December 10, 2018

Jane A. Sample
XYZ Foundation
0000 Any Street, Suite 123
Anytown, Any State, 00000

Dear Ms. Sample,

On behalf of the LDRS (learning, development, reflection, and service) Initiative at Cardinal
Stritch University, I am honored to present the following proposal for your consideration. The
LDRS Initiative is seeking a grant of $10,000 so that ten scholarships can be provided to
committed students during the 2019-2020 academic year as part of a larger effort to engage
upperclassmen and LDRS alumni.

The LDRS Initiative exists to support traditionally high-retention-risk students throughout their
college journey. Now that the program is in its sixth year, efforts to expand the reach and
impact of the program are beginning with this incentivized scholarship program. Through
engagement of students and alumni, LDRS can increase the number of students it impacts and
the amount and breadth of resources it provides, enabling students who might otherwise lack
the ability to succeed in college to persist to graduation and pursue their dreams, despite the
odds.

Because of your commitment to helping traditionally underserved students dare to achieve

their fullest potential, we sincerely hope that the XYZ Foundation will join us in supporting
these students through graduation and beyond by your partnership in the LDRS Initiative
scholarship program. Please do not hesitate to contact Elizabeth Machado, the LDRS Program
Coordinator, at (111) 111-1111 with any questions. Thank you for the wonderful work you
continue to do for our community, and for your consideration of this proposal. We look forward
to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

XXX
Problem Statement:
The lack of higher education support among traditionally high-retention-risk students continues
to negatively affect persistence rates between semesters and graduation rates across the
country. Students from low-income, first generation college, and minority backgrounds often
face challenges from which their peers are exempt. Although college poses difficulties for all
students, these students generally have a higher likelihood of encountering a problem
(financial, academic, or other) while lacking the support systems their peers rely on.

According to Demetriou and Schmitz-Sciborski in 2012, “Most often, individual successes and
failures in academic achievement are attributed to four casual factors: ability, effort, task
difficulty and luck.” The LDRS Initiative exists to build community among students from
traditionally high-retention-risk backgrounds and connect them to mentors and university
services that will provide the support they might otherwise lack. By providing academic and
community support to students, LDRS works to remove luck from the equation. As a result,
Cardinal Stritch University has successfully decreased the gap in persistence rates between
high-retention-risk students and their low-risk peers.

Now that LDRS is in its sixth year and the program model has reached a point of stability, its
focus is on encouraging upperclassmen participation and mentorship of underclassmen.
Additionally, LDRS will create networking opportunities between students and LDRS alumni by
fostering mentor-mentee relationships. Just as being in a community of individuals who share a
common history is beneficial to students’ success, seeing individuals from that community who
have persisted to graduation and are achieving their dreams is also important. Students who
may have doubts about their own abilities to succeed in college can draw inspiration from
those who have come before them. Building relationships with alumni will also help open the
door to networking and job opportunities beyond campus.

Additionally, while many upperclassmen still stay connected with friends and mentors from
their LDRS cohorts, they are – understandably – not as involved in the program because they
have other academic, employment, and familial commitments. However, when upperclassmen
are not present, underclassmen miss out on the opportunity to learn from them, and the
program loses the opportunity to help them persist to graduation and later engage them as
alumni. Even as upperclassmen, LDRS students will still need the support of the program when
they encounter an unexpected problem, and the program needs the support of upperclassmen
and alumni to increase its impact.

Through incentivized scholarships that encourage already-engaged students to continue their

participation in LDRS and their commitment to community service and developmental
experiences, LDRS will be able to stay more connected with upperclassmen, assist them
financially, and keep them engaged through graduation and beyond. By helping upperclassmen
continuously see the value in the LDRS Initiative, LDRS can more effectively educate students on
the importance of alumni engagement and giving to the next generation what they have
received in knowledge, mentorship, or material support.
Goals and Objectives:

Goal:

LDRS upperclassmen are engaged and recognize the value of the LDRS Initiative.

Objective:

Ten upperclassmen are fully engaged in the LDRS Initiative through the mentorship of
underclassmen and participation in specific levels of approved service and developmental
opportunities through the university during the 2019-2020 academic year.

Objective:

All LDRS upperclassmen receive education on the importance of alumni engagement and reflect
on how they can give back to the program. 50 percent of scholarship recipients are fully
engaged with the program in 2019-2020.

Goal:

LDRS alumni are engaged with the LDRS Initiative, sharing their time, talent, and treasure with
LDRS students.

