How to Apply for
THE Lexington Education Foundation
PROGRAM Grant
2008-2009

What is an LEF Program Grant?

LEF Program Grants fund dynamic classroom and curriculum projects, as well as professional development opportunities for educators. Program Grants are available to teachers, staff, administrators and community members. The grant application process requires each applicant to detail how grant activities are expected to benefit the students of Lexington. Grants have been awarded in all disciplines, including the arts, sciences, reading and writing, physical education, teacher mentoring, and social competency. In other words, LEF grants apply to all facets of life in a school. The goal of LEF Program Grants is to provide funding for educators to explore new ways to make learning dynamic and challenging for themselves and their students.

Who May Apply?

Grant proposals are welcome from any Lexington Public School certified staff and any parent or town resident working with a faculty member. LEF has awarded grants to teachers, specialists, department heads, administrators, counselors, nurses, special education personnel, parents and town residents. LEFalso encourages collaboration across grades, schools, or departments.

How Can You Learn More About Writing a Proposal?

We encourage you to:

• Attend an information meeting led by LEF Programs Team members:
  January 17 and/or February 13, 2008, LHS Room 147, 3:00 to 5:00 pm.
  
• Read and, if you wish, make copies of proposals for previously funded grants, kept in a binder at the Central Office reception desk. Please do not remove them from the building
• Read the successful Program Grant applications in the LEF binder at your school
• Consult with colleagues who have written proposals in previous years
• Ask LEF to direct you to past grant recipients who are willing to assist you
• Visit “Successful Program Grants” at the LEF website www.lexedfoundation.org
• Visit the websites of other education foundations, for ideas.

What Will Be Funded?

A listing of grants funded by LEF during the past three school years is on our website, www.lexedfoundation.org.  Grant funds may be used for educational projects that fall outside the regular school budget, including:

• consultants, guest speakers, artists, or performers who assist the project’s implementation
• tuition, training, and travel expenses related to the project’s goals
• stipends of $33/hour or $150/day for staff time beyond contracted hours
• equipment, materials, supplies required for carrying out the project. All equipment and materials purchased with LEF funds become the property of the Lexington Public Schools.

What Will Not Be Funded

Grant funds are not intended to replace or relieve the existing responsibility for public funding of school programs, nor are they intended to substitute for regular budget growth and maintenance. Grants will not be awarded for:

• salaried positions
• programs, equipment or services cut from the school budget
• substitute teacher stipends
• existing school activities and programs
• retroactive compensation
• capital acquisitions, e.g. photocopiers, furniture, construction or building projects

What are LEF’s Funding Criteria?

Grant proposals must meet these LEF funding criteria:

1. Explore new and imaginative curriculum ideas and teaching practices or build upon a previously funded LEF grant with demonstrated success.
2. Reflect the existing core values, priorities, and goals of LPS (available in the LPS Handbook and on the LPS Website).
3. Be capable of replication in other Lexington schools or classrooms
4. Demonstrate an initiative that is not within the purview of the regular school budget.
5. Address all the information required by the application  (e.g., a detailed budget and evaluation plan, letters of support, expressed interest of other participants).

What Is the Process for Awarding Grants?

A sub-committee of LEF Board and Advisory Board members meets several times to discuss each proposal. This committee consults with school administrators, but these administrators are not members of the committee. If further clarifications on proposals are needed, the applicants will be contacted by email or phone. LEF makes awards based on the merits of each proposal and the ability of LEF to fund them. LEF evaluates each application to determine whether the proposed grant meets LEF’s funding criteria and is an effective use of its limited funds.
Partial funding may be awarded when sufficient funds are not available.

What are the First Steps in the Grant Application Process?

• All grant proposals must have an administrator’s support. Please discuss your idea with at least one of the following: school principal, department head or curriculum specialist.
• Solicit comments for improving the proposal and for departmental equipment recommendations.
• If your project includes purchasing new computer equipment or other technology, it is required that you consult with LPS Director of Technology, Marianne McKenna.
• Discuss the project with the teachers who will be affected by your proposal for their input and agreement to participate. These colleagues should sign a general letter expressing interest in participating; this letter will be submitted with your application.
• You may also discuss your idea with LEF at any time. Please contact your LEF Programs Team school liaison or any other member of the Programs Team (See below for listing).
• Consider submitting a Concept Paper to LEF to test the feasibility of an idea before you complete your application. (see below)
• Determine if you will need to submit a “Concept Paper”. Concept Papers must be submitted for grant requests in excess of $7,500 or requests for technology.  Prior to submitting a Concept Paper for any technology purchases, please consult with LPS Director of Technology, Marianne McKenna.

