The Problem
Project Narrative: In my children’s chapter book Mr. Grumbles, a kitten is abandoned beside the road at a driveway to a house. He has to deal with the weather, other animals living in the front yard, and finding food. His survival is up to him until humans of the house take him in. My audience for this of this book is parents reading to their children, Level 3: Transitional Reader - Second Grade: 7-8 Year Old Readers, and up. This children’s chapter book is meant to help children with their reading skills and literacy levels. Public relations activities for my children’s book will include use of Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social networks; posters and flyers for use at book fairs and festivals; and news releases to entertainment media. Here is the timeline for completion of my children’s book Mr. Grumbles: A stray kitten ended up in my family’s front yard in 2009. I spent most of that spring trying to catch him, and succeeded on June 4, 2009. My mother named him Guy Noir after a character from A Prairie Home Companion. I wrote an animation script, which I converted to a children’s book with the help of Diana Epelbaum (copy editor) and Mustafaa El-Attiq Ali (proofreader) in the summer of 2013. From a posting on VolunteerMatch, I met Susan C. Vergalla (proofreader) in the summer 2015. After meeting Nancy McBride through WIFT, her daughter Celestial McBride helped do a reedit on the nearly complete book in the fall of 2018. I had to come up with a creative name for the book. Guy Noir grumbles when he eats, sleeps, plays, and purrs, I gave him the nickname Mr. Grumbles. In January of 2015, after searching far and wide from different countries and states, I finally found my illustrator, Stephanie Richoll (www.stephaniericholl.tumblr.com). On June 28, 2017, because grant writing and fund raising is a lot harder than it looks. I replaced Ms. Richoll with Wendy J.B. Rowe (https://www.facebook.com/WendyJBRowe/). In June of 2018, Wendy J.B. Rowe had leave the project for family reasons. We are working on looking for a new illustrator. Budget: My budget for this children’s book is $10,000. I will seek the funds from small and large grants and private sources. I will compile an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of expenses as I disburse them during all phases of the project. Fundraising Strategy: I’m continuing to seek suitable grant providers through personal contacts and Internet research (including membership on e-newsletter lists of funding sources) for the additional funding. My fiscal sponsor for this project is From the Heart Productions (http://www.fromtheheartproductions.com) and (https://fromtheheartproductions.networkforgood.com/projects/10335-books-mr-grumbles). In September of 2018 I secured a Florida-based fiscal sponsor, Anchor Vision Partners (www.anchorvisionpartners.org/), which will enable me to apply for State of Florida grants. Other Information: The funds will be used for illustrations, author/illustrator photo headshot, and PR of the children’s book Mr. Grumbles. I plan to donate signed books and/or signed posters to kitten/cat rescue groups for them to auction off at their fund-raising events. Also, I plan to team up with kitten/cat rescue groups to do book readings at pet stores on days they are holding kitten or cat adoption events. Other readings will happen at libraries, and neighborhood community centers such as The Barnyard in Miami’s Coconut Grove section (http://coconutgrovecares.org/). I will use these book readings to help children with their reading and teach them about what happens to abandoned kittens and cats. If possible, I will have The Cat Network or other kitten/cat rescue groups there, too. Web site: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mr-Grumbles/744246918938363 Web site: https://twitter.com/grumbles_mr