Objective:

10 percent of LDRS alumni will be engaged with the program through mentorship, guest
speaking, or financial support by Fall 2020.
Methods:

Our primary goal for the LDRS Initiative in the 2019-2020 academic year will employ the
methods as outlined below. These methods have a high probability of success because they will
combine student-perceived value in and obligation towards LDRS with proven alumni
engagement techniques to encourage student involvement.

Objective:

Encourage upperclassmen engagement and increase the perceived value of the LDRS Initiative
through incentivized scholarships.

Methods:

• The scholarship program will be overseen by the LDRS Program Coordinator and the
Vice-President of Mission Integration, who currently oversee a similar scholarship.
• Ten scholarships of $1000 will be provided during the 2019-2020 academic year to
upperclassmen who demonstrate a commitment to the LDRS Initiative and their future
through a GPA of 2.5 or higher, attendance at 50 percent of LDRS meetings, 5 hours of
peer mentorship to underclassmen, 15 hours of approved service activities per
semester, and participation in an internship program.
o $500 of each $1000 scholarship will be dispersed at the beginning of the fall
semester, upperclassmen engagement will be recorded throughout the
semester, and the remaining $500 will be distributed prior to the spring
semester if all requirements were met during fall.
• Applicants will submit a 400-500-word reflection on how they believe the LDRS Initiative
has benefited them, how they could envision themselves giving back to the program as
alumni, and why it is important to help the next generation of students access this
program.

Objective:

Educate current upperclassmen on the importance of being engaged alumni.

• The LDRS Program Coordinator and the University’s Vice-President of Mission

Integration will work closely with the Manager of Alumni Engagement to construct a
curriculum to educate students on alumni engagement.
• Students will be encouraged to reflect on how the LDRS Initiative has impacted them
and how they might give back in the future through gifts of time, talent, and treasure.
• Education efforts will begin in Spring 2019 and will continue each semester to remind
upperclassmen about the various ways to give back, including mentoring
underclassmen.
Objective:

Achieve an alumni engagement rate of 10 percent by Fall 2020, to increase the impact and
long-term sustainability of the LDRS Initiative.

• Efforts to engage alumni from the graduating classes of 2017 and 2018 will begin.
o 2 alumni will be invited to speak at LDRS meetings each year.
o Alumni will be invited to purchase tickets for the annual LDRS gala in spring to
promote engagement and support.
• Education of alumni on the importance of giving back and the impact of small gifts will
begin during the 2018-2019 school year.
• A minimum of two alumni from previous LDRS cohorts will come to campus each
semester to speak to current students, beginning in Spring 2019.
• Excerpts from scholarship applicants’ essays on the impact of the program will be used
to remind alumni of the program’s transformational effect on students.
Evaluation Component:

Evaluation of LDRS upperclassmen and alumni engagement before and after the scholarship
and alumni engagement program implementation will provide opportunities to measure the
effectiveness of the incentivized scholarships in increasing engagement. The LDRS Program
Coordinator and the Vice President for Mission Integration will work with LDRS faculty and staff
members to track upperclassmen and alumni engagement. Using the evaluation table tool,
engagement activities of samples from the following populations will be recorded: non-
scholarship-recipient upperclassmen in Spring 2019 (baseline); non-scholarship-recipient
upperclassmen in 2019-2020; scholarship-recipient upperclassmen; non-scholarship-recipient
alumni in Spring 2019 (baseline); non-scholarship-recipient alumni in 2019-2020; and
scholarship-recipient alumni in fall of 2020.

The measurements of engagement taken will be used to determine what the levels of
engagement are among the populations of interest and whether the incentivized scholarships
have an effect (positive or negative) on the levels of engagement. Baseline measurements will
be taken in Spring 2019. Follow-up measurements will be taken at multiple points throughout
the 2019-2020 academic year to determine levels of engagement and to ascertain whether
scholarship-recipient upperclassmen are fulfilling the requirements of their scholarships.

