NATIONAL
ISSUES
SERVICE
AUGUST 2010
NIS Section Links...
Referral Report
Grants
Coming soon - link to up-to-date grant information from this page!
Resource Materials
& Court Cases of Interest
Information is added to the site on a
regular basis
* shows the latest additions - always
posted at the beginning of the section.
Referral Report
A dash between codes represents one child’s
referral request.
A comma separates individual requests.
The State listed is where they preferred the program be located.
Day, Residential, Summer
January to March Requests
|
STATE |
DISABILITY |
PROGRAM |
|
ALABAMA |
dx |
d-r-s, |
|
ALASKA |
|
|
|
ARIZONA |
adhd, |
d, |
|
ARKANSAS |
|
|
|
CALIFORNIA |
as, ld-adhd, aut, nvld-adhd, |
d,d, d-s, d, |
|
COLORADO |
|
|
|
CONNECTICUT |
adhd, |
d |
|
DELAWARE |
|
|
|
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA |
|
|
|
FLORIDA |
ld-si-devdis, |
d, |
|
GEORGIA |
lang, |
r-s, d-s, |
|
HAWAII |
|
|
|
IDAHO |
aut-mr, asd-mr-ld, |
r, |
|
ILLINOIS |
dx, as-ld, ld-as, |
r-d, d-s, r, |
|
INDIANA |
|
|
|
IOWA |
|
|
|
KANSAS |
|
|
|
KENTUCKY |
|
|
|
LOUISIANA |
|
|
|
MAINE |
|
|
|
MARYLAND |
anx, |
d, |
|
MASSACHUSETTS |
aut-bd, |
d |
|
MICHIGAN |
bi, cog-dx |
d,d, |
|
MINNESOTA |
|
|
|
MISSISSIPPI |
|
|
|
MISSOURI |
|
|
|
MONTANA |
|
|
|
NEBRASKA |
|
|
|
NEVADA |
|
|
|
NEW ENGLAND |
|
|
|
NEW HAMPSHIRE |
|
|
|
NEW JERSEY |
adhd-nvld, devdis-mr-bd |
d, d-r-s, |
|
NEW MEXICO |
|
|
|
NEW YORK |
ppd-ocd-adhd,
pdd-nos-ocd-adhd, ni-sch-bl, aut, adhd, ni, add-adhd-lang, |
d, d, d, r,d, d-r, d |
|
NORTH CAROLINA |
|
|
|
NORTH DAKOTA |
|
|
|
OHIO |
|
|
|
OKLAHOMA |
|
|
|
OREGON |
ca-bd, |
r, |
|
PENNSYLVANIA |
as-add-dx, fx-aut-ax,
pdd-nos, aut, |
d,d,d, d-s, |
|
PUERTO RICO |
|
|
|
RHODE ISLAND |
|
|
|
SOUTH CAROLINA |
adhd-ed, |
d |
|
SOUTH DAKOTA |
|
|
|
TENNESSEE |
|
|
|
TEXAS |
|
|
|
UTAH |
aut, |
d, |
|
VERMONT |
pdd-nos, |
R, |
|
VIRGINIA |
|
|
|
WASHINGTON |
asd-as, |
d, |
|
WEST VIRGINIA |
|
|
|
WISCONSIN |
|
|
|
WYOMING |
|
|
Return to Top
Grants
Browse by Agency - Government Grant Resources
To browse by agency,
please access any of the links below. For helpful search tips and to
learn more about finding grant opportunities check out the
Search Grant Opportunities
guide.
All links work - either click
on or cut and paste and put into your web browser.
*Friedman
Charitable Foundation
Scope:
The
Friedman Charitable Foundation seeks to support and challenge today's
youth to achieve their utmost, both in education and participation in
the community. The foundation also looks to create new opportunities for
increased interaction between physically and developmentally disabled
children and their nondisabled peers.
Deadline:
Rolling
for letters of inquiry.
Funds:
In
2007, the foundation awarded more than $1.3 million in charitable
grants.
Eligibility:
Nonprofit organizations.
Contact:
Friedman Charitable Foundation, 15260 Ventura Blvd., Suite 1240, Sherman
Oaks, CA 91403
E-mail: apply@friedmanfoundation.com
Web:
www.friedmanfoundation.corn/
*Proctor
& Gamble Fund
Scope:
The P&G
Fund supports initiatives around the world that reach children (up to 13
years old) in need. The company seeks to help children live by ensuring
a healthy start, by providing them with places, tools and programs that
enhance their ability to learn, and by helping them to develop skills
for a successful future.
Deadline:
Application period opens July 1. Deadline for submission is Sept. 30.
Funds:
In
2008, the company awarded more than $15 million in charitable grants.
Eligibility:
Nonprofit organizations in areas of company operations. See Web site for
extensive list.
Contact:
The
Procter & Gamble Fund, 2 Procter & Gamble Plaza, Cincinnati, OH
45202-3315; (513) 983-2139.
Web:
www.pg.com/en_US/sustainability/social_responsibility/grant_application.shtml
*CIGNA Foundation
Scope:
The
CIGNA Foundation supports initiatives that:
•
Promote wellness - building awareness, helping people manage their
health challenges and making health services available and affordable
for all;
•
Expand opportunities - reaching across barriers, whether they are based
on gender, ethnicity or physical condition, to tap the talents of every
person;
•
Develop Leaders - supporting the type of community service that gives
talented individuals the experience to become future leaders; and
•
Embrace Communities - connecting neighbors to create networks that will
address the complex social and environmental challenges we all face.
