Hermanowski Family Foundation Initial Request Form

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Organization Name: Girls Inc. of Greater Houston
Legal Name (if Different):
Also Known As:
Mailing Address: 2190 North Loop West, Ste. 105
City: Houston
State: TX
Postal Code: 77081
Main Phone: 713-802-2260
Main Fax:
Organization Website: www.girlsinc-houston.org
Employer ID Number: 76-0483812
Organization Tax Status: 501(c)(3)

Proposal Information

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Today’s Date: 3/8/2024
Requested Amount: $5,000

Project Title: Project Literacy
Project Description:

At Girls Inc. of Greater Houston (GIGH), our mission is to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. We serve girls ages 6-18 from underserved, marginalized communities, where we strive to develop girls’ capacity to be self-sufficient, responsible members of their communities, and help them overcome the effects of discrimination. GIGH requests support to help underwrite the Project Literacy program for 2024. Our $5,000 grant request represents 10% of the 2024 Reading Literacy budget of $51,330 aiming to impact a minimum of 200 girls in grades 1–3.

By the third grade, reading at grade level becomes a critical benchmark of a child’s development. However, a longitudinal study of nearly 4,000 students found that 1 in 4 students (23%) with “below-basic” reading skills in third grade had not graduated high school by age 19. Poverty compounds the problem, with students who have lived in poverty being three times more likely to drop out or fail to graduate on time than their more affluent peers. Our trained GIGH facilitators tackle these challenges head-on through Project Literacy programs that focus on the Five Building Blocks of Literacy: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency, and Comprehension. Additionally, they emphasize the Experiential Learning Cycle, enabling participants to draw their own conclusions, examine their attitudes, get excited about new ideas, see skills in action, learn from other participants, and practice new ways of behaving.

Project Literacy assists girls who have fallen behind grade level in their reading skills, bringing them up to grade level reading in time for them to keep up with the reading coursework expected of students entering fourth grade. Given the uphill battle educators face in increasing literacy and raising basic reading skills for all students, Project Literacy is taught by grade level in elementary schools in Houston’s most underserved communities.

Total Project Budget: $51,330

Other Funding
Sources For The Project (Committed & Potential): Committed: Albert and Ethel Herzstein Foundation – $5,000, United Way – $22,500, Phillips 66 – $15,000; Potential: Literacy Opportunity Fund – $6,000, Hermanowski Family Foundation – $5,000

Project Duration: Year-Round
Geographical Area Served: Greater Houston Area
Age Group To Be Served: underserved youth, aged 6-18

Contact Information

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Contact Prefix (Mr,Mrs etc.): Mrs.
Contact First Name: Treopia
Contact Last Name: Cannon
Contact Title: CEO
Contact Phone: 7138022260
Contact Email: treopia@girlsinc-houston.org