Final Grant Proposal

I.
Introduction
Loras College has been in the business of educating students since 1839. With the introduction of
the Loras All- Sports Camp in 1982, the Dubuque community saw an opportunity to give young
children a chance to be involved in a weeklong sports themed summer activity. The positive
response to the camps has allowed that program to grow into what it is today, serving more than
2400 young campers over the 4 weeks.
It is with this knowledge and experience that we intend to broaden our scope and include non-
sport options for Dubuque area families. Duhawk University, also known as Du-U, will offer a
full day of educational activities over the course of a week to children aged 6-14. The focus will
be to provide insight and hands-on experience related to careers and hobbies that could shape a
child’s path to adulthood.
Following the All-sport model, we are confident in our ability to provide the space and the staff,
including having first aid and medical services on site. Where we fall short in this first year is
providing supplies and snacks to campers, while keeping the costs effective across many
socioeconomic levels.
II. Need Statement

In Dubuque County, during the summer months when children are not in school, there exists a
need for safe and educational activities, particularly in the 6-14 age group. If we look at the
availability of camp activities in our area, I recognize several problems that Du-U hopes to
address. Many camps, including Loras’ own All Sport Camp, are sport specific. In that way,
many kids are excluded.
Additionally, several camps present transportation challenges for families in that they take place
over just a couple of hours each day. Working parents struggle with the to and from aspects of
this model, which is also exclusionary.
Post Covid, summer camp activities in our area have been slow to return, which has left a void of
available services. Finally, many camps are cost prohibitive to a lot of families in our area.
The implementation of Duhawk University would offer a solution to all points by offering
educational non-sport activities over the course of an entire day. Parents would presumably be
able to drop kids off before work and pick them up afterward, eliminating the need to incorporate
additional childcare or transportation.
III. Organizational Background

Loras College is an Educational Non-Profit 501(c)(3) and has a rich history of education that
dates back to 1839. More about the history of the institution, as well as summer camp offerings,
can be found on the college’s website, https://www.Loras.edu.
IV. Program Description
Program Goal
Du-U will provide safe and educational summer camp activities to children aged 6-14 in the
Dubuque area.
Program Objective
Four individual full-day camp offerings will be planned in the first year for a maximum of 50
campers, aged 6-14, each week. Subsequent years will provide us with an opportunity to evaluate
our success and increase the number of campers we can accommodate. The 4 camps will occur
over four subsequent weeks Monday through Friday, with the first week scheduled on July 10th.
Strategies/Methods
Loras All-Sports Camp provides us with a successful working model. By following their
example, we are confident in our ability to accomplish the following tasks:
 Secure space for all camp activities. (May 2023)
o The camp director will coordinate with Loras College facilities manager to secure
safe and appropriate indoor and outdoor areas.
 Hire camp staff and first aid personnel. (May 2023)
o The camp director will coordinate the hiring process for camp counselors, health
services, and camp success leaders.
o Loras All-Sport camp Directors have provided state mandated procedures and
guidelines to ensure that all staff are compliant.
 Market this new camp opportunity. (May 2023)
o Associate Camp director will oversee the marketing of camp, including the
distribution of:
 Print materials
 Social media
 Radio/television
 Organize nutritional requirements and daily menus. (May 2023 – August)
o Camp directors and staff will plan for, secure, and organize camp food items.
 Track dietary restrictions/needs.
 Purchase and organize snacks and beverages each week.
 Organize materials for camp activities. (May 2023-August)
o Purchase and/or print educational materials for the camp activities.
 Manage application process and enrollment. (May 2023)
o Manage camp fees.
o Track physical/mental health needs when necessary.
Much like the very successful Loras College All Sport camps, DuHawk University would
provide a safe camp alternative that focuses on educational activities. Logistical planning would
be mirrored after the already in place sport camps. 3 age groups will be established: 6-8, 9-11,
12-14, allowing camp advisors to choose age-appropriate discussions and activities. Students
will be asked to bring lunch, but snacks will be provided throughout the day. Each of the 4
sessions will last one week. Parents can drop children as early as 7:30 and should retrieve them
by 5:15. In this first year we hope to enroll 50 participants per week.
V. Budget Narrative
Duhawk University hopes to implement and grow a successful camp for children ages 6-14. In
this first year it will be important to track actual costs against budgeted costs, to better manage
future growth. Additionally, growth of the program will encourage broader collaborative efforts,
in that we will be able to market our success to attract new fundraising interests.
In this first year, we intend for our budget to be almost entirely funded by camper fees, while
also preventing a financially exclusive experience to Dubuque area families. Additional
donations from previous community donors are expected to add a nominal amount, leaving a
deficit of approximately $2,000.
VI. Sustainability
As I have stated, Loras College All-Sports camp gives Du-U a successful template upon which
we hope to build our program. In this first year, we rely heavily on camp fees to fund the budget,
while also working to keep the activity cost-effective for families. In the future, based on
feedback, we look to partner with community agencies for increased donations. Additionally, we
will seek to fundraise in other ways, allowing us to offer scholarships and/or fill any budgetary
gaps.
VII. Evaluation
The success of DuHawk University (Du-U) will be evaluated primarily by camper and parent
feedback. Questionnaires will be given either on paper or via an online platform. Additionally,
staff will be asked to evaluate themselves and the program after each session, which will allow
an opportunity to make small amendments in the next week if necessary.
Parents will be polled both before and after camp, in our efforts to compare parental expectations
with parent and camper satisfaction. Pre-camp questions will include the topics of activity or
dietary restrictions, food insecurity, housing insecurity, technology avaialbitlity in the home, and
primary language. Post-camp, we will be interested to know how satisfied parents were with
communication, safety, their child’s level of enjoyment and gather anysuggestions for
improvement.
In this first year it will be important to know whether our activities and fees prove inclusive
across cultural, socio-economical, and ability levels. The enrollment information will provide
some information about those needs, but post-camp feedback will give us the best informational
tools to go forward. Finally, repeat attendance would be an excellent future marker of success.
In conclusion, I will remind you that Loras College’s commitment to offering children a safe
summer activity began in 1982, in collaboration with and following the vision of Bob and Judy
Tucker. Over the years, Loras All-Sports Camp has grown to enroll 2400 campers each year and
remains one of the premier sport camps in the country. On the heels of the All-Sport Camp
success, it easily follows that the addition of a non-sport option for children will be an easy
transition.
Your help with this endeavor will ensure that we can keep camper costs lower than average in
our area, making it affordable for more families. In this manner, we can assure future growth and
success in the years to come. We appreciate your time and consideration.

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I.

II. Need Statement

III. Organizational Background

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