1 Ashley Garrison, and Kelly Hopkins, Office of Grant DevelopmentOffice of Grant Development GRANT CHAMPIONS WORKSHOP September 2016

Topics of Discussion for today’s workshop Introductions Grant Champions Overview Grant Approval Process Donors Choose Create and Post Your Donors Choose Project How to Get Funded 2

Grant Champions Program Overview Participating in Grant Champions is an opportunity to build your grant development skills and secure additional funding for your school or department. The Office of Grant Development provides grant resources and consultative support to help you navigate the grant approval process and develop competitive grant proposals. As a Grant Champion, you will lead the grant development efforts for your school and try to submit at least one grant proposal during the school year. The time Grant Champions invest in the program will vary, from an hour a month to an hour a week, based on the needs of your school/department and the structure you develop. 3

4 Monthly Grant Alerts Grant Development Webinars Twitter Feed with Alerts Grant Exemplars Recent Grant Awards Online Resources

5 Grant Development – Where do I begin? Form a Grant Committee – Staff, PTA Member, School Governance Council - Gather input from teachers, parents, the community Understand your school’s strategic initiatives - Review your strategic plan - Your funding strategy should be aligned to your strategic plan Discuss funding needs with Leadership team – What are the key areas of focus this year? - What are the resource gaps?

6 Mining for Local Resources Identify where parents work Possible opportunities for Corporate Contributions, Corporate Foundation grants, ‘Dollars for Doers’ funding, etc. Identify local businesses Chamber of Commerce, Partners in Education, stores in the area, etc. Review Strategic Partners E.g., non-profit organizations that support the school and have a 501(c)3 IRS determination letter, e.g., school foundations, YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, etc. Identify local service organizations that may have a grant program E.g., Rotary, Kiwanis, Junior League, faith-based organizations, etc. Compile a list of professional organizations of which your teachers /educators are members Many offer grants, contests, scholarships to members, e.g., National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Science Teachers Association, etc.

Grant Development Process Inform Principal or Department Head of intent to submit a grant proposal or intent to participate in a grant with another organization. Discuss grant objectives, alignment to strategic plan, grant budget, reporting requirements, roles and responsibilities, etc. Complete the Grant Approval Form located on the Office of Grant Development website.Grant Approval Form Attach the grant proposal and grant budget to the completed Grant Approval Form. Submit the Grant Approval Form with the attached grant proposal and budget to the appropriate administrators for signatures. Allow up to 3 weeks to obtain approvals prior to grant submission. Coordinate with the Office of Grant Development to facilitate securing signatures in the Central Office. When you receive notice of an award, notify your principal and the grants dept. so we can highlight your efforts and share the news with our school board members. 7

Aaron Moyer, Horace Mann 8 Kristina Joye Lyles, donorschoose.org FCS Grant Champions welcome Special Guest Presenters

At Horace Mann, our passion is helping teachers in the classroom – because they have one of the most important jobs on the planet. How to use DonorsChoose.org and get the classroom supplies you need

Sources: 2013 NSSEA Retail Market Awareness Study, Horace Mann calculations Infographic: Educator Issue: Teachers spend $500 a year on school supplies If teachers invested $500 a year at 6% over 30 years, they would save roughly $126 billion, or $40,000 in additional retirement savings per teacher 92 percent of teachers spend their own money on classroom supplies 85 percent of teachers buy instructional materials for their students Average spend is $500 per teacher per year, which adds up to $1.6 billion total

We know getting the classroom resources you need can be challenging. That’s why we’ve partnered with DonorsChoose.org. What is DonorsChoose.org? DonorsChoose.org is a nonprofit that connects public school teachers in need of classroom materials and experiences with individual donors who want to help.

Does it work? Yes! Since 2000, DonorsChoose.org has enabled the funding of more than 748,000 classroom projects benefiting more than 18.8 million students. These projects have brought over $439 million in resources to public school classrooms. On average, 70% of projects posted to DonorsChoose.org are funded!

How does it work?

Who is eligible to submit a project request at DonorsChoose.org? All full-time classroom teachers at public schools (who spend more than 75% of each workday with students) Other full-time, front-line educators at public schools (nurses, guidance counselors, etc. who spend more than 75% of their workday with students) PLEASE NOTE : At this time, administrators, volunteers, staff developers, paraprofessionals, teacher aides and substitute teachers cannot request resources at DonorsChoose.org.

Let’s get started! –What do you need for your classroom? Projects in the $300-$400 range are much more likely to get funded –What’s your story? It’s essay time for teacher. Read other project “stories” Make sure to proof read very well, not just for spelling. –Do you have pictures which communicate the project need? Make sure the picture is compliant with Donors Choose guidelines, and of good quality * TIP - Projects with links to teachers Facebook almost always get funded To get started, teachers should: 1. Visit 2. Select “Get started!” to create a teacher account. 3. Log in to your teacher account and submit your first project!

1. Choose the project type? 2. Tell about your students Donors love to read about what makes students special. 3. What does your classroom need? Choose a vendor to start shopping for materials. How do I create a project?

4. Choose your materials and add them to your cart. 5. When you are done shopping, Summarize Cart and click “Save and Continue”. How do I create a project?

How do I submit a project? 6. You will be guided through the remaining steps to describe your project and submit for funding. Inspire donors with a photo from your classroom. Use this guidance:

How do I submit a project? Review your project, then click “Submit Your Project”! DonorsChoose.org volunteers will review your project and post it on the site. Once it’s posted, donors can visit the site and choose to fund the project. Once a project is funded, DonorsChoose.org orders the materials, ships them to the school, and collects a thank-you package for the donors. For complete rules, see DonorsChoose.org. What happens next?

How do I get my project funded? Send a note or an to your student’s parents, grandparents, relatives Post your project on social media Get the community involved – Use local business resources to build interest and funding for your project Get your local coffee shop to post your project on the bulletin board or chalk board Get parent organizations involved – Local PTA, Booster Tap into community organizations – Kiwanis, Lions Club, Rotary

Reach Your Project Goal: Activate Your Community 21 Throw a donor party for friends and acquaintances. Engage your administration, PTA/PTO, or ask your students’ parents to spread the word about your project. Create your own shareable items, such as t-shirts, business cards, or flyers, to hand out at school events and local businesses.flyers Write a column about your classroom for a local newspaper or reach out to your local TV station. Brainstorm with your colleagues about ways to band together to reach out to your community.

For additional information contact: Steen Lyles, Donors Choose Aaron Moyer, Horace Mann Ashley Garrison Kelly Hopkins