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Karen Espanol Hmoob Soomaali

Seeking Grants and Funding

WHAT IS A GRANT?

A grant is a legal contract to provide funding for a specific goal or outcome with the expectation of progress monitoring and reporting. It is not a gift, free of obligation or expectations. Grant funding comes from a variety of public and private sources. Grants allow SPPS to further educational research, expand services and provide programs or resources to students that would otherwise not be possible.

WHERE SHOULD I LOOK TO FIND GRANT OPPORTUNITIES?

Start by searching the SPPS Grant Database and looking for opportunities for common teacher grants. For more information, review the Finding Funding tab on the Applyin g for Grants page.

WHAT IS THE GRANTS PROCESS?

Common Teacher Grants

Ecolab Teacher Grant Program
The Ecolab Teacher Grants Program (ETGP) was created by the district in 2018 to fund projects and activities that inspire and engage students or the replacement of out of date classroom materials. The program offers a convenient and efficient way for teachers to write applications for funds that support classroom learning.

ETGP grants are generally suitable for something that will impact a classroom or students of one grade.

The Ecolab Foundation provides approximately $250,000 every year to support the program.

There are three application types:
1. Micro-grants are awarded for up to $1000 per year per applicant. These can fund smaller projects and purchases.
2. Individual applications, submitted by one educator, are awarded for up to $2,500.
3. Team applications, submitted by a group of two or more educators, are awarded for up to $7,500.
You can learn more about the Ecolab Teacher Grant Program here.
Assistance League Links to Learning Grants

Assistance League’s long-standing partnership with SPPS has made funds accessible through their Operation School Bell^Ⓡ Links to Learning program.

Links to Learning teachers' grants provide support to classroom projects that innovate and enhance standard curriculum. Applications for these grants are due early October and require short responses to a few simple questions.

Award Amount: Up to $1,000

Eligible Staff: Teachers, school counselors, social workers, staff who work directly with students

To learn more about Links to Learning grants, visit the Assistance League website.
Hiway Credit Union Accelerate Teacher Grants
The Hiway Credit Union Foundation awards Accelerate Teacher Grants to fund projects or programs related to life skills that enhance the overall wellness of the community.

Award Amount: Up to $1000

Eligible Staff:
- Applicant must be a teacher during the 2022-23 school year at a Title 1 school
- The project must be related to financial well-being or life skills that are not funded, underfunded, or unavailable at the school
- Applicant must not be a Hiway Credit Union^® or Hiway Credit Union Foundation employee, officer, member of the board of directors, or immediate family member (spouse, parents, children and siblings)
- Applicant can not receive more than one Accelerate Teacher Grant during the same school year
To learn more about Accelerate Teacher grants, visit the Hiway Credit Union Foundation website here.

Other Forms of Funding

Grants aren't the only source of funding for events, projects and programs, and there are a number of reasons why grants may not be the best fit.

There may be no grants that fit your planned project, and changing the project to fit the available grants doesn't make sense

Timing doesn't work (eg: need the funding sooner)

Grants that would suit the project have too many requirements or don't fit the SPPS strategic plan

Applied for but did not receive a grant, but the project is worth supporting

In these cases, you may be in need of other sources or forms of funding. Online fundraising or requesting financial or physical gifts may be good options for financing the need.

Visit this page for more information on online fundraising and recommended fundraising sites.

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