Hello all,

My name is Kristen Vosberg, I looked over your grant proposal work this month. I
appreciate the trust you have put in me during this process, I paid close attention to your
work and offered you feedback in the following areas: LIST HERE

Expanding your ideas: There were some ideas that I thought could use additional
clarifying words or sentences. I made suggestions regarding what details to include and
communicated what questions I still had about your ideas as a reader. Given your word
count limitations, I included suggestions for straightforward answers to these questions
at a maximum of one sentence. Additionally, we can talk in-person about weatherwhether
or not you think expansion is necessary in all instances; it was a bit difficult for me
gauge what your audience already knows or doesn’t know, but I look forward to talking
with you about it.
Word Choice: With the word count limitations in place, I offered suggestions about how
to communicate more of your ideas in less words. One example came with the word
“adaptive”. Instead of a sentence like “exorcize suited for those with disabilities”, a
phrase like “adaptive exercise” could communicate similar ideas in less words. Again, I
was not sure if your audience would be immediately familiar with the phrase “adaptive
exorcize”, so I left this comment as a suggestion instead of a revision. I’m looking
forward to talking to you about edits like these in our meeting, as I can garner more of a
sense for specific language used and recognized by those in your field.

Contradictions: There were at least two instances where you expressed the idea that,
regardless of whethereather or not the funding was received, KEEN had measures in
place to sustain its efforts for the fiscal year. I made comments about whether or not this
sentiment should be expressed, I thought it took away from the main idea of your work.
However, talking with you about this in our meeting will give me a better sense of the
expectations about this in your field, and weatherwhether or not your audience expects
to hear about your “back up plan”.

My in-line edits focused on sentence structure, concise language, and paragraph

organization, as the document was grammatically sound overall. I hope you find my edits
useful in your writing process, I think this document is ready for submission once
appropriate edits are made and a thorough copy-edit is performed to catch any typos or
formatting issues. Thank you for the opportunity to work on this with you, best of luck in
all that you do!
Sincerely,
Kristen Vosberg
kvosberg@depaul.edu
Amount requested: $15,000

Term (State the proposed grant period in numbers of whole months (enter "12" if a one-
year grant is requested).) 12

Project/program title Enter the name of your project/program. For operating requests
write "general operations of the organization." General Operations of the Organization

Proposed number of people to be served: 150

Brief Description of Request  (150 words) KEEN’s Mission is to empower youth with
disabilities by providing free, non-competitive one-to-one programs of exercise,
fitness and fun, led by volunteer coaches.

KEEN Chicago (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now) is requesting $15,000 from the Henrietta Lange Burke
Fund for General Operating support in 2022. Keeping the safety of our community in mind,
fFrom March 2020-June 2021, we paused our in-person programming in an effort to keep our
community safe., We were successfully in transitioning to virtual program offerings, developing
processes that are viable for the foreseeable future.  Through the remainder of 2021 and in
early 2022, we will both continue our virtual programming while gradually restoring our in-
person program.  Securing this funding from the Henrietta Lange Burke Fund will provide our
organization substantial support as we continue our reopening process with the goal of
continuing to offer virtual programs, restoring all 20 of our previously offered in-person
monthly sessions by spring 2022, and then expanding our program within high need
communities in Chicago.

Purpose (Describe the need being addressed and your organization's unique role in
meeting those needs, including anything that would distinguish your organization from
others providing similar services in the communities you serve) 300 words

KEEN’s ’s vision motion for accessible adaptive exercise directly corresponds to a need
expressed noted by the Center for Disease Control (CDC); the CDC assertedssed that
children with disabilities are 38% more likely to be obese than their counterparts.
According to an Ability Path report, 39% of youth with physical disabilities report never
exercising at all. Exercise and movement is crucial to our well-being, and, without
access to other remote services that are able to meet their needs of disabled youth,
KEEN Chicago’s programs have become more important than ever throughout the
COVID-19 pandemic.: a A space where Aathletes of all abilities can come together and
excersizeexercise as a way move in order to cope with and process the changes
happening around us.

KEEN Chicago serves Athletes with a wide range of needs and is inclusive to all
disability types.  Our participants are diagnosed with a range of disabilities including
autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, physical and/or intellectual disabilities, mental
health diagnoses, and chronic illnesses. Our participating families are representative of
other minority groups: 50% identify as Hispanic, 24% as African American, and 8% as
Asian. We serve numerous bilingual and low-income families and our programs are
always free for all of our Athletes so that there are no economic barriers to
participation. 

Perhaps wWhat is most unique about our programming at KEEN Chicago is the sense
of community, support, and acceptance our families experience that they don’t find
elsewhere. Violetta, a KEEN parent states, “KEEN offers our kids a sense of self-
respect. In such a creative and active setting as well.”  Karina, another KEEN Chicago
parent, comments that “kids with disabilities know isolation. KEEN is the only space
they have where they can be free.”  Chicago aAthlete Danny, 16 years old states,
“KEEN lets me have fun with my friends,” and Lexi, 21, adds, “KEEN is the best fun all
day!”

Description of Activities (Describe the request's activities providing detailed information

about how it will address the stated need and the intended impact. Include the number of
individuals served through this request and the number of hours participants will be
involved. If the request is for program/project support, note whether this is a new or
existing program. If it is an existing program, indicate how long it has been in operation.)
600 words

KEEN ChicagoHICAGO (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now) mobilizes thea vision of an inclusive
future; one with intentional community spaces that uplift youth with disabilities ages 5-
21.  Since 2004, KEEN Chicago’s programs have provided a community of support to
families, disability awareness efforts for our volunteers, and most importantly, an
opportunity for youth with disabilities to have fitness, fun and friendship in a comfortable
environmentat their level while celebrating their abilities.

KEEN Chicago offers weekly opportunities for exercise and engagement at no cost to
families, creating accessible spaces for members of the disabled community to explore
different sectors of fitness and physicality. KEEN Chicago’s main in-person
programming consists of sports, swim, trampoline, and dance sessions across many
Chicagoland locations. Throughout the pandemic, KEEN Chicago has maintained
frequent accessible virtual recreation and exercise sessions for our KEEN Athletes. Our
online programs have helped our Athletes with disabilities and their families stay active
and connected, working to reduce the impacts of social isolation, improve mental health,
and increase access to inclusive exercise.

We plan to begin the reopening process during the summer of 2021 and as the situation
allows, we will continue but reduce the frequency of virtual programming at a reduced
frequency, meeting online biweekly in fall 2021, while also gradually rebuilding our in-
person program, eventually safely restoring our more than 20 monthly accessible
exercise and recreation sessions. We anticipate this phased reopening throughout 2021
and 2022 will require additional expenses to ensure the safety of our community. This
comes during a during a time when raising funds will be a greater challenge, which is
why we are approaching the Henrietta Lange Burke Fund for assistance.