| |
Grant Opportunities and Applications
Do you have a great idea for your school but no funds? The GFDO has compiled the following resources to help you find, pursue, and secure the funding needed to enhance the educational experience for MMSD students.
Please note that grant signoff procedures have been simplified. Visit the Grant Application Review and Signoff Procedure page to learn more about the revised process and to download a copy of the signoff form appropriate to your project and funding source.
$ $ $ $
New in 2007-08
Grant seekers' work sessions: The GFDO will offer mini-grant work
sessions if there is sufficient staff interest. At the work sessions, we
will work one-to-one and in small groups to formalize your ideas to prepare
you to write a proposal. We will also review the sign-off process.
Mini-grant work sessions will take place as follows:
- Tuesday October 23, Room 207 Doyle Building, 4:15 — 5:15
- Tuesday December 11, Room 207 Doyle Building, 4:15 — 5:15
- Thursday Jan 10, Room 207 Doyle Building, 4:15 — 5:15
- Tuesday Feb 12, Room 207 Doyle Building, 4:15 — 5:15
Please email Marcie at
mpfeifersode@madison.k12.wi.us
or call the GFDO office (663-4947) no later than noon the day of the
work session to register. Participation will be limited to the first 20
registrants. These work sessions will be focused on the internal
mini-grant competitions ONLY.
Overview of the Internal Mini-Grant Competitions
MMSD staff are the only eligible applicants for the grants
listed in this section. Community organizations interested in
partnering on a proposal to one of these funders are encouraged to discuss
their idea with teachers, principals, or other staff or with leaders or
faculty advisers of MMSD student organizations. (Please note that student
organizations, with the support of their faculty adviser, are eligible to
apply for a mini-grant from the Foundation for Madison's Public
Schools).
Application forms and instructions for this year's mini-grant
competitions - Aristos, Evjue Foundation, Foundation for Madison's Public
Schools, and Madison Rotary Foundation - can be downloaded by clicking on
the hotlinks in the following table. These application materials
explain the distinctive set of interests, priorities, and requirements for
each funder. To be considered for funding, your mini-grant application must
be submitted to the person noted in the "Submit Application To" column by
4:00 PM on the deadline date.
| Funding Source | Deadline | Submit Application To |
|---|
| Aristos Grant Program | March 3, 2008 | Rita Applebaum, Doyle 132D |
| Aristos Scholar Program | March 3, 2008 |
| Evjue Foundation | | Lisa Wachtel, Doyle 125 |
- Pre-Application![[MS Word file]](/word-sm.gif) | November 12, 2007 |
| - Full Application (by invitation only) | February 4, 2008 |
| - Evaluation Report | August 31, 2008 |
| Foundation for Madison's Public Schools | January 22, 2008 | Marcie Pfeifer-Soderbloom, Doyle 202 |
| Madison Rotary Foundation | November 12, 2007 | Steve Hartley, Doyle 110 |
Increase the odds of getting funded by entering multiple internal
mini-grant competitions. It's easy! The budget page of the full application
will be exactly the same for each competition and the "project description"
section will be substantively the same, with only minor formatting
differences. So, you can develop a single project description and budget,
tweak them a bit to address each funder's unique selection criteria, and
submit them (along with the unique "application cover page") for many or
maybe even all of these competitions.
Sample Mini-Grant Applications
$ $ $ $
If none of the internal mini-grants meet your school's needs, consider looking into this listing of local and in-state programs that MMSD staff have used to help launch special programs and projects. The funders listed below offer small- and medium-sized grants to schools, district staff and students.
Schools and district departments may also be able to secure funding and other resources (e.g. in-kind contributions of volunteer time, materials, equipment, etc.) from local service clubs and area businesses. Best practice suggests that principals and other school staff get to know the leaders of these potential supporters and work to develop long-term relationships with them. Staff may find that nearby service clubs and businesses are an interested in helping their neighboring schools achieve success. Visit the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce website to learn more about area service clubs.
Please remember that if you wish to apply for any of these grants, you must follow the MMSD Grant Review and Signoff Procedure.
