Friday, April 14, 2017

Grant Writing 101: What You Need to Know

By    April 14, 2017 // No comments
Grant writing may seem like a needle in a haystack.  But with hard work and diligence, funding can become a reality.  Last year I received an NCTM Classroom Research grant to examine how social media can be utilized to facilitate online professional development. 

Teacher grant opportunities can open doors to innovative teaching strategies and differentiated learning experiences for your students.  From STEM-based initiatives to programs that develop students social-emotional awareness, grants provide the mean$ and momentum for teachers to develop new ways of fostering the whole child.
Grant season is upon us and school leaders and grant writing teams need to move quickly to meet deadlines and submit proposals.
Here's what teachers need to know about writing grants:
  1. Check your eligibility: grants may be categorized for a specific student population, school environment, or grade span be sure you always check the requirements first.
  2. Identify your school goals/needs: what types of program innovation, training needs and resources are needed for your school and how would this benefit your student population.  Use data from standardized assessments, parent and program surveys, and census data, to define needs and provide evidence in your grant proposal.
  3. Follow the timelines: Not only do grants have deadlines but they also have timelines that are part of their requirements.  Create a detailed timeline of how the money will be used to meet the project goals within a fixed timeline.
  4.  Apples to Apples: Be sure your grant proposal is matched with the vision of the grant giving organization and your goals are clearly aligned with the goals of the grant.
  5.  Balance the Budget: Be clear as possible in terms of how funding will be used in your proposal.  10 boxes of crayons @ 2.00 = $20.00.  Grants will often state how money should be and should not be used.
  6.  When in doubt: Find a sample proposal and contact your local University/ School of Education for help (Dr. Dickenson can help at pdickenson@nu.edu). University professors are always looking to help out their K12 partners.
Here are grants that are currently accepting proposals for this  2016-2017 school year:

  • Lowe's Toolbox for Education

    Sponsor: Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation
    Award: $5,000
    Number of Awards: Up to 1,000
    Qualification: Public schools only
    Application Deadline: Sept. 26

  • Project Learning Tree GreenWorks Grants 2016

    Sponsor: Project Learning Tree
    Award: $1,000
    Number of Awards: Not specified
    Application Deadline: Sept. 30

  • TAF Project-Based Learning Grants for Grades K–5

    Sponsor: Toshiba America Foundation
    Award: Two categories: Up to $1,000
    Number of Awards: Not specified
    Application Deadline: Oct. 1

  • NEA Learning & Leadership Grants

    Sponsor: National Education Association
    Award: $2,000 to $5,000
    Number of Awards: Not specified
    Application Deadline: Oct. 15

  • NEA Student Achievement Grants

    Sponsor: National Education Association
    Award: $2,000 to $5,000
    Number of Awards: Not specified
    Application Deadline: Oct. 15

  • SaveOnEnergy.com Teacher Grant

    Sponsor: SaveOnEnergy.com
    Award: $500
    Number of Awards: 6
    Application Deadline: Oct. 21

  • AIAA Foundation Classroom Grant

    Sponsor: AIAA Foundation (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics)
    Award: $250
    Number of Awards: Not specified (up to two grants per educator per year)
    Qualification: Teacher submitting proposal must be AIAA member (Educator Associate membership is free and includes other benefits); homeschool clubs of 25 or more students also eligible
    Application Deadline: Nov. 16 (submission period opens Oct. 1)

  • NCTM Grants

    Sponsor: National Council of Teaching Mathematics
    Award: Up to $24,000
    Number of Awards: Not specified (up to two grants per educator per year)
    Qualification: Teacher submitting proposal must be NCTM member
    Application Deadline: Nov. 4th

  • Verizon Innovative Learning app challenge

    Sponsor: Verizon
    Award: $5,000 plus technology for state-level winners; $15,000 additional cash, plus travel and support, for national winners
    Number of Awards: 102 state-level winners (one middle school and one high school team from each state, plus DC); nine national winners (four middle school and four high school, plus one "fan favorite" based on public voting)
    Application Deadline: Nov. 18

  • TAF Project-Based Learning Grants for Grades 6–12

    Sponsor: Toshiba America Foundation
    Award: Two categories: Up to $5,000 and more than $5,000
    Number of Awards: Not specified
    Application Deadline: Up to $5,000 awarded on a rolling basis; Feb. 1, 2017 deadline for applications for more than $5,000

  • Academic Enrichment Grants

    Sponsor: McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation
    Award: $30,000 maximum ($10,000 over three years)
    Number of Awards: Not specified (five awarded last year)
    Application Deadline: April 15, 2017 (submissions open Jan. 15, 2017)

  • Teacher Development Grants

    Sponsor: McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation
    Award: $30,000 maximum ($10,000 over three years)
    Number of Awards: Not specified (two awarded last year)
    Application Deadline: April 15, 2017 (submissions open Jan. 15, 2017)

  • Adopt a Classroom

    Deadline: Ongoing

  • Brinker International Grants

    Deadline: Ongoing

  • Brown Rudnick Community Grants

    Deadline: Ongoing

  • Corning Foundation Grants

    Deadline: Ongoing

  • DonorsChoose.org

    Deadline: Ongoing

  • Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Grants

    Deadline: Ongoing
    Award: No more than 10 percent of an organization's annual operating expenses or 25 percent of the total budget for the project being funded; awards have ranged from the hundreds to the millions of dollars.
    Number of Awards: Varies
    Qualification: Project should "directly serve or impact children living in urban poverty, particularly in the areas of education, family economic stability (including microfinance) and childhood health."

  • Naiku Innovative Teacher Grant

    Deadline: Ongoing (approx. 10 awards per month)

  • Sony Grants for Education

    Deadline: Ongoing (grants awarded on a rolling basis)
Need  help writing a grant or does your grant require university partnership? Contact Dr. Patricia Dickenson for advice and consulting.  Ask a question or share your ideas for grants by adding a comment below. 

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