The Gannett Foundation Literacy Challenge Grants Program 1987-1990
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 350 382 CE 060 810 AUTHOR Sibbison, Virginia Hayes TITLE The Gannett Foundation Literacy Challenge Grants Program 1987-1990. Assessment Report. INSTITUTION Welfare Research, Inc., Albany, N.Y. SPONS AGENCY Freedom Forum, Reston, VA. PUB DATE 92 NOTE 170p. AVAILABLE FROMWelfare Research, Inc. (WRI),112 StateStreet, Albany, NY 12207 ($15.99). PUB TYPE Reports Evaluative/Feasibility (142) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC07 Pius Postage. DESCRIPTORS Adult Basic Education; *Adult Literacy; *Adult Programs; Cooperative Programs; Coordination; *Educational Innovation; Grants; Illiteracy; *Literacy Education; Nonprofit Organizations; Private Sector; Program Effectiveness; Program Evaluation; State Government; State Programs; *Statewide Planning; Success IDENTIFIERS *Gannett Foundation ABSTRACT This report describes how 20 states and Puerto Rico used $2.7 million awarded by the Gannett Foundation to buildand expand adult literacy activities in a coordinated fashion statewide. Chapter 1 presents information on development of the Literacy Challenge grants program and brief descriptions of each project, including year funded, amount of awarded funds, andsponsoring agency. Chapter 2 provides an overview of the diversity, range, and magnitude of projects' efforts. Activitiesare generally grouped under information and referral, recruitment and training,resource and system expansion, evaluations, and unique projectcomponents. Chapter 3 discusses some complex and interesting aspects ofthe initiative, with specific attention tc influencing variables: diversity of aspirations and achievementsamong the projects; real and perceived barriers; influence of unique individuals; difficulties encountered in fundraising; and issues associated with the cooperative/collaborative process. Environments within whichthe projects operated are discussed. Chapter 4groups the projects into three major categories: likely, uncertain,or unlikely survival. Chapter 5 contains recommendations to the foundationregarding grant procedures, technical assistance, and monitoring. Appendixes include a list of goals and objectives of all projects and a list of all of the projects' activities and products. An attachedproducts list presents products in alphabetical order by state. Productsare classified according to their primary function in thestate. (YLB) **************::****"..:t*************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best thatcan be made from the original document. ****************************************************************i****** The Gannett Foundation Literacy Challenge Grants Program 1987-1990 A U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office or Educational Researcnand Improvement ED CATIONAL RESOURCES "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY This document has been reproducedas rece.ed born the person or uttienattng organtiabon ;7 Minor changes have beenmade to improve reproduction quality Ponts of new or oom.onsstatedm this docu went do not necessarily represent&boat OE RI Dosttton of Policy TO THE Er .U1ATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIUN CENTER (ERIC)." BEST COPY AVAILABLE 2 The Gannett Foundation Literacy Challenge Grants Program 1987-1990 Submitted to The Freedom Forum by: Welfare Research, Inc. (WRI) 112 State Street Albany, New York 12207 Virginia Hayes Sibbison, Ph.D. Executive Director December 1991 © 1992 by WRI. All rights reserved. The Freedom Forum is the new name of the Gannett Foundation. FORLNI FRII manse SPERC4 FRAM 'own ii Prefatory Note The Freedom Forum is pleased that the Literacy Challenge, which we initiated as the Gannett Foundation, has now been fully and expertly documented and evaluated in this independent assessment report. The report clearly examines how this ambitious program was implemented, its goals, its activities, and its results. As the nation's largest media-related foundation, devoted to fostering free press, free speech, and free spirit, The Freedom Forum remains committed to the ideal of a literate, informed public as the platform for democracy. We hope that the record of the Literacy Challenge as set forth in this report will help adult literacy agencies and other organizations provide more effective services throughout the USA. 7d Charles L. Overby President and CEO The Freedom Forum The Gannett Foundation's Literacy Challenge In 1986, the Gannett Foundation, along with USA TODAY, initiated the Literacy Challenge grants program. The goals of the program were to establish lasting mechanisms for providing literacy services, to develop innovative state-level projects to permanently expand adult literacy services, and to make adult literacy services and resources permanently available in all parts of a state. Over the course of three years (1987- 1990), awards totaling nearly $2.7 million were granted to projects in 21 states. In late 1989, the Gannett Foundation contracted with Welfare Research, Inc. (WRI), a nonprofit research organization based in Albany, New York, to document the activities, impacts, and outcomes of the Literacy Challenge grant program. Three products resulted from this contract: a compilation of 21 Individual Project Reports, a state-by-state Products List, and this Assessment Report assessing the program as a whole and in detail. These publications are available from WRI, 112 State Street, Albany, NY 12207. The Freedom Forum is the new name of the Gannett Foundation. 