Overview of Eva Leah Gunther Fellowship

This grant award is for individual educational activities that integrate physical, intellectual, social, emotional and spiritual development. The foundation will distribute awards, through appropriate, qualifying non-profit agencies to deserving girls age 12 – 18 (or eligible to attend grades six through twelve) to enable them to engage in extracurricular activities such as athletics, creative arts, and self-development. The maximum award in this category is $2,000.

Guidelines, Criteria, and Procedures for Nominations

Guidelines for Adults to Nominate Individual Girls

Grants will be awarded to an institution in whose program the candidate is participating or which has agreed to sponsor the individual and monitor the expenditure of grant funds. In order to be considered for an award, individual girls must be:

1. Nominated by an adult advisor, teacher or mentor who knows the candidate well and is not a parent or other relative, and
2. Seconded by a staff member of the institution who will be sponsoring and monitoring the use of the grant funds.
3. Girls may not nominate themselves; the first communication expected from the candidate is the acceptance letter described below.

Nomination letters should be in form of a standard business letter, not to exceed two pages in length. Letters should address the listed criteria and include examples of qualities such as motivation, engagement, enthusiasm, talent, accomplishments, and focus, including specific examples of how these characteristics are manifested in the real world. Letters also should provide information specifying the program the nominee wants to participate in, the amount requested, how the request relates to longer term goals and a brief explanation of the support system in place to help insure success for the nominee. Please review the details listed below.

Seconding Letters can be short, but need to affirm that

1. the ultimate recipient of the funds is a 501(c)3,
2. the candidate has been admitted to the program in question, and
3. the funds provided will be spent for the purpose outlined in the nomination letter.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. Expect a wait time of approximately 2-3 weeks for us to notify you with a decision via air mail. We suggest nominations be sent at least 2 months before the start of the individual’s proposed activity.

Criteria Girls Must Satisfy to be Nominated

• Residence in the San Francisco Bay Area;
• Demonstrated financial need;
• Demonstrated potential and achievement in intellectual, personal or physical areas such as artistic/creative, physical/athletic, academic/intellectual, interpersonal/emotional, social/community, spiritual;
• Exhibiting personal qualities of strength, perseverance, kindness, consideration, responsibility, justice, respect for others, and commitment;
• Adequate home support or alternate support system;
• A clear desire to achieve in her area of interest;
• The ability to work on her goals;
• A history of good recommendations in previous activities;
• A strong desire to receive an excellent education.

What is Included in the Nomination Letter

Included in the letter should be the following certifications:

• The candidate’s age and place of residence;
• A statement regarding financial need;
• That the recipient faithfully will attend the program in which she participates;
• That her performance will be satisfactory according to the standards of the program;
• That the Foundation is permitted to solicit information regarding the student’s participation.

What Girls Need to Do Once They Have Been Accepted

The Foundation will expect two communications from the successful nominee:

• Prior to a check being issued, a letter of acceptance should be sent communicating something about herself and what she hopes to accomplish with the funded activity. This letter does not need to be longer than 1 page, double-spaced, with 12 point font. She can answer questions such as the following:
  • What activity do you want to explore?
  • Why are you interested in this program?
  • What do you think you’ll gain from the experience?
• A final report, in the form of a letter, must be written within ninety days of completion of the activity for which the award was used describing how things are going and what her plans are for the future. This letter can be 2-4 pages, double-spaced, with 12 point font. She can answer questions such as the following or just give us a general sense of what she gained from the experience and how she thinks it will impact her future:
  • What did you get out of this experience?
  • Did it help you in any way?
  • Has it changed what you think you would like to do in the future?

Document Checklist

Grant Application Checklist:

• Nomination Letter
• Seconding Letter
• Name of Sponsoring Organization and contact person
• Evidence of Sponsoring Organization’s tax exempt status

Upon Award of Grant:

• Acceptance letter from recipient

Upon Completion of Program:

• Final letter from recipient