PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The Home Depot wants to give our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities what they have given to so many. A strong foundation. Renewed purpose. Distinctive character. The grant portion of the Retool Your School program provides schools with a chance to upgrade their campuses with support from The Home Depot.
A total of eleven (11) campus improvement grants will be dispersed. There will be one (1) “Major” grant and ten (10) “Minor” grants. “Major” and “Minor” grants are designated by the level of funding and scope of the project. All HBCU-designated schools are invited to apply. The eleven grants will be awarded based on a ratio of consumer voting and advisory board panel selection. The application with the highest score will be awarded with the “Major” campus improvement grant ($50,000 level funding); ten (10) subsequent applications will be awarded with “Minor” campus improvement grants ($10,000 level funding).
RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL 2011 Toolkit
- Who May Apply:
Only eligible Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs); (specifically) institutions designated by the Secretary of Education as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are eligible to submit their application to the RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL program.
Section 322(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), defines an HBCU as “… any historically black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of Black Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association determined by the Secretary to be a reliable authority as to the quality of training offered or is, according to such an agency or association, making reasonable progress toward accreditation….”
Institutions holding 501(c) (3) designation
GRANT REQUIREMENTS
Retool Your School campus improvement grants are only open to institutions that are designated (by the U.S. Department of Education) as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). See Eligibility requirements. Grants must be used to make lasting positive transformations that are noticeable. Submissions will be judged on this aspect. Therefore, no more than 10% of the total dollars (funding) can be allocated toward facility improvements (e.g., plumbing, HVAC, water heaters, etc.). In order for applications to be considered complete, they must include one submission each for both the “Major” and “Minor” campus improvement grants.
Sample “Major” projects include: This size budget could allow for the use of contractors or skilled professionals. This might include:
Replacing kitchen appliances, light fixtures, windows
Refurbishment of bathrooms to include plumbing and electrical work*
Painting of exterior walls
Replacement of roof or HVAC systems**
Professional grading of fields
Carpet installation
*Plumbing and electrical work should not exceed 10% of total budget.
**HVAC systems should not exceed 10% of total budget.
- Grantee Requirements
The RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL program requires that all grantees read and agree to the Program Rules (See Rules).
Campus Improvement Grant Cycle
LETTER OF INTENT (LOI) DEADLINE MAJOR & MINOR PROJECT (2) SHORT DESCRIPTIONS DEADLINE MAJOR & MINOR PROJECT (2) FULL PROPOSAL DEADLINE AWARD NOTIFICATION
DEADLINES FEBRUARY 21, 2011 MARCH 28, 2011 MAY 16, 2011
Please visit the Retool Your School website regularly for the latest information regarding grant cycle deadlines. The program will consider only one submission from the same institution per calendar year.
All grant decisions are final, since grantees are determined by highest score, staff is not allowed to discuss or respond to declination inquiries.
The Retool Your School program does not make grants to support any of the following:
Capital improvements (over $50,000)
Organizations that are not 501(c) (3) or HBCU designees
HOW TO APPLY
- Step One:
Review Program Overview and Grant Requirements To maximize the impact of the campus improvement grant resources, The Home Depot RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL program only funds institutions that meet the eligibility requirements, which can be found in the Eligibility section. Please read and review the Program Overview and the Grant Requirements sections in their entirety before you begin the application process.
If you do not meet any of the established grant criteria as outlined in the Requirements section, please do not initiate the application process.
- Step Two:
Review Program RulesReview the RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL program rules. See Rules section.
- Step Three:
Frequently Asked Questions Review the program’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) before beginning the application process. Contact the RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL program staff only if you have any unanswered questions.
- Step Four:
Complete Step 1 of the RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL Grant Application – Registration and Letter of Intent (LOI) In order to access the grant application, an applicant must first complete the online registration process. To register your institution, visit www. retoolyourschool.com and click on “Apply for the Grants.” All applicants must download and complete the application to register their campus for the program as well as confirm their intention to submit project proposals. The (LOI) statement provides confirmation of program participation and seeks a brief description of the “Major” and “Minor” projects for which you are seeking funding. Complete and submit your Registration and LOI online by February 21, 2011. The purpose of the LOI is to provide confirmation to the RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL program staff that your institution plans to submit detailed proposals for both RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL “Major” and “Minor” campus improvement grants by March 28, 2011. Those institutions that do not register and submit an LOI statement by the deadline will not be allowed to apply for the campus improvement grants. Applicants who’ve submitted the required Registration and Letter of Intent confirmation by the deadline will receive an email with information on how to access the proposal submission form for the next round of the application process –Step 2: Submitting “Major” and “Minor” Project Proposals. If you haven’t received an email on Step 2 within 10 business days from the date of registration, please contact the Retool Your School staff via email at staff@retoolyourschool.com. Information received after the deadline will be immediately declined without review.
