creating the budget was also a challenge. I had to find out how much an elevator costs,

and I had to figure out how the budget for a construction project is determined. Determining the

cost of an elevator is difficult because there are many different types and many options and the

specific prices are not published. My most important reference was an article with information

from The Means Report which provides standard construction costs for various projects in

various locations throughout the country (Dalvitt, 2010). To learn how the budget is handled for

construction projects, I contacted a friend who is a building contractor. He explained that the

contractor and his crew are a line item on most construction budgets and are not considered staff.

This helped me to understand how to place the construction cost on the budget.

Learning

The most significant of the lessons I have learned are the grant making process, how to

research the proposal, and how to design and write the document to make it most persuasive.

Regarding the grant making process, the first discovery was the existence of RFPs

(requests for proposal). I had previously assumed that grants were all unsolicited, but from this

study I now understand that there are many grant-making organizations who post RFPs for

causes that they value (Johnson-Sheehan, 2008). Such organizations must have a process to

decide whether the proposal matches their values. Knowing this clarifies what to include in the

grant proposal. Creating a proposal that aligns to the values of the grant making organization

requires thorough research. I discovered that the official website of the grant making

organization is a good source and so are places like LinkedIn, Facebook, other organizations the

officers are involved with, and media publications in which they have appeared. From these, I

could piece together a profile of experience, expertise, and values of the potential reviewers.

Even with a proposal that is a perfect match to the values and objectives of the grant

making organization, the presentation of the material in the proposal could affect whether it is

approved or not. Of course, this begins with including all the necessary content: executive

summary, introduction, current situation, project plan, qualifications, budget, costs and benefits,

and conclusion (Johnson-Sheehan, 2008). But having the right content is not enough. Writing

clearly and persuasively matter.

The guidance about writing plain sentences and paragraphs helped. I learned that there

are sometimes tradeoffs to make between these guidelines. For example, aligning the subjects in

a sentence sometimes makes it necessary to introduce a nominalization even though the goal is to

minimize nominalizations. Faced with this, I had to decide whether to have a few sentences

where the subjects do not align, or to keep the nominalization.

I especially valued the guidelines on persuasive writing. One of the skills I particularly

came to appreciate is the word mapping exercise. Producing a repertoire of words to create the

emotion I want the reader to feel makes it easy to edit them into the text. I also learned that

words, alone, are not enough to maximize persuasion. Graphics and design matter also.

The design principle that balance creates a sense of stability was particularly useful.

Unless the goal is to create a sense of dissonance as part of persuasion, it is best to strive for that

stable, balanced feeling to minimize distractions. Thus, the reader can focus on the message.

Using virtual grids to control the placement of text, colored or monochrome graphics, pullouts,

and other devices all help to create balance. Applying these principles when designing my

proposal was challenging. I had to learn a few new things about Microsoft Word in order to

successfully control the placement of the various elements. In a few places, the graphics that fit

the message of a particular section were not easy to place with balance. Pages 5 and 6 of my

proposal were particularly challenging. This section needed to convey the emotion of loss that

the elderly members feel in being isolated or unable to participate with their friends. I wanted to

use the specific graphics and pullouts I had chosen to enhance this emotion. But I found it

difficult to arrange them so that they aligned with the text and still looked balanced. I finally

found an arrangement that seems to work.

As a result of the skills I have learned in this class, I feel capable of writing a strong

proposals, including grant proposals.

References

Church building program resources. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2011 from

http://www.baptiststart.com/building_programs.html#architects_contractors

This website is published by the First Baptist Church of Tallassee. It contains numerous

articles about how to plan and manage church building projects. I did not directly reference this

material in my proposal. However, I did follow much of the advice I found here in planning the

construction project outlined in my proposal.

Dalvitt, D. (2010). How much does a hydraulic 2-stop elevator cost? Retrieved April 29, 2011

from http://evstudio.info/how-much-does-a-hydraulic-2-stop-elevator-cost/

This article includes a chart of elevator installation costs from The Means Report,

published by RSMeans which is considered a leader at estimating construction costs. It shows

the total installed cost of the type of elevator my project proposes and shows the trend for several

years in three areas of the country, including Chicago. This helped me to bracket my total

installation cost. From that, I could guess at how much the elevator equipment itself would cost.

Johnson-Sheehan, R. (2008). Writing proposals. New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

The textbook for this class has provided excellent guidance on all the content of a

proposal and on the process for writing it.