WORK IN PROGRESS!!!!

 

 

  HAWAI‘I PEOPLE’S FUND  Grant Application Cover Sheet  You may type or write clearly on this form, or retype, making sure that all questions are answered.

 

Date of Application   

Organization Name  

Contact Person  

Address  

City         State         Zip          

Phone (day)                 (evening)  Fax                  E-mail  

 

Organizational web site address  http://vermiculturekauai.pbwiki.com/

 

Project Title (if applicable)   

Grant Request Amount  $  

Organization’s Fiscal Status  

A  Do you have IRS tax exempt status?         Yes     No    

If Yes, please attach one copy of your IRS determination letter  

B  Is there a bank account in organization’s Name   Yes     No    

If No, please include information on a fiscal sponsor below and attach a letter of    permission from fiscal sponsor and one copy of their IRS letter    

Fiscal Sponsor Organization     

Contact Person & Position    

Address   

Phone/s               

E-mail Prior Funding  

Have you been funded by HPF before?        Yes     No    

If Yes, Give Year    

If Yes, have you submitted a Grant Report?    Yes     No  

If No, please enclose Grant Report with this request.

Your proposal will not be considered without it.  

Please submit 20 copies of this complete application.

 

 

Hawai‘i People’s Fund Grant Application  

Executive Summary  One Page Only, minimum font size 12 point  Include:  • Name of organization, project title (if applicable), amount requested  • Brief description of your organization and its mission  • Description of project or program, goals, planned activities and strategies.  • Elements of social change addressed by work/envisioned by organizers.  • Key leadership of organization and, if different, of project.  • Other funding sources pending and/or received.  • How will you accomplish your goals or adjust the project if full funding is not received? The Executive Summary is intended to be a complete, though very brief , summary of the entire project.  But applicants should also monitor their proposal  to ensure that content articulated in the Executive Summary  is also covered in the narrative.

 

c1. Executive Summary:

 

Organic Resources Cooperative describes a collaborative and educational community compost project for Kauai. The main mission is trashformation. The initial phase focuses on vermi-composting which has the ability to empower people on a local level to significantly reduce landfill problems while simultaneously producing nature's finest soil treatment resulting in healthy ecosystems and vital food. R&D will also include related compost methods.

 

The first phase involves mobilizing support for small and mid-scale composters including creating educational materials (for A. home composters, B. Schools, farms, churches, hospitals, C. abusinesses other organic resource suppliers), start-up resources, network advertising, retail outlets,  a network to link growers to local sources of usable waste.

 

Vermicomposting (as we're using it) describes an innovative use of one of nature's finest designs, a forest floor...however, instead of leaves and branches and dead critters, we divert part of the Kauai waste stream, mix it together and...let the worms do the work (of course there's many more companion organisms involved). The outcome is a miracle of Earth, black gold...by any name, anyone who has ever used live compost-worm castings in their garden joins us singing the praises of our lowly friends.

 

Is there a need for this project? We only need to ask anyone who tends plants and aina here, or anyone who (attempts to) manage waste on Kauai. In addition, this provides a sustainable replacement for packaged soil amendments and live cultures of Microrhyzal fungi.

 

WormsWork includes research, design, and educational aspects as well as development of a new paradigm for organizational and management styles.

 

WormsWork is a voluntary coalition of living beings cooperating as equals for the good of all. Therefore our foundation is cooperation, communication, and self-determination. Our values rise above profit incentive. We believe this model will produce benefits far beyond what any of us could name now, compared to utilizing a traditional business model.  Therefore, our focus remains on process, value, and benefits rather than profit.

 

A significant aspect of this project is its ability to help jumpstart a local exchange/economic system and the renewal of our island's soil, two of many great reasons to collaborate.

 

 

Proposal Narrative  Please answer the following nine (9) questions carefully.  You may attach additional pages, if  needed. You may type or write clearly on this form, or retype any portion, making sure that all  questions are answered.

 

 

Give a description of the organization, its history and accomplishments, decision-making  process, organizational structure, and development of new and diverse leadership

 

This business plan describes one active project of the Rainbow Tree Community, a consensus-based community circle devoted to creating sustainable ecological village life on Kauai for the benefit of all. This plan presents the first phase of a community-scale project which we call Organic Resources Cooperative.

 This phase has 3 aspects:

    1) Vermicompost Research, Design and Program Development

    2) Community scale vermicycle compost center, including production and sales of worms and worm castings, and related products.

    3) Community education and celebrationBusiness Plan Notes

 

This project describes a new concept in business management, one appropriate for a sustainable society and the coming new era of peace and cooperation. Our    enthusiasm for this process is supported by our experience as well as many solid examples in business, education and community organization (see links).

