Educators know all too well that appropriated budgets can sometimes get in the way of some much-needed classroom and school improvements. Fortunately, there are other ways in which educators can secure the funds they need, such as third-party grants and funding.
Grants can make a huge difference in educators’ ability to enable student success, and a little extra help can go a long way. The grant or fund doesn’t have to be a large denomination to make a positive impact in a school or classroom.
So, what sources of funding are available to teachers, and how can they apply for them?
Classroom Improvement Grants
In a perfect world, teachers would find students in their seats with books out, pen in-hand and paper ready to take notes when the bell rings. Reality, however, is a far cry from perfection, a fact to which many educators can attest.
Oftentimes, students either can’t afford supplies, or forget to bring them to class on a daily basis. As a result, the average public school teacher spends upwards of $600 of their own money on school supplies each year.
Most teachers could definitely use a hand when it comes purchasing the supplies that students need on a yearly basis. So, in order to lessen the financial burden, teachers may find it helpful to look into some of the following grant or funding programs:
Type: Non-Grant Funding Program
Eligibility: K-12
Amount Awarded: Unspecified
Submission/Deadline: Ongoing
About: Adoptaclassroom.org’s mission is to give teachers a hand to enable students’ success. The site allows users to post short videos about educators who make a difference, then donate to different educators’ campaigns. Support is welcomed from corporate donors as well as individual users.
Website: http://www.adoptaclassroom.org/teachers
Type: Non-Grant Funding Program
Eligibility: K-12
Amount Awarded: Unspecified
Submission/Deadline: Ongoing
About: DonorsChoose.org is a crowdsourcing platform that allows users to post a project, then receive the goods to support that project upon reaching their fundraising goal. This makes it easy for anyone to help classrooms in need, and to be able to choose specific projects to which they may contribute.
Website: https://www.donorschoose.org/teachers
Type of Grant: Non-Grant Funding Program
Eligibility: K-12
Amount Awarded: $250-$2500
Submission/Deadline: Ongoing
About: Cash 4 Class is a 501(c)(3) program aimed at providing teachers with funding for entrepreneurial project-based learning. Teachers can use funding to shop at any online retailer, request a prepaid debit card for in-person purchases, and track their expenditures easily.
Website: http://www.cash4class.org/
Type: Grant for classroom projects and teacher’s aids
Eligibility: K-12
Amount Awarded: $100-500
Submission/Deadline: 9/30/2016
About: The Kids in Need Foundation funds projects which take a novel approach to education. This can include making creative use of common teaching aids, approaching curriculum from an imaginative angle, or tying nontraditional concepts together for the purpose of illustrating commonalities.
Website: http://www.kinf.org/programs/
Type of Grant: Non-Grant Funding Program
Eligibility: K-12
Amount Awarded: Items donated
Submission/Deadline: Ongoing
About: Classwish allows teachers to create a personalized Wish List. Visitors then see exactly what teachers and students need and can contribute toward their cause. All contributions are tax-deductible and donors receive a receipt, and many companies are willing to match employee contributions, thereby doubling the funding.
Website: http://classwish.org/teachers
School Improvement
Acquiring funding for school improvement projects can sometimes be a challenge for administrators. There are a number of grants available to provide better lunches, fund field trips, improve school grounds and create educational gardens—it’s just a matter of knowing where to look.
Type of Grant: Grounds, Technology and Safety
Eligibility: K-12 public/charter education and community improvement projects
Amount Awarded: $2000 to $25,000
Submission/Deadline: August 1, 2016 – September 26, 2016 (Fall Cycle)
About the Grant: Each year, the Lowe’s Toolbox for Education program contributes more than $5 million to fund for high-need community school improvement projects. These include building renovations/upgrades, grounds improvements, technology upgrades and safety improvements.
Website: http://responsibility.lowes.com/apply-for-a-grant/
Type of Grant: Health/Nutrition and School Lunches
Eligibility: k-12
Amount Awarded: $2,500
Submission/Deadline: Ongoing
About: The Chef Ann Foundation and Skoop offer Project Produce: Fruit and Veggie Grants for Schools. These grants enable schools to provide more fresh produce to students, as well as educational opportunities to encourage broader palates, healthier lifestyle habits and more open minds among young people.
Website: http://www.thelunchbox.org/programs/grants/
Type of Grant: Health/Nutrition/Lunches
Eligibility: k-12
Amount Awarded: Unspecified
Submission/Deadline: On going
About: Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools provides broader, healthier eating opportunities for kids in schools. Their goal is for every school in the U.S. to have a salad bar as part of their school food service program to provide daily access to fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy proteins.
Website: http://www.saladbars2schools.org/get-a-salad-bar/schools/application-guidelines/
Type of Grant: Editable Education Garden
Eligibility: k-12
Amount Awarded: $2000
Submission/Deadline: Opens fall 2016, closes in February 2017
About: Whole Kids Foundation works in partnership with FoodCorps to provide grants for gardens in schools. These gardens are intended as an educational tool, as well as a way to encourage healthier eating habits for children by introducing more fresh produce to the school cafeteria.
Website: https://www.wholekidsfoundation.org/landing-pages/school-gardens-landing
Type: Field Trip Grant
Eligibility: K-12
Amount Awarded: $700
Submission/Deadline: Beginning August 1st
About: The Target Field Trip Grants program helps fund field trips for students nationwide. The program is aimed at connecting students’ classroom curriculum to out of school learning experiences including museums, historical sites and cultural organizations. Funds may be used to cover transportation, ticket fees, food, resource materials and supplies.
Website: https://corporate.target.com/corporate-responsibility/grants/field-trip-grants
Resourceful Budgeting
Public educators are forced to execute considerable skill and show great resourcefulness in budgeting, as public schools have to make their dollars last as long as possible.
Whether it’s to stock underserved classrooms, improve school nutrition, ensure safety or fund fieldtrips, third-party funding is crucial to provide much needed assistance and enhance students’ overall learning experience.
Bear in mind that although grants can be a wonderful tool to acquire necessary items, teachers should always seek approval from administrators before applying for any funding project. However, educators shouldn’t let this be a deterrent—securing extra funding could radically impact a teacher’s ability to provide an engaging, dynamic educational experience.
Third-party funding is going to be the key to shaping our nation’s future—don’t let it slip away!