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General Grant Program Application Instructions

Cover Page

A copy of the completed cover page must be downloaded, printed, signed and mailed to GFFE at 800 Village Walk #269, Guilford, CT 06437 by the grant deadline.

Type of Grant: GFFE offers three types of grants promoting learning, innovation, and excellence. Check off the type of grant that best describes your project.

  • IMAGINE Grants are designed to impact Guilford students in one or more classrooms, a school, or district-wide. They may address broader school/district issues such as technology, curriculum development, differentiated instruction, professional development, student growth and development, etc. GFFE looks for projects that can be both replicated and sustained after the close of the grant project period.
  • STUDENT ACTION Grants are designed for student initiated projects that promote learning, leadership and/or community service. These projects must have an agency staff member as an advisor.
  • COMMUNITY PARTNER Grants are designed for government or non profit agencies and target projects that bring schools, families and community organizations together.

Project Applicant/Coordinator: The applicant is the person submitting the grant. Include the name of the project coordinator if different from the applicant.

Other participants: List the names of others who may have a significant role in implementing the project. If the project is a collaborative effort, with whom are you collaborating?

Agency/School Affiliation: Include the name of the non-profit agency (school, organization, etc.) with which the person submitting the grant is affiliated. Include the contact information (address and phone number) for the agency.

Anticipated Start and End Dates: Maximum grant period is two years.

Total Amount Requested: GFFE standard grant awards range from $250 to $3000. (GFFE will consider requests greater than $3000. Contact the Grant Co-Chairs for details.) The amount listed on the cover sheet must be the same as the total amount on the application budget submitted.

Signatures: The applicant and the agency administrator must sign the cover sheet. A copy of the completed cover page must be downloaded, printed, signed and mailed to GFFE at 800 Village Walk #269, Guilford, CT 06437 by the deadline date.

Main Section

This section is to be completed in narrative or paragraph form. Its purpose is to help us better understand your project.

  1. Describe the project: In narrative form write a brief description of the project.
    • Explain the purpose of the project. What are the goals? Goals are statements that describe the "end results" or learning that must be achieved.
    • Identify the learning need(s) that the project addresses, including a brief explanation of why this need exists. (Example: In a global society, people will increasingly need to be able to communicate in more than one language. Therefore,...)
    • Describe the project's activities.
    • What impact do you expect the project to have on Guilford's youth? What outcomes (results, effects, consequences) do you expect as a direct result of the project (i.e., a greater awareness of something, a greater interest in learning in a particular area, or a deeper understanding of something.)
  2. Number of students: Approximate the number of Guilford students who will directly participate in the project and their grades or approximate age range.
  3. Innovation: How is this project new and different from what has been done previously in Guilford? If it is an enhancement of a program (current or past) explain how this proposal enriches it.
  4. Replication: GFFE is interested in funding projects that have the potential to impact many children. Explain how this project could be replicated or expanded by another group in Guilford.
  5. Timeline: Include a brief outline of the project's timeline. What will be done by when? Dates can be approximate.
  6. Assessment: Reflecting on the goals of the project (described in number 1 above) discuss how you will know if the project is successful. What is it you want participants to learn and what will they need to do to demonstrate that they have learned it?
  7. Budget: Following the example below, provide an itemized list of the supplies and expenses you anticipate for the project. List each item on one line and the associated cost next to it. Include any in-kind or other funding contributions along with their sources.
  • Supplies include items such as books, kits, tapes, etc. Low cost items such as pencils, paper, and crayons may be grouped together with some detail along with their associated cost. (Example: general writing supplies (paper, pencils, crayons, etc).......$24.00
  • Expenses include such items as room rental, copying costs, copyright fees, and training.
  • Use the "Other" section to list items that you don't think belong under supplies and expenses.
  • Food, rewards, and/or salaries (including substitute teacher salaries) are not eligible expenses for grant support.
  • Activities or events or purchases already completed are not eligible for funding.
  • The GFFE will consider funding equipment or transportation only if it is integral to a proposed project. The decision will be based on how the equipment or transportation will help in meeting the project's goal(s) and the extent to which it is necessary to achieve the student learning outcomes outlined in the evaluation. The justification for the request should be detailed in the comments section of the budget.
  • Although GFFE does not pay salaries, it will consider paying stipends and/or compensation to consultants. For consultants, describe their contribution and submit copies of their resumes to GFFE.
  • If the project will receive funding from another source in addition to GFFE, identify the sources, the amount of money and how the money will be used.

Responsibilities of Grant Recipients

In addition to implementing the proposed project effectively, all grant recipients are required to:

  1. Submit a mid-project progress report for projects longer than six months.
  2. Submit a final report summary and a financial report within three months following the completion of the project. The final report should contain visuals and/or graphics illustrating activities or results of the project.
  3. Share feedback with the GFFE grants committee member assigned as liaison.
  4. Seek approval from GFFE of any changes in the implementation, timeline, budget details, or focus of the project.
  5. Notify GFFE if any of the project leaders leave the agency before the project is completed.
  6. Return any grant funds remaining at the end of the project to the GFFE.

Publicity-related responsibilities include:

  • Work with the GFFE to showcase the grant in the community
  • Publicize the project by means of agency, school or district newsletters, local newspapers, or other media. Include the following statement when writing about a GFFE grant: "This project is supported by a grant from the Guilford Fund for Education"
  • Use the GFFE logo (downloadable from the website) in publicizing the project whenever possible.

Important Notes

Although the Fund encourages collaborative projects that demonstrate partnerships between teachers, schools, as well as nonprofit or government agencies, all projects will be considered. The grant proposals should not seek funding to sustain existing programs or retroactive funding for an existing project.

The GFFE encourages collaborative funding and invites applicants to seek partial or additional funding from other sources.

The applicant is expected to work with the agency's (school district or organization) fiscal manager in accessing and expending the grant award.

Unfortunately, some requests may not be able to be funded due to limited resources. If this occurs, we strongly encourage the applicant to re-submit the application at a later time as the funds available to the Guilford Fund for Education grows.