 

In this process, we focus our attention on living our intention, aligning and harmonizing with each other, experiencing connection, love and synchronicity--efficiency is a result. It allows us to move forward without need of tedious hours of planning and strategizing. Instead we voluntarily cooperate, create, and actively synchronize. Our lives become like a divine musical. The results of prioritizing process over outcome are produced through synergy and is greater than the sum total.

 

The 3 aspects of this project are clearly intertwined and are necessary to support each other. We are simultaneously 1) researching, designing and creating a prototype community-scale system where even large drop-offs such as restaurant waste, manure, and greenwaste are possible, 2) offering demonstration/observation/education of the processes to an interested public and educational systems, and 3) actively researching viable ways for vermicomposting and related projects to improve our lives and environment.

 

Cristal is a permaculture designer and land steward on Kauai 12 years now. Her deep love and close connection with the aina stimulates her constant research to discover ways of bringing the soil of this deforested and demineralized garden island back to life. She has a passion for erosion control, reforestation and soil restoration. She managed and helped design systems for a 3-acre permaculture farm in Anahola Uka for 2 ½ years. This is where the successful vermi-research and educational project (see links) happened that lit a fire in her to grow this project community-scale .  

 

 

As a group, we have positive experience vermicomposting on Kauai and wish to promote it as a solution to many of our island's problems including soil health, land-fill, human waste, erosion and dying reefs.  We've been vermicomposting on Kauai for several years and have experience designing, implementing and maintaining healthy vermicomposting systems. We've attended conferences, studied, experimented, designed and operated several vermi-systems, and observed plants and trees responding with profound vitality . We've taken on young people to mentor in the fine art of vermicomposting and we continue to mentor interested young people, assisting as science fair consultants, home garden support, etc.

 

    Last summer, we organized under a non-profit (INCF) in order to train local youth. Our six young interns were taught the basics of vermicomposting. Their training resulted in their ability to run each of the systems themselves; These included the creation of worm beds, feeding and watering,  knowledge and handling of materials, harvesting worms and castings, making "tea" and foliar application. One obvious outcome of the three-month summer program was the dynamic health of the trees.  In three months, they transformed from a suffering, depleted, bug -covered state to one of vitality and freedom from insects and disease.  The interns also harvested five hundred extra pounds of castings and “graduated from worm schoool” upon making a successful community presentation at the Healing Garden event at KCC. They offered information, castings, worms, worm tea and handmade worm bins to an interested public.

 

 

 

2.Describe the specific work for which funding is being requested, clearly identifying the goals and objectives.

 

 

 

 

3.Identify the activities, methods and strategies to be utilized.

 

 

4.What problems, needs or opportunity does this request address?  How does this work address  and attempt to change underlying root c

 

5.In what ways, specifically, does this work address social change?

 

6.Who is primarily responsible for this work and its implementation?  Describhis/her/their qualifications.

 

 

 

7.Describe the context and/or community in which your work is done and the constituency/ target population (geographic location, ages, sex, gender, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabilities, etc.), including how this community is involved or engaged in the organization’s wok  and leadership development.

 

8.If other groups are involved in this work/project, list them and describe the collaborative or coalition building efforts.

 

 

 

9.Describe your plans for evaluation; what questions will be addressed and how the evaluation results will be used.

 

10.ATTACH COMPLETE BUDGET INFORMATION

a) If you are applying for general support, attach a current Organizational Budget along with a budget narrative that clarifies your figures and calculations.

 

b) If you are applying for support for a specific project, in addition to your current Organizational  Budget, you must also inlcude a Project Budget along with a budget narrative that clarifies your  figures and calculations.

 

c) Identify other foundation funding you may be seeking and note whether this support is secured,  pending, or proposed but not-yet-submitted.

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Fiscal Year Begins (month/date): ______________

INCOME AnticipatedCommittedTotalGovernment GrantsFoundations

* Corporations*  Religious Institutions*United Way/other campaigns Individual ContributionsFundraising Events/Products*Membership Income In-kind supportOther*  Total Organizational Income TotalSalaries and Wages (indicate each position & if full- or part-time)Fringe Benefits & Payroll Taxes Contract Services/Professional Fees*Rent & UtilitiesEquipment SuppliesStaff/Board DevelopmentTravel/Related Expenses Printing & CopyingTelephone/Fax/Internet ServicePostage & Delivery Indirect Costs*Other*   Total Organizational  Expenses      If you are part of an organization requesting funding for a specific project, please submit both a current year      organizational budget and a project budget.  Name of the organization:    Total amount requested from Hawai‘i People's Fund:  EXPENSES * please list or explain in a separate budget narrative  (If you already prepare  an organizational  budget that is similar to this format, please feel free to use it instead)HAWAI‘I PEOPLE'S FUNDORGANIZATIONAL  BUDGET