What is a Concept Paper?

 A Concept Paper is a short (one-page) description of a potential grant proposal that is submitted via email to LEF for feedback, prior to preparing the more comprehensive Grant Application.

See sample Concept Paper below.

Upon review of any Concept Paper, LEF will provide comment on the strengths and weaknesses in the proposal and areas for improvement, as well as confirming consistency with LEF’s mission, LPS educational priorities or other aspects of LEF funding criteria.

Positive feedback received from LEF on a submitted Concept Paper is not a guarantee of funding.

How Do You Submit a Concept Paper to LEF?

Concept Papers should contain the following information:

1. The names of the grant authors and their titles.
2. The name and email address of the person(s) to whom LEF should reply.
3. A brief description of the proposed project.
4. A ballpark estimate of the project’s cost, including a rough breakdown of the costs into the categories of purchases, payroll, and consulting.

Concept papers must be sent to:
conceptpaper08@yahoo.com
by February 4, 2008. Responses will be provided by February 15, 2008.

What is the Format of a Grant Proposal?

Please complete the application form and clearly address all the elements required in the Application. The proposal should be three to seven printed pages, excluding recommendations. Additional copies of the grant application can be downloaded from the LEF website, www.lexedfoundation.org.

Checklist for Writing a Good Grant Proposal:

• Provide all information required in the application: Read and follow the instructions in the Application carefully, especially the descriptions of the expenses that the grants can and cannot fund. Address all issues that are listed in these guidelines.
• Explain the rationale of your proposal: Explain how your proposal enhances the curriculum, and/or improves teaching practices.
• Provide a detailed budget: This means that there must be detail on all expected expenditures, teacher stipends (including number of teachers to be receiving the stipends and number of days and hours), consultant fees and any equipment and materials, including shipping and handling.
• Provide an evaluation plan: Include a clear means of identifying and evaluating the project’s success.
• Identify partial funding options: Specify if and how your project can accomplish its objective if partially funded.
• Identify other funding sources: Specify which expenses are or may be funded from other sources.
• Include letters of support: Talk to your principal or department head to obtain his or her endorsement of your grant project, especially if it involves several teachers at your school. Obtain the required letters of support. You must obtain support from all teachers and staff who will be involved in your grant and have them sign a letter expressing interest in participating in your proposed project.
• Describe the process used to determine the level of interest: If you are offering a system-wide training, please describe how you determined the level of interest of the intended participants.
• Include supporting materials. Attach brochures, flyers, resumes of consultants, and other descriptive materials relevant to your grant application.
• Ask someone who is not in your profession to read your application: Prior to its submission, to be sure it can be understood by “lay” reviewers

Concept Papers must be sent by email to: conceptpaper08@yahoo.com, by February 4, 2008. Responses will be provided by February 15, 2008.

When Are Proposals Due?

Grant proposals must be received by 4:00 P.M. Friday, March 28, 2008.

Please submit 2 copies of your application:

• One hard copy with the letter(s) of support and background information to:

LEF, c/o LPS Central Office, 146 Maple Street, Lexington, MA 02420

• One electronic copy of the application with cover sheet to: apply@lexedfoundation.org.

You will be sent confirmation that LEF has received the electronic copy.

Grant Application Notification and Timetable

All applicants will be advised of funding decisions by June 1, 2008. Grant recipients will receive detailed instructions for accessing funds at that time. Correspondence is sent to the Project Director designated on the grant application form. All grants are awarded for a full academic year. Funded projects may begin no earlier than the start of the new fiscal year on July 1, 2008, and should be completed by June 30, 2009.

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact your LEF Programs Team school liaison or any other member of the Programs Team.

LHS – Jill Gasperini  (jgasperini@att.net)

Clarke – Vito LaMura  (vl.md@verizon.net)

Diamond – Van Seasholes  (vs33@rcn.com)

Bowman – Anna Afeyan  (anna_afeyan@hotmail.com)

Bridge – Mary Ellen Alessandro  (medavedan@aol.com)

              Cynthia Piltch  (capiltch@aol.com)

Estabrook – Elaine Hooper (evh3@comcast.net)

Fiske – Vito LaMura  (vl.md@verizon.net)

Harrington – Van Seasholes  (vs33@rcn.com)

Hastings – Elaine Hooper  (evh3@comcast.net)