Altrusa International of Madison
- Type: external competition, open to all non-profit organizations in Dane County, through the Madison Community Foundation
- Focus: Literacy and education broadly defined, including projects that help children and youth meet their full educational potential and projects that foster parental involvement with their child's schooling
- Range of Awards: $1,000-10,000 with an average of $1,200
- Eligible MMSD Applicant: the district or individual schools
- Application Release Date: available year-round on the web at http://www.madisoncommunityfoundation.org/community/friends3.asp
- Deadline: February 1
- Contact Person: Tom Linfield, Vice President, Grantmaking, Madison Community Foundation, 232-1763, tlinfield@madisoncommunityfoundation.org
By Youth for Youth
Capital Times Kids Fund
- Type: external competition open to all non-profit youth-serving organizations in Dane County
- Focus: projects that strengthen disadvantaged children and their families and help them address problems and needs by bringing services/activities to neighborhoods
- Range of Awards: typically up to $3,000, although larger requests will be considered
- Eligible MMSD Applicant: the District or individual schools
- Application Release Date: available year-round on the web at http://thekidsfund.org/grant_information.html
- Deadline: January 15 and April 15
- Contact: Birth through Elementary Programs, Carol Lobes, 5103 Autumn Lane, McFarland, 53558, 838-7491; Middle/High School Youth Programs, Hannah Pinkerton, 2901 Colgate Road, Madison, 53705, 233-1623; Programs for Persons with Disabilities, Paul Yochum, 2713 Sunset Court, Cross Plains, 53528, 261-8899
Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission
- Type: external competition open to all Dane County schools, non-profit organizations, municipalities, and individual artists/historians
- Focus: arts education and local history projects
- Range of Awards: up to $10,000 with an average of $3,500
- Eligible MMSD Applicant: the District on behalf of individual schools
- Application Release Date: always available on the web at http://www.culturalaffairscommission.com/grants/
- Deadline: February 1, June 1, and September 1
- Contact Person: Karen Crossley, Director, 266-5915, cultural.affairs@co.dane.wi.us
Dane County Sheriff's Association
- Type: External competition open to all school districts in Dane County
- Focus: To help level the playing field for individual economically-disadvantaged children by covering the cost of field trips, school supplies, athletic fees, musical or athletic equipment, private tutoring or lessons, clothing, medical expenses, etc.
- Range of Awards: Average grant is typically around $350
- Eligible MMSD Applicant: Schools
- Application Release Date: Available online at http://www.dcdsa.com/copsforkids.html
- Deadline: Funds available on a first-come basis; application should be submitted at least 60 days prior to the date that funds are needed; expedited consideration can be given in emergency situations
- Contact Person: Bob Richardson, 2807 Mickelson Parkway #208, Madison WI 53711, CopsForKids@gmail.com
Dane County Prevention Grants
- Type: external competition through Dane County Youth Commission
- Focus: innovative projects that build youth assets through cross-age tutoring/mentoring, cross-cultural programming, youth leadership programs, community service, and vocational assistance programs
- Range of Awards: up to $3,000; $23,500 awarded annually
- Eligible MMSD Applicant: students, staff members
- Application Release Date: December, available on the web at http://www.danecountyhumanservices.org/boards_youth_commission.htm
- Deadline: Usually mid-January
- Contact Person: Ron Biendseil, 242-6422, biendseil@co.dane.wi.us
Kiwanis Club of Downtown Madison: Community Service Leadership Grant
- Type: external competition open to all local non-profit organizations, including schools and the district
- Focus: thoughtful, creative, and practical responses to critical community needs and that have (or are likely to have) support from other funders
- Range of Awards: two $2,500 grants are awarded each year
- Eligible MMSD Applicant: the District or individual schools
- Application Release Date: usually in mid-April, available here
- Deadline: July 7, 2007
- Contact Person: Carroll Heideman, 274-1578 or heideman031@msn.com
Rubin for Kids
- Type: external competition
- Focus: funding for activities (lessons, camps, clothing, instruments, memberships, parties, etc.) for low-income school aged children residing in Dane County who are succeeding at home, at school, and/or in the community
- Range of Awards: up to $250, average of $100
- Eligible MMSD Applicant: teachers, social workers, mentors, coaches, educational assistants, and other adults who have a relationship with a low-income child who is demonstrating success
- Application Release Date: n/a
- Deadline: ongoing
- Contact Person: Barb Rubin, 204-2292, http://www.rubinforkids.org/, info@rubinforkids.org
School, Parents and Reading Connection (SPARC)
- Type: external competition through Dane County Youth Commission
- Focus: a reading program which allows students to take books and other items (video tapes, manipulatives, games, audio tapes, and project materials) home in order to increase family involvement in education
- Range of Awards: up to $500, with a total of about $6,000 available each year
- Eligible MMSD Applicant: elementary school or early childhood programs
- Application Release Date: January, available on the web at http://www.danecountyhumanservices.org/boards_youth_commission.htm
- Deadline: mid-Spring
- Contact Person: Kathy Price, 663-4941, kprice@madison.k12.wi.us
Student Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Mini Grants
- Type: external competition through the Department of Public Instruction
- Focus: peer-based approaches to ATODA prevention; projects created and implemented by students for students, community, and family; priority given to projects that make a link between AODA prevention and prevention of other youth risk behaviors
- Range of Awards: $1,000
- Eligible MMSD Applicant: any group of K-12 students
- Application Release Date: late August
- Deadline: Usually late-September; Grant application and instructions available online at http://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/miniprog.html
- Contact Person: Bonnie Augusta, 663-8449, baugusta@madison.k12.wi.us
Wisconsin Arts Board: Arts in Education Grants
- Type: external statewide competition open to all non-profit organizations
- Focus: projects involving students and teachers in exploration of the creative process, or projects providing broad cultural and geographic access to quality arts experiences
- Range of Awards: $2,000-10,000 with average of $5,000
- Eligible MMSD Applicant: the District or individual schools; maximum of one application per year for the District and one per year for each school
- Application Release Date: early January, available on the web at http://arts.state.wi.us/static/cdp.htm
- Deadline: mid February
- Contact Person: George Tzougros, Executive Director, 267-2006, george.tzougros@wisconsin.gov; or Karen Goeschko, Assistant Director for Programs & Services, 267-2026, karen.goeschko@wisconsin.gov
Wisconsin Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School
- Type: external competition open to schools and communities throughout Wisconsin.
