Grants and funding information

NEA Foundation grants
Test out your big idea! The NEA Foundation for Improvement of Education offers grants in many categories for k-12 and higher education employees nationwide. Many Montana school and higher education employees have already won NFIE grants. Deadlines ongoing. www.nfie.org/

Read Across America Library Books Awards
The NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education invites applications for the Read Across America Library Books Awards to help public schools serving economically disadvantaged students purchase books for school libraries. Maximum Award: $5,000. Eligibility: practicing pre-K-12 teachers or education support professionals in a U.S. public school and a member of the National Education Association. Deadline: September 15, 2005. http://www.neafoundation.org/grants.htm

National Geographic Teacher Grant Program
National Geographic Teacher Grant Program to promote geographic literacy for all children. Maximum Award: $5,000. Eligibility: Teachers K-12. Deadline: September 2, 2005.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/foundation/pdf/foundation_2005-Teacher-Grant.pdf

Siemens Westinghouse Competition
The Siemens Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science & Technology recognizes remarkable talent early on, fostering individual growth for high school students who are willing to challenge themselves through science research. Through this competition, students have an opportunity to achieve national recognition for science research projects that they complete in high school. The top individual and team winners receive additional
scholarships of $100,000. Runners up receive scholarships ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. Deadline: October 3, 2005.
http://www.siemens-foundation.org/competition

Do Something BRICK Awards
The Do Something BRICK Awards honors 6 outstanding youth leaders who develop projects to improve their community. Maximum Award: $5,000 scholarship and a $5,000 grant. Eligibility: Students age 18 and under. Deadline: November 1, 2005
http://www.dosomething.org/awards/brick/index.php

Aerospace Education Foundation Educator Grants
This program is designed to promote aerospace education activities. The program encourages development of innovative aerospace activities within the prescribed curriculum. The program also encourages establishing an active relationship between the school and the local Air Force Association organization. Maximum Award: varies. Eligibility: K-12 classrooms. Deadline: November 15, 2005 http://www.aef.org/aid/educator.pdf

Promoting Critical Collaboration Between Teachers and Media Specialists
The Thomson Gale TEAMS Award recognizes and encourages the critical collaboration between the teacher and media specialist to promote learning and increase student achievement. Maximum Award: $2,500. Eligibility: All K-12 public and private schools in the United States and Canada. Deadline: September 9, 2005.
http://www.galeschools.com/TEAMS/

Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children Program (HTPC)
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services seeks to stimulate innovative community-based programs that employ prevention strategies to promote access to health care for children and their families nationwide. HTPC funding supports direct service projects, not research projects. Maximum Award: $50,000. Eligibility: Independent school districts, Nonprofits with 501 (c)(3) IRS status, and Individuals. Deadline: September 12, 2005. https://grants.hrsa.gov/webExternal/SFO.asp?ID=741A4914-F03D-4595-8BA7-AA19BAFC29FB

Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program
The Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program (JFMF) provides U.S. primary and secondary school teachers and administrators with the opportunity to participate in three-week study visits to Japan and to return home with a follow-on plan designed to introduce Japanese culture to American students. Graduate level credits are also available. Deadline: December 10, 2005. http://www.iie.org/jfmf

Show Me the Money: Tips & Resources
for Successful Grant Writing
Many educators have found that outside funding, in the form of grants, allows them to provide their students with educational experiences and materials their own districts can't afford. Learn how they get those grants -- and how you can get one too. Included: Practical tips to help first-time grant writers get the grants they need. www.educationworld.com/a_curr/profdev/profdev039.shtml

Department of Education Forecast of Funding
This document lists all programs and competitions under which the Department of Education has invited or expects to invite applications for new awards for FY 2005 and provides dates for applications under these programs. The lists are in the form of charts -- organized according to the Department's principal program offices -- and includes previously announced programs and competitions, as well as those planned for announcement at a later date. Note: This document is advisory only and is not an official application notice of the Department of Education. http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/find/edlite-forecast.html

Grantionary
The Grantionary is a list of grant-related terms and their definitions. www.eduplace.com/grants/help/grantionary.html

GrantsAlert
GrantsAlert is a website that helps nonprofits, especially those involved in education, secure the funds they need to continue their important work. www.grantsalert.com/

