U-46 Educational Foundation
Page Navigation
- School District U-46
- Grants
- Grant FAQs
-
Frequently Asked Questions about U-46 Educational Foundation Grants
During the 2022/23 school year, the U-46 Educational Foundation is very excited to have $25,000 in funding available for grants for U-46 teachers and staff, and more than $11,000 in grant funding available for our community partners. Grants from the U-46 Educational Foundation can fund any idea that will enhance student learning or well-being in U-46. This could include classroom or academic needs, projects related to the fine arts, ideas that enhance students' social/emotional learning, extra-curricular clubs or teams, etc.
Do grants need to be for a large number of students, such as an entire school?
Grants can impact a small group of students or a large number of students.
Is there anything specific that I cannot fund with a grant?
Grants cannot be used for salaries or food. Technology purchases must be approved by the District Information Services Department.
What kinds of projects have received grant funding in the past?
Click here to see a list of our approved grants from the 2020/21 school year.
Click here to see a list of our approved grants from the 2021/22 school year.
What is the deadline for applying for a grant?
The deadline to apply for a grant is 11:59 p.m. on Friday, September 30, 2022.
Who can apply, and can I apply for more than one grant?
Any U-46 teacher or staff member may apply for grants. You may apply as many times as you would like. Additionally, our community partners are eligible to apply for grants.
How are grants evaluated?
Grants are evaluated by the U-46 Educational Foundation's Allocations Committee using a rubric. The Allocations Committee has a preference for grants funding innovative ideas. Priority is also given to grants that impact the academic, social/emotional, or safety needs of students, and/or grants that impact marginalized student groups.
Grants selected by the Committee will then be reviewed by the District to ensure that the project can be completed as described. Projects cannot violate FERPA or the IDEA act or any standing District policies. It is in the best interest of the grant applicant to check with his or her supervisor before submitting a grant proposal to ensure that the grant idea can be completed as described.
When will I know if I received a grant?
Applicants will be contacted at the beginning of November 2022.
How will I receive my grant?
If approved for a grant and you have already spent money on items approved in the grant proposal, submit a receipt for the items purchased, and the Foundation will reimburse your expenses. If approved for a grant and you have not yet spent money on items approved in the grant proposal, submit an invoice for the items needed, and the Foundation will send a check to the vendor to cover invoiced grant expenses. Receipts or invoices must be submitted by May 31, 2023.
Do I have to use grant funds this year?
Grant funds must be used during the 2022/23 school year. If you are not able to complete your project by May 31, you may request a one-year extension. Extensions must be requested prior to May 31, 2023. Grantees who do not comply with the above conditions may not be awarded grant funding in a subsequent school year.
What if I don't use all of the grant money that I received?
Unused grant funding will not roll over into subsequent school years without an approved grant extension. Unused grant funding includes funds that have not been requested with an invoice or receipt by May 31, 2023, and checks that have not been cashed within 90 days of being issued. Uncashed checks older than 90 days may be voided.
Besides filling out the application, what else do I need to do?
Prior to filling out an application, be sure to check with your building administrator to ensure that your project can be completed as described.
If you are awarded a grant, after receiving the funding you will be sent a short grant evaluation form. Please submit that form to the Foundation with at least two JPGs or other transferrable electronic photographs of your project, by June 31, 2023. Please ensure that any identifiable students in the photos have a media release consent form. If you need more time, you can request an extension by June 31, 2023. If you fail to submit a grant evaluation by the deadline, you may forfeit the opportunity to receive grant funding in a subsequent school year.
Before I apply, can you just tell me exactly what information I will need to fill out the application?
Of course! We fill out grant applications too. We understand.
You will need:
- The name and email of one contact person;
- The name(s) of the people applying for the grant;
- A project title, objective, description, timeline, and outcomes;
- The number of people impacted by your grant. Of those people, tell us how many are U-46 students or employees;
- A description of the people impacted. Things you might want to tell us include:
- the grades of people impacted (i.e. third graders and fourth graders)
- the % of minority students,
- the % of students with IEPs,
- the % of free/reduced lunch students, etc.
- To know whether you would accept partial funding for your project;
- And an itemized budget of the things you will need to complete your project.
What kind of grant projects were approved last year?
Find out more about the projects approved for grant funding last year, by clicking here.
How does the Foundation get the money used to fund teacher and staff grants?
The Foundation's funding comes from your generous support! When U-46 employees, families, and community members donate to the Foundation, we use that money to fund these grants for our teachers and staff. Your support of our Run for U-46 5K, Employee Campaign, Annual Appeal, and Teacher Appreciation Campaign makes these grants possible. Thank you! We couldn't do it without you.
What if I have a question not answered above?
Contact the U-46 Educational Foundation Coordinator, Dawn Curran, at DawnCurran@u-46.org