111 Contents Prefatory Note 11 Acknowledgments Foreword vii Executive Summary xi Chapter One Development of the Gannett Foundation Literacy Challenge Grants Program 1 A. Year 1 Awards 3 B. Year 2 Awards 7 C. Bonus Awards 10 D. Summaries of Individual Project Characteristics 12 Chapter Two Significant Activities 15 A. Information and Referral 16 B. Recruitment and Training 24 C. Resource and System Expansion 33 D. Evaluations 48 E. Unique Project Components 53 Chapter Three Discussion 73 A. The Process 73 B. Influencing Variables 75 C. Operating Environments 81 Chapter Four Outcomes of the Coalitions 103 A. Coalition Survival: Likely 103 B. Coalition Survival: Uncertain 106 C. Coalition Survival: Unlikely 108 Chapter Five Recommendations 113 Contents iv Appendices Appendix A: Project Goals and Objectives 115 Appendix B. Reported Activities and Results 131 Tables Table 1: Estimated Number or Percentage of Functional Illiterates 1.2 Table 2: Challenge Grant Funds Received 13 Table 3: Sponsoring Agency 14 Table 4: Significant Activities 17 V Acknowledgments e would like to thank The Freedom Forum (formerly the Gannett Foundation) for its support of this initiative. The decision to undertake an assessment of the Literacy Challenge grants program was a thoughtful and somewhat unusual one in that the funds had already been spent. It was insightful to recognize that retrospective lessons could be learned from both the successes and the failures of the projects. Special appreciation is extended to Christy C. Bulkeley, Freedom Forum Vice President, whose commitment to adult literacy issues, and to this project in particular, has been unwavering. The dedication of her time and energy to reviewing drafts of the 21 Individual Project Reports as well as this Assessment Report was crucial to the conduct of our work. We would also like to thank the project managers and associated board members of the 21 projects who graciously extended their cooperation during our site visits and numerous telephone conversations. One of the mosc enjoyable aspects of our work was the opportunity to meet this group of dedicated, unfailingly optimistic professionals. Finally, the author wishes to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of four WRI staff members in the development and production of this report: Guy Farrell, Associate Director, who conducted eight site visits and provided comments on the projects; Rebecca McBride, Senior Writer/Editor, to whom fell the monumental task of editing all 21 Individual Project Reports as well as this report; Stephanie Richardson, Production Manager, who provided design and production assistance; and Michelle Burns, Executive Secretary. Virgini HayesSibZ" Executive Dir&tor, Welfare Research, Inc. Project Director, Gannett Foundation Literacy Challenge Project Acknowledgments vii Foreword n the summer of 1986, the Gannett Foundation (now known as The Freedom Forum) and USA TODAY challenged state literacy and government leaders to collaborate to expand literacy services in their states. The Foundation offered $1 million in grants up to $100,000 for the first year's activities. The Literacy Challenge eventually grew to nearly $2.7 million in grants and involved 20 states plus Puerto Rico. Grant support by state varied from one year to three years. This report covers what happenedand what didn't happenwith those funded projects. It also offers an analysis to help guide future collaborative efforts, not only among literacy providers, but among any human service providers working at the state level with local service delivery. Some background is in order. The Literacy Challenge grew out of a conversation in thesummer of 1986 between Charles L. Overby, then a news executive with Gannett Co., Inc., and Eugene C. Dorsey, then president ofthe Gannett Foundation. Overby, now president and CEO of The Freedom Forum, wondered aboutthe possibility of a national literacy campaign involving USA TODAY, buildingon the Foundation's 18-month-old special adult literacy project. Growth in the value of Gannett Co., Inc. stock, the Foundation's primaryasset, led Dorsey to believe the