Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Give Your School a Gift for the Holidays

It’s a tough time for teachers right now. Between Thanksgiving and the December break, it’s hard to keep students focused on anything for very long. While you may not focus all that well during this time of year either, it is an excellent time for you to concentrate on getting at least one grant application written before the first of January. This is a great time to apply for a grant, and it may be your very best chance of being awarded grant money. I’ll give you three reasons.

First, quite a few national and regional grants have a deadline between now and the end of December. You should check them out on the Discount School Supply free grant database. If you can’t find one there, you should look on The School Funding Center site. Also, several grants will be listed at the end of this blog and the one coming out in mid-December. You will surely qualify for at least one of the dozens of grants that will be listed in one of these locations.

Second, while I recommend that you apply for grants right now, few educators will do so. That means you have less competition than at other times of the year. It’s the old ant and the grasshopper story. While others are playing and making merry, you will be getting ready for your future needs. They will complain about not having resources later, but it will be you that put the work in and you that will reap the benefits from the grant you receive.

Third, you can request grant money right now that can be used in the spring, during summer school, or even next fall. My recommendation is that you apply for money that can be used in the spring semester. It’s a shame when we see that something can be done in a better way to help students more, but we don’t have the money to put our ideas in place. By applying for grants now, you should be able to put your ideas in place in the spring semester instead of having to wait for summer school or the fall semester to help your students. The sooner, the better. By fall, you won’t even have the same students.

Grant writing is never easy, but if you already know a problem you’re having, and you have a solution in mind, December is a great time to apply for a grant or two to alleviate your problem. We talked about semester assessments in the last blog. Right now is a great time to use the information you gathered to prepare your grant application. The information is fresh. The need it documented. You just to use your feedback in a high quality grant application.

I know your excuse. I don’t have any more time than anyone else. I’m tired. I’ve never written a grant before. You’re right about one thing --- they are all excuses. It will be your ability to overcome these obstacles that will get you the grant in the first place. Remember, you’re applying in December because you will have less competition.

Take advantage of the season to give your students and your school an excellent holiday gift---grant money that you never pay back and that may change the lives of your students forever.

Check It Out: New Grant Opportunity!

Grant Name:  The Captain Planet Foundation

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/Environment, Social Studies, All Other

Recipients:  Public School, Private Schools, Other

Proposal Deadline:  12/31/11

Average Amount:  $250.00 - $2,500.00

Contact Person:  Taryn Murphy



Availability:  All States

Check It Out: New Grant Opportunity!

Grant Name:  Kinder Morgan Foundation Education Grants

Funded by:  Kinder Morgan Foundation

Description: Grants are primarily directed to educational programs for youth in grades K-12. Funding is provided to local, state, provincial and regional educational institutions, libraries and programs that provide ongoing support, such as Junior Achievement. The foundation also supports youth programs provided by local arts organizations, symphony orchestras, museums and others. Initial approach is to contact the foundation for application form, which is required. 

Program Areas:  Arts, Community Involvement/Volunteerism, General Education, Library, Math, Reading, Science/Environment, Social Studies

Recipients:  Public School, Private School, Other

Proposal Deadline:  1/10/12

Average Amount:  $3,500.00 - $5,000.00

Contact Person:  Maureen Bulkley, Community Relations Coordinator


Telephone:  303-763-3471


Availability:  All States

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Check It Out: New Grant Opportunity!

Grant Name:  Disney Planet Challenge

Funded by:  Disney
Description:  Disney's Planet Challenge (DPC) is a project-based learning environmental competition for classrooms across the United States. DPC teaches kids about science and conservation while empowering them to make a positive impact on their communities and planet.
Program Areas:  Science/Environment
Recipients:  Public School, Private School
Proposal Deadline:  12/23/11
Average Amount:  $1,000.00 - $16,000.00
Availability:  All States

Check It Out: New Grant Opportunity!

Grant Name:  Project Orange Thumb Garden Grants

Funded by:  Fiskars
Description:  Fiskars, a global supplier of consumer products for the home, garden, and outdoors, has announced that the application process for 2012 Project Orange Thumb garden grants and makeovers in the United States and Canada is open. Fiskars' Project Orange Thumb provides tools, materials, and other support to help communities reach their goals for neighborhood beautification, community collaboration, and healthy, sustainable food sources. Fiskars will choose eleven recipients from the pool of grant applicants. Ten will receive $5,000 in cash and tools, and one applicant will receive a complete garden makeover. During a Project Orange Thumb garden makeover, Fiskars works with neighbors, business leaders, volunteers, and community partners to transform a barren lot into a beautiful, productive community gathering space — all in a single day. Applications will be accepted from any nonprofit organization within the U.S. or Canada. All applicants will be considered for a grant; however, only those that specify they are interested and meet Fiskars' criteria will be considered for the garden makeover.
Program Areas:  Science/Environment
Recipients:  Public School, Private Schools, Other
Proposal Deadline:  12/5/11
Average Amount:  $5,000.00
Availability:  All States

December Assessments - It's Time to Prepare

It is very important for you to assess your grant programs in December to make sure you are making appropriate progress. You don’t want to perform these assessments too close to the days you get out for holiday vacation, but you also want to give your students every day you can to make as much progress as possible. You should also assess programs that may need grant money in the near future.                                                                                 

I’m a firm believer in making assessments. In a school setting most worthwhile programs cannot only be assessed, but they can also be improved. Just because you are making decent progress does not mean you can’t get a whole lot better. For this reason, you should go back and read the goals for any grant program you have in place. Then, either build or buy an instrument that will tell you exactly how much progress students have made in the fall semester.
If you have non-grant programs that you suspect are performing poorly, you should also assess them. As we have discussed previously, the statistical information from formal assessments can go a long way in persuading grantors to give you the money you need. In the same vein, this good statistical information can help you get additional money from a grantor. Grantors love to see their money actually making a difference. If you are successful once with their money, you may very well be successful a second or third time.
I don’t believe assessments should be given on the day you get out for holidays. In fact, I don’t think they should be given any time during the week you get out for holidays. Many students can’t concentrate and their performance may not be indicative of how they could have performed under normal circumstances. Try to do your assessments the week before you get out.
When you develop assessment instruments, try to measure as many of your goals as possible.  Disaggregate the information to be sure you are making adequate progress with all groups. The information you get from your assessments should allow you to tweak your program in ways to turn it around if you are not making progress or to make even more progress by emphasizing the strong points of a successful program.
Remember, if you are using grant money, you have an obligation to make as much progress with your students as possible. Grantors love to see positive programs, but more than that, your students deserve the very best program you can provide them. All too many times I’ve seen educators think they were making excellent progress, when in reality, their students were making little or no progress, and the educators just didn’t know it because they didn’t have proper assessment instruments in place.
Assessments are an important part of any grant program. December is an excellent time to perform assessments.  Make sure you have your assessment program in place and ready for your students before they get out for the holidays.