WELCOME...to the School District of Palm Beach County’s web site for school and teacher grant opportunities. The Grants Office has designed this site to assist teachers in seeking and acquiring grant funds to support school and classroom projects that will improve student learning. A variety of Opportunities for Funding have been reviewed for appropriate content and timely deadlines. |
This site contains links to free and appropriate online grant-writing tutorials and guidelines to help teachers and school staff through each stage of the grant development process. |
| As you explore the world of funding opportunities, you may come across some confusing jargon. To assist you through the terminology often found in grant opportunities, we are providing a Glossary of Grant-Related Terms. |
| Get the Support You Need…If you identify a grant opportunity from an external funding source and are interested in submitting a proposal, you should always discuss this idea with and obtain approval from your principal. Make sure the project idea supports your school improvement plans. |
| Planning Should Start Early…Much of what will eventually become the basis of a good grant proposal can be in place well before you apply for a specific grant. For instance, your school has a mission statement that clearly describes who you are, why you exist, and outlines your unique contributions to the education of children. Additionally, you will develop a brief and clear summary of the project that covers your school’s mission, values, educational needs, goals and objectives, project methods, evaluation, budget, and a vision for the future. |
| Follow guidelines and don’t be afraid to ask…Follow the guidelines given in the application. Your project should support the funder’s organizational goals or purpose for philanthropy, or you may need to keep researching for an organization that clearly wants to fund a project such as yours. A contact name, address, or email will be provided within the guidelines. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. |
| Collaborations get funded…Build partnerships and collaborations within your school and within your community, with other schools or organizations, or with relevant professionals. Funders are looking for collaborations. If there are more stakeholders actively involved, the project has a better possibility of success. Building partnerships makes your project more fundable. |
| Grantsmanship is not grant writing…Grantsmanship is much more than putting together a grammatically clean sentence or paragraph and following with an outline. According to Maryann Boess of GrantsUSA, “The grant-writing part of the process, while critical, is only about 20 percent of the job. The rest – having a goal, understanding your mission, articulating your needs, collaborating with your community, planning, and understanding your funder – makes up the other 80 percent.” And, as Boess points out, “Grant seekers are never successful 100 percent of the time.” (If they are, maybe they have applied for only one grant!) |
The School District of Palm Beach County is an Equal Education Opportunity Provider and Employer. |
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