826 National
About 826 National

826 National Application

The application process for new chapters is currently closed. Although we are not planning on opening any new 826 chapters at this moment, we encourage interested parties to submit the first portion of the 826 National Chapter Application, found below, for review by the 826 National Board of Directors. We also recommend that you consider attending one of our 826 National 101 informational seminars for a large amount of information about 826 operations.

826 National would also like to encourage anyone and everyone who is interested in starting a community organization of their own to do so. Please see our FAQ page for great web resources to help you get started.


826 NATIONAL CHAPTER APPLICATION
Phase I – Application

An interested site must submit the following information to the 826 National Board of Directors:

Community
  1. Community assessment: Where will you be located and what are the demographics of the neighborhood? Who are the students you hope to serve? Why do you think they need you?
  2. Local schools: List and describe the schools in the neighborhood which you hope to serve. Include evidence gathered from local teachers regarding their needs. What are your existing or potential connections with schools and teachers in your community?
  3. Literacy and literary organizations: Identify other literacy organizations in your city and list any that are within one mile of the proposed site. What do they already provide? How will your organization be different? How can you collaborate?
  4. Volunteers: Provide evidence of a potential volunteer community. How will they learn about your organization? How will you actively recruit volunteers and ensure a diverse pool of volunteers?
  5. Community partnerships: Identify potential partner schools and community groups, businesses for potential sponsorships, and connections to the literary/arts community that could benefit the proposed site.
  6. Support: Please send in at least five letters of support for your plan from community members. Please include letters from educators, business owners, local leaders, program officers at foundations, and literary or arts professionals.
  7. Educational Resource: It is essential to have an experienced educator on your leadership team. If you have someone in mind please describe his or her qualifications.
  8. Board members: Please provide bios and references for prospective board members. The board must represent the community you plan to serve– taking socio-economic levels and ethnicity into account– and also have skills and ample experience in fundraising, law, human resources, education, business, and nonprofit management.
  9. What efforts have you made/will you make to ensure that your staff, board, and volunteers represent a broad cross-section of the city's population–racially, culturally, and socio-economically?
Retail
  1. What initial ideas have you generated for your retail operation? Who will design and execute your physical build out? Please share any and all design ideas– for either space or merchandise– in this application.
Money
  1. Budget: Please provide a three-year detailed budget.
  2. Fundraising plan: Please provide a three-year fundraising plan. Include a list of local foundations, businesses, and donors that will help fund this potential organization and any existing relationships.
  3. How else do you plan to support your organization financially?
Professional and aesthetic standards
  1. During the application phase, the potential chapter may not use the 826 name or any 826 materials.
  2. Each pending applicant will be provided with and expected to agree to a list of our chapter standards to ensure an understanding of the requirements and expectations of being an 826 chapter.
  3. 826 chapters adhere to a very high standard of design, publication quality, and site quality. Will you be amenable to 826 National taking steps to ensure that the highest possible standards are adhered to?
People
  1. While the final decision rests with the local Board of Directors, a proposed site will seek out guidance and best practices from the National office. Do you agree to work collaboratively with the 826 National office to select an executive director and Board of Directors members?

If you are selected as one of the small group of potential 826 chapters, we will provide you with all necessary materials to begin Phase II of the application process.

Thanks again for your interest in the 826 National project. Good luck!

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