Ray Solem Foundation

Competition for Grants to Help Immigrants
Learn English in Innovative Ways

The Ray Solem Foundation was created to carry out the directions stated by Richard Ray Solem (known to family and friends as Ray) before his death on January 4, 2006. He wrote "I have always been driven by an internal sense of purpose - a belief that service to mankind should take precedence over personal comfort, status or accumulation of assets." Ray wanted the bulk of his estate to go - through his charitable foundation - to find creative ways to help poor immigrants advance within the United States of America and become productive citizens. An entrepreneur in his own right, he took a personal interest in the challenges faced by immigrants in the workplace. Moreover, he excelled in thinking 'outside the box' and strived to find unusual and effective methods that overcame obstacles to achieving goals. The Ray Solem Foundation is offering one-time grants of up to $10,000 to non-profit organizations that have found creative ways to help immigrants in the United States further their verbal English language skills - listening comprehension and oral communications. A grant is to be used to continue ongoing work performed by the organization; there are no restrictions on its use. Applications are due by July 31, 2007.

Grants will be awarded based on the following criteria:

1. The degree of creativity, imaginativeness, innovation and success shown in the approach to learning verbal English as described in the application as judged by the foundation's grant awarding panel. The approach must be one that has been in place for at least a year.
2. The percentage of the organization's expenses that are overhead, as shown on Internal Revenue Service form 990 and associated audited financial statement, as submitted to the Combined Federal Campaign.
3. All organizations with any personal connection to Ray Solem's family or the Ray Solem Foundation are ineligible for consideration.

The application must consist of:

1. A description, not exceeding five pages, of the organization's approach to learning verbal English and what has made it successful. Performance metrics are encouraged. Descriptions must be single or doublespaced on 8"x11" paper using Times New Roman in 12 point font. Longer descriptions will be automatically disqualified; each side of a two-sided description counts as a page.
2. A copy of the organization's most recent income tax return filed with the Internal Revenue Service.
3. A copy of audited financial statement and form 990.
4. Optionally, general descriptive material about the organization (does not count toward the five page limit) or the address of its web site.

All applications must be received in the post office box by July 31, 2007 or in the email box by midnight July 31, 2007. If an application is partially emailed and partially mailed, both parts must be received by the deadline or they will be disqualified. The decision of the judges is final.