Transcript Wallingford Education Foundation

Wallingford Education
Foundation
Mini-Grant Orientation
WEF Overview
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Non-profit organization
Board of Directors-members of the
Community
Raise funds to support mini-grants
and a major project
Events
• Distinguished Alumni Dinner
• Adult Team Spelling Bee
WEF Mission
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The Wallingford Education
Foundation is a non-profit,
community-based partnership whose
mission is to provide financial
support for programs outside the
school budget that will empower
ideas and enhance the educational
experience, thereby helping prepare
our students for full participation in a
global society.
Grant Process
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5 Mini-grants awarded annually
• $5,000 or less
1 Major project
Mini-grant materials distributed by Feb. 6
Submission of proposals no later than March 9
Grants reviewed and scored by Grant Committee
Recipients notified prior to end of current school
year
Announcement at system wide staff meeting at
the start of the subsequent school year
Grants are awarded for the
following purposes
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Educational opportunities to meet the challenges
in a global society: Curricular and extracurricular learning
Community and School Partnerships: New
Initiatives that enhance the educational mission
of the schools through collaborative partnerships
Leveraging External Grants: Matching dollars
when grants are required by the funder to include
local matching funds. Matching grant requests
must be related to the above two areas of
Foundation funding.
Grant Proposal Format Criteria
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Maximum of four pages, including provided
cover sheet and budget
Pages should be single spaced, using one
side only of each sheet. White 8 1/2 x 11
paper should be used.
Pages should be stapled and numbered in the
center of the bottom margin
Two copies should be made, one of which has
the original signature of the building Principal
and the Superintendent.
Grant Proposal Content
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Abstract: Brief, succinct overview of the
project, including the estimated number of
students directly impacted. If there is a
secondary impact on students that should
be noted as well.
Statement of Need and Rationale:
Description of the current need and
evidence that the project to be funded will
address that need.
Grant Proposal Content (cont)
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Award Purposes and Objectives: List
the subject areas involved in the project.
How will the project enhance the students’
learning experience in those areas?
Elaborate about the objective within your
school goals that will be met by this grant.
Responsibility: Statement of the action
steps that the project director will take to
ensure success once the project is funded.
Grant Proposal Content (cont)
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Source of Funding: Identify any funding
that is or could be available from other
sources.
Project Activities: Description of the
activities the award will facilitate and that
will produce the objectives stated in the
proposal.
Personnel: Names, qualifications, and
roles of those responsible for
administering the project activities.
Grant Proposal Content (cont)
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Plan for Evaluation and Follow Up:
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What will you measure?
How will you measure it?
What is the timeframe for measuring?
WEF will track evaluation and follow up plans
Budget:
• Itemized list of project expenses including
supplies.
• Finding the most inexpensive cost for an item,
where applicable, is encouraged
Proposal Oversight
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May be prepared by anyone who has
been authorized by the school
principal to do so
Project Director
• The person who has been authorized to
oversee the proposed project activities
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Must be an employee of the Wallingford
Board of Education and may not be a
student.
Restrictions and Conditions
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Awards will be “project specific” and limited to achieving the
objectives stated in the approved proposal.
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Awards will not be made for:
• Expenses normally covered in the general operating budget of the
school or reduction of budget shortfalls.
• Purposes related to the furtherance of a political party or position,
religious activities, or controversial issues (as determined by the
Foundation).
• Compensation (including honoraria or stipends) for employees of the
Wallingford Board of Education or students
• Substitute pay
• Food and party supplies
• Telephone expense
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The Foundation will not be a sustaining source of funding
for projects.
Project Award Periods
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Awarded mini-grant funds will be available for one calendar
year.
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Unused grant money at the completion of the project period
must be returned to the WEF.
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In unusual circumstances, the WEF may, at its discretion,
extend the project period of an active grant in response to
a written request signed by the school Principal.
Goods and services purchased with funds from the WEF
become the property of the Wallingford Board of Education
to ensure the benefit of the Wallingford students.
In the event a teacher moves from one Wallingford school
to another, the award materials will go with the teacher.
Expectations of Grant Recipients
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Serve as an active ambassador of WEF to peers,
students and community
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Announcement of award in school or class newsletter
Letter to parents of students impacted by the grant
Included in school’s daily announcements
Consider media coverage
Desire to participate/promote WEF events
Submit a brief summary report on the form
provided. Reports due four weeks after project
completion.
Top 10 Tips for Writing a Grant
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Have a clear idea of the project before writing
Use headings found in the WEF Guidelines
Include the following sentence: “This project
promotes educational opportunities for students
to meet the challenges in a global society by….”
Explain educational terms that are not obvious
Itemize budget items
Include a clear plan for evaluation
Show creativity and a sense of commitment
PROOFREAD
Double check that all form requirements have
been followed
Score your grant using the scoring grid
Grants Rubric
Nine categories are scored. For categories 2,5,6,7 and 9; scoring is based on 0-5
scale. For categories 1,3,4,and 8; scoring based 0-10 scale.
Weight
10
5
Score
Category
1. Meets WEF Mission
2. Abstract: brief, succinct overview of project, including the number of
students (or best estimate) directly impacted and if appropriate, the
number of students indirectly impacted.
10
3. Statement of Need and Rationale: description of the current need(s) and
evidence that the project funded will address those need(s).
10
4. Award Purposes and Objectives: list the subject areas involved in the
project. How will the project enhance the students’ learning experience in
these areas? Elaborate about the objective within your school goals
5
5. Responsibility: statement of the action steps the project director will
take to ensure success once the project is funded.
5
6. Project Activities: description of the activities the award will facilitate
and how these activities will produce the objective(s) stated in the proposal
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10
7. Budget: itemize a list of project expenses including supplies and cost
for each item
8. Plan for Evaluation and Follow-up: standards of measurement to be
used to determine if objectives have been achieved and timeline for
assessment of results
5
9. Form followed, including meeting the date deadline
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If previous grant recipient and evaluation and follow-up plan for prior grant
was not followed.
Process for Awarding Grants
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All grants scored individually by
members of the grant committee
utilizing the grid
Scores tallied and presented to
committee for review and discussion
Committee recommends projects to
be funded to WEF BOD at it’s April
meeting
Q&A
Q: Can more than 1 grant be awarded to a school?
A: Yes. We award grants based on the scoring grids, not based on if
a school has already has been awarded a grant that year or in a
previous year.
Q: Can a teacher receive grant dollars multiple years in a row?
A: Yes, as long as the grants are unique. The WEF does not provide
grant dollars to sustain a project from year to year.
Q: How do you award major grants?
A: We realized based on this question that our handout regarding
the grant program was confusing. We have changed the wording
from a major grant to a major project. Major projects are chosen
through a collaborative process with the Superintendent of
schools separate from the mini-grant program.
Thank you