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The Grant Application Form consists of three parts:

·   Cover Page

·   Project Abstract

·   Project Narrative

·   Budget

Cover Page

Cover Page

The Cover Page requests basic information about your proposed project as well as necessary contact information.

§   Try to think of a short and fun name for your project, one that both captures the essence of your idea and will be viewed as enticing to participants (and the Grant Review Committee!).

§   If your project involves more than one grade level or classroom, select an individual to serve as “teacher coordinator” and contact person for the Grant Review Committee. The coordinator is expected to act as project spokesperson, be responsible for the accounting of funds spent, and assure that a final report on the results of the project is submitted. Identify other participating teachers under “Collaborating Teachers and/or Other Community Partners.”

§   Connection to Mission Statement: The primary mission of the LEEF is to encourage the love of learning, support excellence in teaching, and promote discovery.

§   Partnerships: LEEF also seeks to cultivate relationships with individuals, business, and industry whenever possible. Thus, as you develop your proposal, consider including a “community partner” with whom the project will be carried out. For example, a science project might involve an engineer from Parker Hannifan, or a history project might include an area historian or the Wayne County Museum as a community partner.

§   Be sure to have the school principal sign your application. This assures that appropriate administrative personnel are aware and supportive of your efforts.

Project Abstract: Provide a one or two paragraph summary of your project.

Project Narrative

Your Project Narrative is a description of your project and should be no more than three pages in length and typewritten. Take time to plan and work out the details of your project before writing the narrative portion of your proposal, keeping in mind the criteria by which all proposals will be evaluated when reviewed by the Grant Review Committee.

§   Include in your narrative a description of: the goals of the project (i.e., what you hope to accomplish); the population to be served; specific activities that will be completed and the timetable that will be followed; the role and benefits to be derived by community partners; and plans for evaluating the results.

§   Begin your narrative with a brief description of your project and goals you hope to achieve, using words that the general public will understand.

§   When describing the population to be served, be sure to include not only a description of who will be served (e.g., grade level), but also the number of students expected to participate.

§   The Description of Activities and Timetable will undoubtedly be the longest and most detailed part of your proposal. Present your ideas using a student-centered approach. Specify clearly what students will be doing along the way and how it will benefit them. Emphasize the innovative features of your project – i.e., unique ways to motivate students, ignite intellectual curiosity, or foster responsibility.

§   As you plan your timetable, keep in mind that, in general, it is expected that projects will be completed within the same school year as the award thereby providing continuity for students and avoiding potential disruptions due to changes in teacher assignments or workloads.

§   Think about ways to involve your community partner in a manner that makes your project a truly collaborative effort. Chances are that the stronger this relationship is, the more resources the community partner will bring to the project.

§   Describe how you will use opportunities readily available to you to communicate the results of your project to participants and school representatives. For example, post results on school bulletin boards, include a story in the school newspaper, etc. Note that LEEF will also promote the results of your project within the community and through public media outlets.

§   How will your project be sustained in the future? Most grant awards are “seed” monies for pilot and research projects.

§   Before submitting your proposal, test the content against the Criteria for Evaluation.

Budget

Budget

The budget is an itemized listing of all required expenses and anticipated revenues necessary to carry out your project.

§   Your budget should accurately reflect the cost of materials (don’t forget sales tax and shipping charges) and services you need to implement your project. Your efforts to identify appropriate suppliers and actual costs, rather than automatically requesting the maximum amount available, is viewed as important and appreciated by Review Committee members.

§   The budget should include all costs and resources needed to carry out your project, including in-kind contributions and funds obtained from sources other than the Teacher Grants program.

§   As you prepare your budget, keep in mind the following guidelines regarding items which, in general, will and will not receive consideration for support through the LEEF grant program:

§   Efforts to obtain in-kind contributions or additional funds from other sources to enhance the success of your project, is looked upon favorably by the Grants Review Committee. Please identify, by name and amount, the other sources of support you have secured for the project in the column provided. If your project is rated highly and you have tried, but have not been able to secure supplementary support for all items, Review Committee members will offer additional suggestions or assistance wherever possible.

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

·   Scholastic Impact/Relationship to NYS Standards: In what ways does the project help to achieve established NYS education standards? In what ways will it address the skill and knowledge identified as ICSD student exit outcomes?

·   Innovation: To what extent does the project contain innovative approaches to learning and to preparing students for a more dynamic world? To what extent is the project designed to pilot new techniques creating substantive change in approaches to learning and education?

·   Exposure/Long term benefits: Who and how many will benefit from the project? If the project is individual classroom based, to what extent will the project serve as a model (i.e., can the project be replicated and/or expanded upon) for others in the future? How will students and others be informed about the project and how will the results be communicated upon completion?

·   Community Partnership: What organizations, groups and individuals were consulted in the design of the project? How will each project “partner” be involved? What benefits will be derived by each partner?

·   Cost: What specifically will funds be used for and in what way will grant funds be used to achieve maximum benefit? What other resources and in-kind support has been secured for the project? How does the project augment (rather than replace) existing resources provided through the school district budget? Are mechanisms in place to assure financial accountability?

·   Project Content and Viability: Are the goals and anticipated products or outcomes of the project clearly delineated? What is the timetable for completion? How will the project be evaluated upon completion? What is the project’s potential for success?

APPLICATION SUBMISSION PROCEDURE: Please submit your proposal using the Application Form supplied by LEEF. The form will eventually be available through the school web site, but is currently available in each building’s main office and the Grants Office. Three copies of the application are to be submitted to the Lyons CSD Grants and Development Office, 10 Old Clyde Road, Lyons, NY 14489.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q.   What happens if several teachers from one school submit proposals? Will my chances of receiving a grant be diminished?

A.   There is no limit on the number of proposals that may be submitted by teachers from any one school. However, in order that LEEF may have the broadest impact with limited dollars available, the teachers who have submitted proposals within individual schools may be asked to prioritize proposals when multiple requests have been submitted.

Q.   I have an idea but am not ready to submit a proposal at this time. Can I submit an application at some point in the future?

A.  Yes. Requests will be collected on a continual basis until such time the Grant Committee deems otherwise.

Q.   What are my responsibilities if I apply for and receive a grant?

A.  Acceptance of a grant requires that the project leader:

o   submit a summary report at the completion of the project;

o   submit receipts and a final accounting of all expenses;

o   agree to mention LEEF as a sponsor in any printed or published materials and at events related to the project; and

o   attend a LEEF sponsored recognition event with community partners at year-end designed to showcase your efforts.

Q.   I know that my proposal will be reviewed on a competitive basis. Who will be reviewing the proposals and making the decisions?

A.  The Grant Review Committee, composed primarily of individuals from the community from which funds were raised, carries the responsibility for accepting, rejecting or suggesting revisions to submitted proposals. The Grant Review Committee is a Sub-Committee of the LEEF Advisory.

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