The success of the scholarship program will be defined by rates of upperclassmen and alumni
engagement. If 50 percent of all scholarship-recipient upperclassmen are fully engaged with the
program throughout both semesters and 10 percent of these upperclassmen return as engaged
alumni, the program will be considered a success and should continue.
 Objective 1: Upperclassmen Engagement (10 scholarship recipients and 10 non-recipients
would be recorded)
Upper- Attend Complete 15 Complete an Write a Expected % of Actual % of Objective
classmen 50% of hours of internship reflection on participation: participation: met?
LDRS approved during junior alumni 100%
weekly service and 5 or senior engagement
meetings hours of LDRS year
mentorship
per semester
Recipient
#1
Recipient
#2
Non-
recipient
#1
10 Non-
recipient
#2

Objective 2: Alumni Engagement (scholarship recipients and 10 non-recipients would be

recorded)
Alumni Spend 3 hours Speak at 1 Donate $50 Expected % of Actual % of Objective
mentoring/engaging with LDRS to the LDRS participation participation met?
LDRS students each meeting scholarship 100%
academic year fund
Recipient
#1
Recipient
#2
Non-
recipient
#1
Non-
recipient
#2
Sustainability Component:
After being grant-funded at its formation through the Great Lakes Higher Education
Corporation, the LDRS Initiative is now a self-sufficient program funded through Cardinal Stritch
University. All operating costs – including staff salaries, program expenses, textbook incentives,
service projects, and promotional materials – are paid for by the university, since they are
clearly vital to the success and mission of the LDRS Initiative. Since the scholarship program is
currently in its initial stages, its success and value to the program have yet to be proven. Once it
is in place and the results can be measured, university leadership can determine if the
university should continue the scholarship program and whether they will assist in the funding
of these scholarships.
Regardless of whether the university assists with scholarship funding, one of the goals of this
proposal is to increase alumni engagement through financial giving. If the university decides to
continue the scholarship program in its present form after 2020, connections will be in place to
obtain financial support from LDRS alumni and Stritch donors. LDRS alumni will be reached
through alumni engagement methods beginning in Spring 2019, and Stritch donors will learn
about the LDRS Initiative through the stronger ties the program will form with the Stritch
community beginning in Fall 2019. The LDRS Initiative will also be more connected to and
known by the Milwaukee community, enabling community members whose mission and vision
align with the LDRS Initiative to support this program in its efforts to transform students’ lives.
If the university should decide to discontinue the scholarship program in its present form after
2020, the aforementioned connections will be in place to obtain financial support which can be
used to assist students and expand the program in other ways, and students will still have
benefited from the scholarship program during the 2019-2020 academic year. Additionally,
strong ties will have been formed between the LDRS Initiative and the 10 scholarship recipients,
providing the program with students (and later, alumni) who will have a high likelihood of
engaging with the LDRS Initiative to support the program and its future needs.
LDRS 2018-2019 Budget
Direct Expenses BUDGET
Textbooks Incentives $xxxxx

Social and Cultural Programming $xxxx

Food and Snacks $xxxxx

Student Success Sessions $xxxxx
Speaker Series $xxxx
Faculty/Staff Coaching meals $xxx

Service Projects $xxxx

Fall service Project $xxx
Mid-year project $xxx
Spring immersion $xxxx

Orientations and Retreats $xxxxx

Activities and Materials $xxxx
Transportation $xxxx
Ropes course fees $xxxx
Accommodations (early move-in) $xxxx
Accommodations (mid-year retreat) $xxxx
Food (mid-year retreat) $xxx
Accommodations (end of year retreat) $xxxx
Food (end of the year retreat) $xxx

