Apply for a Foundation Grant, Now

It’s the holiday season. You’ve got a lot to do. The fact is everyone has a lot to do. That makes it the perfect time to apply for a foundation grant before the end of the year. I’ll give you 3 reasons to get started now.

The economy is weak which makes the idea of getting grant money right now very appealing. The timing is also excellent because many foundations have a December deadline. Finally, you will most likely receive your grant money in January, in time to have an impact on the new semester.

While getting grant money is always a time for celebration, it is especially appealing right now when our economy is so beaten down. Schools are not immune to the impact of a poor economy as I’m sure you’re aware. Schools have had to cut back to make ends meet just like everyone else. That makes getting grant money from a foundation all the sweeter. The federal government and the various state governments just don’t have that many available grants out there right now. Why? Mainly because of the poor economy.

Foundations are still distributing money based on their 2008 commitments. Many of them have to give away a certain percentage of their money in order to remain tax exempt. But most foundations will not have as much money to give away in 2009 because their investments have not done well this year. It’s best for you to get their 2008 money that has already been committed for grants rather than to wait on their 2009 grant money.

The December timing could not be better for applying for a foundation grant. For one thing, whether a foundation reviews applications semi-annually or quarterly, they usually have a December deadline. If they don’t have a posted deadline, the end of December is still the deadline for them to distribute their 2008 money. The good thing about applying for a grant with a December deadline is that you will not typically have the competition that you would at other deadlines throughout the year. Folks just get a little lazy about such things around the holidays. That means that if you are industrious and put forth a little more effort than others to apply for grants, the competition simply won’t be as strong.

The final reason December is a good time to apply for a foundation grant is that you will most likely receive the actual grant money in January. That makes it much easier to get your new program or improvements to an old program started at the beginning of a new semester. It always helps to know exactly how much money you have available when you begin a program.

December is an excellent time to apply for a grant. It’s a busy time for most educators, but if you make that extra effort and set time aside to apply for two or three foundation grants, you may get your biggest gift of the holiday season, but you have to apply now.

Please be aware that most of the grants I post are open to ALL STATES since this blog is read by educators throughout the United States. Many, many foundation grants are either state or regional in nature. Please use the free DSS grant database to find the best foundation grants in your state or area.

Check This Out!

Grant Name: Captain Planet Foundation Education Grants
Funded by: The Captain Planet Foundation
Description: The foundation supports projects that: 1) Promote understanding of environmental issues; 2) Focus on hands-on involvement; 3) Involve children and young adults 6-18 (elementary through high school); 4) Promote interaction and cooperation within the group; 5) Help young people develop planning and problem solving skills; 6) Include adult supervision; 7) Commit to follow-up communication with the foundation (specific requirements are explained once the grant has been awarded).

Program Areas: Community Involvement/Volunteerism, General Education, Science/Environmental, Social Studies, All Other
Recipients: Public School, Other
Proposal Deadline: 12/31/2008
Proposal Deadline Description: March 31, June 30, Sept. 30, and Dec. 31 - annual deadlines
Average Amount: $250.00 - $2,500.00
Contact Person: Taryn Murphy
Address: Captain Planet Foundation, 133 Luckie Street, 2nd Floor Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Telephone: 404-522-4215
Email: tarynm@captainplanetfdn.org
Website: http://www.captainplanetfoundation.org/
Availability: All States