Grant Writing Tips
SchoolGrants has compiled an excellent set of grant writing tips for those that need help in developing grant proposals. www.schoolgrants.org/tips.htm

FastWEB
FastWEB is the largest online scholarship search available, with 600,000 scholarships representing over one billion in scholarship dollars. It provides students with accurate, regularly updated information on scholarships, grants, and fellowships suited to their goals and qualifications, all at no cost to the student. Students should be advised that FastWEB collects and sells student information (such as name, address, e-mail address, date of birth, gender, and country of citizenship) collected through their site. www.fastweb.com/

Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE)
More than 30 Federal agencies formed a working group in 1997 to make hundreds of federally supported teaching and learning resources easier to find. The result of that work is the FREE website. www.ed.gov/free/

Fundsnet Online Services
A comprehensive website dedicated to providing nonprofit organizations, colleges, and Universities with information on financial resources available on the Internet. www.fundsnetservices.com/

eSchool News School Funding Center
Information on up-to-the-minute grant programs, funding sources, and technology funding. www.eschoolnews.com/resources/funding/

Philanthropy News Digest
Philanthropy News Digest, a weekly news service of the Foundation Center, is a compendium, in digest form, of philanthropy-related articles and features culled from print and electronic media outlets nationwide. fdncenter.org/pnd/

School Grants
A collection of resources and tips to help K-12 educators apply for and obtain special grants for a variety of projects. www.schoolgrants.org

Source: PEN Weekly NewsBlast, a free e-mail newsletter featuring school reform and school fundraising resources. The PEN NewsBlast is the property of the Public Education Network, a national association of 89 local education funds working to improve public school quality in low-income communities nationwide.

Broad Foundation Grants - Private
The Broad Foundation's mission is to improve K-12 urban public education through better governance, management, and labor relations. The foundation seeks applications that aim to enlist talent, redefine roles and authorities, develop high-performing leaders and systems, provide incentives for results, and honor and showcase success.

Organizations seeking funding should carefully review the foundation's web site to ensure that their proposals are consistent with its mission and that the focus of the work is located in one of the eligible districts. This funding opportunity is for local and state affiliates with strong labor management relations and who currently collaborate on professional development and school restructuring.

The Broad Foundation funds school districts and states who are planning dynamic programs that attract talented teachers to hard-to-staff schools, provide support for high performing schools, and seek collaborative partners in the higher ed community.

Contact: Wendy Jones, grants@broadfoundation.org

Prudential Foundation Ready to Learn Program – Private
Prudential Foundation Ready to Learn Program for education reform efforts that strengthen public education at the elementary school level. Funding is provided for systemic school reform; improving the quality of teachers, principals and other school leaders, and arts education; early childhood care and education initiatives, and strategies to improve literacy that address professional development for teachers, family literacy programs or literacy in the early years. Maximum Award: $25,000-$1 million. Eligibility: Public education at the elementary school level.

Deadline: N/A. Local and state affiliates working with departments of education or local school districts in delivering professional development are eligible for this program.

GUIDE FOR CREATING & IMPROVING SCHOOL/BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS - This How-To Guide is designed for school officials and business leaders who are interested in engaging in school-business partnerships. Partnership programs can encompass a wide variety of activities. They may involve staff development, curriculum development, policy development, instructional development, guidance, mentoring, tutoring, incentives and awards, or they may provide material and financial resources.

Though the types of partnership activities can vary, the common goal of virtually all school-business partnerships is to improve the academic, social or physical well-being of students. This guide is the result of extensive research and personal interviews with individuals who have experience creating, implementing and evaluating successful partnerships. Whether you are already engaged in partnerships, or are embarking on your first partnership, this guide can provide valuable insight on effective strategies.

Please note that these guidelines are not intended to serve as an exact prescription, but rather to provide a framework within which to build a partnership that fits your unique needs. Since the vast majority of partnerships are initiated by schools, a number of the guidelines are written with the school perspective in mind. Former Secretary of Education Richard Riley is chairperson of the Council for Corporate and School Partnerships.

Contact Kathy Buzad for any technical assistance and support on grant initiatives supporting educational reform and professional development training.