Program Promotional Materials and Supplies $xxxx

t-shirts and hoodies $xxxx
flash drives $xxx
college success guides $xxxx

Administrative Program Supplies and Materials $xxxx

TOTAL $ xxxxx.00

Proposed Scholarship Program $10,000

Incentivized upperclassmen scholarship $10,000
(10 x $1000 [distributed during 2019-2020 academic year])
PROPOSED TOTAL $xxxxx.00
Background Information:
Currently in its sixth year, the LDRS (leadership, development, service, and reflection) Initiative
at Cardinal Stritch University, a 501(c)3 organization, exists to help students navigate the
college process. The LDRS Initiative was created in 2012 with a grant from the Great Lakes
Higher Education Corporation. The first cohort of students formed in Fall 2013. Because the
program was so impactful, Cardinal Stritch University was one of five universities invited to
apply for a grant renewal, allowing the LDRS Initiative to continue and expand in 2014. The
program is now funded through the university.
To be accepted into LDRS, incoming freshmen must meet at least one of three criteria: first
generation college student, Pell Grant eligible, or self-identified minority. Students from these
backgrounds are traditionally considered to be a higher retention risk for universities due to a
lack of resources or support, but Cardinal Stritch University believes that students can thrive
and succeed when connected to peers who share a similar journey and mentors who are
committed to developing intentional relationships. The LDRS Initiative is committed to helping
traditionally high-retention-risk students persist to graduation.
Each fall, LDRS accepts approximately 30 students into the program, forming a unique cohort.
These students apply to the program when they apply to Cardinal Stritch University, and many
learn about the program through their admissions counselors, tour guides, or high school
counselors. After the students are accepted into the program they receive priority housing
status for fall move-in and attend an early orientation session designed to help them and their
families navigate the college process.
LDRS freshmen are enrolled in one core class with their cohort for each of their first two
semesters. These classes are taught by faculty who are closely connected with the LDRS
Initiative to further build support systems and community. Throughout their freshman and
sophomore years, students are expected to attend at least 80% of the weekly, one-hour
meetings the LDRS community holds. These meetings connect students to one another through
fellowship and to various university services through presentations by representatives from
academic support, financial aid, career development, health and wellness, and others. LDRS
students further connect with each other through their annual spring retreat, and they connect
with the larger Cardinal Stritch University community to serve the Milwaukee community by
volunteering.
Underclassmen who maintain a grade point average of 2.5 and meet the requirements of
attending 80% of the weekly meetings, the annual retreat, and service are eligible to receive
book vouchers to help pay for their textbooks. Upperclassmen who have met the same
requirements may receive any book voucher funds that remain after the eligible underclassmen
have received their funds. Additionally, the Imagine Action private scholarship fund offers two
merit-based scholarships to LDRS sophomores each year. At present, no other financial
assistance is available to LDRS students through the program.
Underclassmen – particularly freshmen – stay engaged with the program, and upperclassmen
participate as they can. The relationships built between students their first two years continue
to be nurtured, allowing students the opportunity to receive guidance and support throughout
their entire college journey. Although students who have completed multiple semesters of
college are less at-risk of dropping out than they were previously, the three criteria that
allowed them to enter the LDRS program offer an element of instability that remains with
them. Something unexpected and out of their control could occur at any time to threaten their
ability to persist through each semester. LDRS offers a measure of support and stability to help
students achieve their ultimate goal of graduation and navigate every obstacle that exists
between their present situation and that goal.
Proposal Summary:
The LDRS (leadership, development, reflection, and service) Initiative is a 501(c)3 organization
that has been helping cohorts of traditionally high-retention-risk students persist to graduation
at Cardinal Stritch University. Its mission is to ensure that all LDRS students have the resources
and support they need to navigate the college process every step of the way.

The LDRS Initiative was created in 2012 with a grant from the Great Lakes Higher Education
Corporation with the first cohort forming in 2013. Because the program was so impactful,
Cardinal Stritch University was one of five universities invited to apply for a grant renewal,
allowing the LDRS Initiative to continue and expand in 2014. By using university-recognized best
practices to retain and support students, the LDRS Initiative has already made an immense
impact on the Cardinal Stritch University community, and it has the potential to do more but
lacks the necessary resources, including upperclassmen and alumni support.

The proposed project is an incentivized scholarship program which will begin in Fall 2019. Ten
upperclassmen who are fully engaged with the LDRS Initiative will receive scholarships of $1000
each over the course of the 2019-2020 academic year. Additionally, the LDRS Initiative will
expand its reach by connecting with LDRS alumni to create mentorship and program support
opportunities, along with instructing current students on the importance of alumni
engagement. Through student and alumni engagement, the program can expand its reach and
increase the amount, quality, and breadth of resources it provides to students.

This scholarship program is one of several possible methods that could be used to increase the
reach of the LDRS Initiative. Therefore, the effectiveness of this program will be evaluated at
the end of the [grant time] [funding] period to determine whether it has been succesful and
should be continued. Throughout the course of the program, ten upperclassmen will be fully
engaged in the LDRS Initiative, two LDRS alumni will come to campus and speak to current
students, and all LDRS upperclassmen and alumni will receive information on the importance of
alumni engagement. Evaluation methods to guage program success are included in the grant
proposal.

This project will cost $10,000 over the course of the 2019-2020 academic year, increasing the
total LDRS program budget from $xxxxx for the 2018-2019 academic year to approximately
$xxxxx for the 2019-2020 academic year. The LDRS budget of $xxxxx is funded by Cardinal
Stritch University, but $10,000 for the scholarships remains to be raised. If the program is
effective, financial support from alumni will be used to help fund the scholarships in the future
so that more students can be supported by the LDRS Initiative in their pursuit of higher
education.