- Focus: promote walking and biking to school by facilitating planning, development, and implementation of projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution in the vicinity of schools.
- Range of Awards: year 1: planning grant which provides services of a Wisconsin Department of Transportation consultant to assist with project planning; year 2: funding for non-infrastructure ($10,000 floor) or infrastructure ($25,000 floor) projects up to $200,000.
- Eligible MMSD Applicant: the District or individual schools
- Application Release Date: December 2007. Online application.
- Deadline: March 2008
- Contact Person: Rachel Martin, 608-266-9911 or rachel.martin@dot.state.wi.us
Wisconsin Environmental Education Board Mini- and Small Grants
- Type: external competition available to non-profits and educational institutions (including public schools) in Wisconsin
- Focus: The Wisconsin Environmental Education Board (WEEB) awards grants for the development, dissemination, and implementation of environmental education programs.
- Range of Awards: Up to $1,000 for mini-grants, and $1,001-$5,000 for small grants
- Eligible MMSD Applicant: the District or individual schools
- Application Release Date: available now on the web at http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/weeb/application/forms.htm
- Deadline: Mid-January
- Contact Person: WEEB office (715) 346-3805 or weeb@uwsp.edu
Wisconsin State Journal Youth Services Inc.
- Type: external competition open to all non-profit youth-serving organizations in Dane County and adjoining counties
- Focus: projects that address the needs of middle-school children; projects that provide opportunities for positive community involvement for children from challenged neighborhoods; and/or projects that encourage development of positive attitudes, stimulate interest in learning, educational achievement and the arts, and promote healthy life choices
- Range of Awards: typically $500 - $2,000 with average around $1,500
- Eligible MMSD Applicant: the District or individual schools
- Application Release Date: usually in May, available here
- Deadline: usually in July
- Contact Person: Rhonda Reese, Executive Director, Youth Services, Inc., c/o Wisconsin State Journal, PO Box 8058, Madison, 53708, 252-6103 , rreese@madison.com
$ $ $ $
If none of the mini-grant programs meet your needs or mesh with your project idea, you can use Internet-based research tools to conduct a do-it-yourself funding source search of major State, Federal and Private Sector grants.
A Quick Word about Major State and Federal (Public Sector) Grants...
The federal government is the primary source of public sector competitive grant funds for K-12 education. In many cases, competitions for these funds are held directly by a federal agency, with the vast majority held by the U.S. Department of Education. In other cases, these funds are allocated to the state and, in Wisconsin, the Department of Public Instruction conducts state-wide competitions among local school districts. All pertinent information about these state and federal grant programs - including all application materials - are available on the World Wide Web.
A Quick Word about Major Private Sector Grants...
Across the country, many private foundations and major corporations have chosen K-12 public education as an area of interest. Like federal and state agencies, many of these grantmakers post information about their giving - and application materials - on the World Wide Web. At the same time, many of these grantmakers limit their giving to communities with whom they have a special relationship, e.g. the community or state or region in which their headquarters or significant business operations are located. Few private foundations will consider giving directly to public schools or school districts outside of these special communities. When they do, they are typically looking for projects that have the potential to serve as national models. These projects often involve partnerships with other districts, national-level non-profit education organizations, and/or colleges and universities. And in these cases, the non-profit or higher education institution will typically be the grantee.
Do-It-Yourself Internet-Based Funding Search
Begin a do-it-yourself funding search for Federal, State, and private sector grantmakers by accessing the resources available at the following web sites.
Federal Funding Source Search
State of Wisconsin Funding Source Search
Foundation Funding Source Search
- The Madison Community Foundation offers larger grants for not-for-profit organizations in Dane County under several different programs, including American Girl Fund for Children. Visit http://www.madisoncommunityfoundation.org/ to learn more about these opportunities.
- The Grants Information Center at the UW-Madison's Memorial Library is the most complete local source for finding private, corporate, and foundation grant opportunities. The Grants Information Center is located in the Reference Room (Room 262), 728 State Street, 262-3242 and online (http://www.library.wisc.edu./libraries/Memorial/grantshp.htm).
- The Foundation Center is the most respected national source of information about private sector grants and technical assistance about grantseeking in general. (http://www.fdncenter.org) The RFP Bulletin lists currently open grant competitions by subject area. (http://fdncenter.org/pnd/rfp/index.jhtml)
- SchoolGrants (http://www.schoolgrants.org) displays listings of Federal, State, and foundation grant programs that are available exclusively for school districts.
- eSchool News (http://www.eschoolnews.com/resources/funding/) contains information about technology-related funding opportunities.
$ $ $ $
The following Internet resources contain information on developing grants, tutorials on writing grant proposals, and samples of successful, well-written grant proposals.
Previous: MMSD Grant Application Review and Sign-off Procedure
Top: GFDO Home
|
