What you need to know when applying for a grant for your school
Aren’t there days where you wonder where your parent group’s fairy godmother is? After all, with a “bippty-boppity-boo” Cinderella was instantly transformed into a princess, and there was swag to boot! In these trying fiscal times, however, you really have to make your own magic happen if you want to transform your child’s educational and extracurricular experiences.
First you need to understand that there is a vast difference between a grant and all the Facebook and internet competitions you enter. While it is great to pass along the word about an amazing Box Tops opportunity, you are relying on a small group of people to go to a website every day to click on a button in order for the chance to win a small or even substantial cash prize. Don't pin your hopes and dreams upon these types of endeavors - they're fun to participate in, but not to rely on for funding.
A more focused use of your volunteer time might be to track down a viable grant or two and apply for that instead. A grant is a fund disbursed by one party (could be government, could be a corporation like Wal-Mart, Target, or others) to a recipient. Most grants fund a specific program or project (like a field trip grant, or “a create a school garden” grant) and some grants require your parent group to show that you have obtained “matching funds." For example, if the grant is for up to $1,000, and you know you can only raise $500, only ask for $500. If you ask for the full $1,000 you will be eliminated from the grant before they’ve looked over your project.
Before you even surf the internet and take a look at sights like Grant Wrangler, Foundation Center, or Grant Watch, you need to have a crucial conversation with your school Principal. Just because you want to build a playground and know that KaBOOM! can help, doesn’t mean that this is at the top of the priority list for your Principal and school.
If you are part of your school’s PTA or parent group as a board member, the Principal should be as well. Use planning meetings to discuss school needs and concerns, and your group can present the project as a partnership building endeavor, not as a done deal. Once everyone in the school community is engaged in the idea, then you move forward:
- Data: You need it and the school has it. “How many students are enrolled in the school; how many students are Free/Reduced Lunch; how many…” Oftentimes, there are 'fill in the blank' sections on a grant application. You’ll want to look over the grant first, get the numbers, and go from there. It may be that the grant is for a school with a certain number of students who are Free/Reduced lunch. Don’t apply if you don’t meet that requirement, and it’s better to know that in advance, then spend all that time applying and read the fine print only after the fact.
- Another example, if it is an application for a playground or garden build, make sure you know the dimensions of the space on which you plan to build, take photos of the space before to show what the need is (and then you can take photos during/after to show how the grant filled the need). Perhaps you have some design ideas for what the new space will look like. It would be good to have those available in case the grant asks for more specific details.
- Budget: If the grant is for a certain amount, show exactly how those funds will be spent AND what other funds you have available. You want to show the donor that you are not relying on only their funds, but that you have created other community connections and support for your project. When you get the grant (see power of positive thinking) STICK TO THE BUDGET.
- Timing: Most grants are to be filled out on-line and in an allotted “timed-out” session. This means that you can look the questions over in advance, write your answers in a word document, then cut and paste the answers in. If the answer is to be only 500 words long, this gives you a chance to edit, edit, edit, your message until it is “elevator-pitch” perfect.
- Deadline: I advise having your application completed at least a week before the deadline. I’ve heard far too many stories of people filling out a grant application moments before a deadline to only have the site, or their computer, crash and “poof” opportunity missed. Also having a grant completed in advance means you have time to have a second set of eyes review it. This ensures you have conveyed your message in your application accurately and with a passion that will make it rise to the top of the applicant pool.
- Keep copies of everything. Many grants require a “report” about how the grant was implemented and utilized. They want to know that you did what you said you would do, and that you did it well. Success means that you could be in line for additional funding from this donor, and success means you could get funding from other donors through alternative grant opportunities.
Bottom line: If you don’t get the grant don’t be discouraged. Follow up (if you can) and ask what worked in your application (so you know to keep it for the next cycle) and what didn’t (so you know to change that part). But by all means, APPLY. The truth is that not everyone will get lucky and get the first grant applied for. More often than not, it takes numerous times to get it right, however, when you do get it right, celebrate and share with your community. After all, you wrote that grant for them, didn’t you?
Myrdin Thompson has been a Louisville public school parent, volunteer & advocate since 2002. She is currently the Kentucky PTA Reflections Commissioner and her son's middle school PTSA President. She was recognized by the White House as a "Champion of Change" in April 2011; is the Arts Advocate Mentor for Mom Congress; and was the Kentucky Delegate for Parenting Magazine's 2010 Mom Congress. She is dedicated to building support for and enhancing the quality of education in the Jefferson County Public Schools for all children in the district.
Read more by Myrdin on Roots & Wings and follow her on Twitter:@myrdinjt