- Step Five
Complete Step 2 of the RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL Application Process – Submitting “Major” and “Minor” Project Proposals Once your preliminary application (Step 1) is received, you will be instructed to submit a full project proposal online for both a “Major” and “Minor” project grant. Those who completed Step 1 by the requested deadline will receive information via email from the program staff about how to access the online submission form for the next round of the application process – Step 2: Submitting “Major” and “Minor” Project Proposals. Proposals must be submitted online by the full proposal deadline. Only proposals completed and submitted by the deadline with full project descriptions for both the “Major” and “Minor” grants will be reviewed. Detailed written description of a proposed campus improvement project should include (but is not limited to) the following: “Major” Grant (see Grant Requirements for sample “Major” project ideas)
An explanation of how and why the Major project will transform and benefit your HBCU campus
A detailed plan as to how the Major project will be implemented
A budget for the project that includes materials and labor
“Minor” Grant (see Grant Requirements for sample “Minor” project ideas)
An explanation of how and why the Minor project will transform and benefit your HBCU campus
A detailed plan as to how the Minor project will be implemented
A budget for the project that includes materials only
A detailed outline of project’s labor needs For a complete list of Proposal Requirements, see Rules.
“Before” or other images deemed necessary to complete proposals may be submitted via email during this stage of the application process. Limit four.
- Step Six: Review Process
All institutions that submit their Registration and LOIs by the deadline will be entered into the online consumer voting pool. On or about March 1, 2011, consumers will be encouraged to visit the RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL website to review the list of participating schools and submit a vote for their favorite HBCU. Online voting will take place on or about March 1, 2011 through April 22, 2011.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How many times may I apply for a grant?
The RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL program will consider only one proposal for each category (“Major” and “Minor” projects) from the same organization in a calendar year. What are the requirements to apply for a campus improvement grant? Institutions that wish to apply must register via the RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL program Website (www. www.retoolyourschool.com) and click on “Apply for the Grants,” then meet all application deadlines.
Can we promote our school’s involvement with this program?
Yes, however all such promotional and advertising materials must be approved in writing in advance by The Home Depot. No applicants or representatives can take part (or agree to take part) in any media interviews or events, or issue any press releases or other announcements regarding participation in the program without the prior consent of The Home Depot.
I’ve read through all the materials but I still have a question – how can I contact someone from the RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL staff?
Submit your questions to: staff@retoolyourschool.com. A RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL staff member will respond within 48 hours.
What is the focus of your HBCU campus improvement program?
The Home Depot wants to give our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities what they have given to so many. A strong foundation. Renewed purpose. Distinctive character. The RETOOL YOURSCHOOL program is a chance for schools to upgrade their campuses with grants from The Home Depot.
What type of organizations / institutions does the Retool Your School Program support?
Only eligible institutions (Institutions of Higher Education [IHEs]) designated by the Secretary of Education as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are eligible to submit an application to the RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL program.
Does the RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL program accept unsolicited grant requests?
No.
What is the deadline for submitting applications?
The RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL program makes grant decisions once a year. Grants for 2011 will be considered according to the following schedule:
2/21/2011 – Registration and Letter of Intent (LOI) Deadline
3/28/2011 – “Major” & “Minor” Projects (2) Proposal Submission Deadline
5/16/2011 – Award Notification
RULES
MISCELLANEOUS CONDITIONS: By participating in the Program, Respondents hereby agree that all information submitted will be subject to Sponsor’s Privacy Policy. [www.homedepot.com/privacy] By applying to the Program, we may collect your name, address, phone number and e-mail address. We use this information to administer your participation in the Program. At the time you apply to the Program, we may ask your permission to send you future marketing information from Home Depot. We want to assure you that Home Depot is dedicated to protecting your privacy. You can contact us or otherwise communicate your privacy concerns by:
calling us at 1-800-553-3199
faxing us at 1-877-496-9470
e-mailing us at customercare@homedepot.com
accessing your registration information on our Sites
registering or changing your privacy preferences at www.homedepot.com/privacypreferences
writing us at the address below (please include your e-mail address and phone number with your correspondence along with the information needed to support your request):
Residents of the United States, Mexico and other countries:
The Home Depot, Inc.
Attention: Privacy Official
Customer Care
2455 Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta, GA 30339-4024
SEVERABILITY: If any provision(s) of this Call for Proposals are held to be invalid or unenforceable, all remaining provisions hereof will remain in full force and effect.
GRANTEES LIST: To obtain a list of Grantees, send an email to staff@retoolyourschool.com after August 15, 2011, available for 60 days.
SPONSOR: The Sponsor of this Program is Home Depot U.S.A., Inc. with an address of 2455 Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA 30339.