Deadline:
Rolling.
Funds:
Grants
up to $5,000.
Eligibility:
Nonprofit organizations.
Contact:
CIGNA
Grant Program, PO. Box 2332, Princeton, NJ 08543-2332; (866) 865-5277.
Web:
https://secure8.easymatch.com/cignagive/default.aspx?Skip=LandingPage&ProgramiD=2
*Morris
&
Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation
Geographic Area:
The District of Columbia;
Prince George and Montgomery Counties, MD; and Arlington County, Fairfax
County, Falls Church, and Alexandria, VA.
Scope:
The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz
Foundation funds the following education initiatives: educational
services and schools; English as a second language; literacy and life
skills training; and scholarship programs. The foundation also provides
funding for the arts and humanities, community services, and health and
the environment.
Deadline:
July 1, and Nov. 1.
Funds:
Grant requests are
unrestricted. In 2009, the foundation awarded more than $5.8 million in
charitable grants.
Contact:
Rose Ann Cleveland, executive
director, The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, 1825 K St., N.W.,
Suite 1400, Washington, DC 20006; (202) 223-3100.
E-mail:
info@cafritzfoundation.org
Web:
www.cafritzfoundation.org/Applicant/app_guidelines.asp
*The
Dreyer's Foundation
Scope: The Dreyer's Foundation
makes small grants and donates ice cream products and gift certificates
and auction items to nonprofit organizations for events.
Deadline:
The 7th day of every month for
letters of inquiry. Grant applications should be submitted at least
eight weeks prior to the event.
Funds:
Small grants up to $1,000 and
in-kind product donations.
Eligibility:
Nonprofit organizations.
Contact:
Dreyer's Foundation, 5929
College Ave., Oakland, CA 94618; (510) 450-4586.
Web:
www.dreyersinc.com/dreyersfoundation/small_grants.asp
*Beckman
Coulter Foundation
Geographic Area:
Areas of company
operations, with emphasis on Orange County, Palo Alto, and San Diego,
Calif.; Miami; Indianapolis; and Chaska, Minn.
Scope:
The Beckman Coulter Foundation
supports schools and nonprofit organizations that are dedicated to
enhancing classroom teaching of science, math and technology.
Deadline:
Rolling.
Funds:
In 2008, the foundation
awarded more than $1.1 million in charitable grants.
Contact:
The Beckman Coulter
Foundation, 200 S. Kraemer Blvd., M363, Brea, CA 92821; (714) 961-4478.
Web: www.beckmancoulter.com/hr/ourcompany/application_guidelines.asp
*Change
Happens Foundation
Geographic Area:
California, Hawaii and
Iowa.
Scope:
The Change Happens Foundation
provides funding for the development and implementation of innovative
technology and progressive ideas to generate a positive force for
change.
The foundation makes grants in
the following areas: education; science and medicine; the environment;
arts and culture; and community initiatives.
Deadline:
Ongoing for online letters of
inquiry.
Funds:
In 2007, the foundation
awarded more than $1 million in charitable grants.
Contact:
Change Happens Foundation,
Michael D. Troxel, P.O. Box 415, Holualoa, HI 96725.
Email:
Admin@ChangeHappens.us
Web:
www.changehappens.us/default.aspx
*LyondellBasell
Geographic Area:
Areas of company
operations.
Scope:
LyondellBasell North America
Inc. Corporate Giving
Program seeks to support educators, improvements in learning readiness,
programs that promote excellence in math and science education, and
resources to enrich the educational experience for students. The company
also provides funding for environmental stewardship and community
sustainability.
Deadline:
Rolling.
Funds:
Grants vary by project and
scope.
Contact:
LyondellBasell Industries,
Attn: Corporate Communications, 1221 McKinney St., Suite 700, Houston,
TX 77010.
Email: corporate.communications@lyondell.corn
Web: www.lyondellbasell.com/communityinvolvement/CharitableGiving/
Autism
Speaks
Scope:
Autism Speaks requests
applications for Family Services Community Grants that promote services
that will enhance the lives of those affected by autism spectrum
disorders.
Deadline:
June 10 for letters of
inquiry.
Funds:
Grants range from $5,000 to
$25,000.
Eligibility:
Nonprofit organizations.
Areas:
The foundation requests
proposals that address one of the following:
• Education -
Building the field and scope
of educators and trainers, by providing continuing education and
training to those working directly with individuals with autism spectrum
disorders;
Providing funding for
consultation and hands on training to improve education for individuals
with autism;
Providing funding to increase
the capacity of service providers;
Sponsoring conferences that
provide several sessions of training and hands-on opportunities to
demonstrate knowledge; and
Training professionals to
interact more effectively with individuals with autism spectrum
disorders.
• Recreation/Community
Activities - Social skills training that provides peer modeling and
inclusion with typically developing peers; and recreation and athletic
programs for individuals with autism spectrum disorders.
• Young Adult/Adults Services
- Pre-vocational and vocational training; transition planning;
residential services; recreation programs for adults; and life/community
integration skills.
Email:
Lgoring@autismspeaks.org
Web:
www.autismspeaks.org/communityfarnily_services/rfa_
feb201O.php
Autodesk
Scope:
Autodesk provides grants for:
arts and culture, education and technology; the environment and
sustainability; and health and human services.
Deadline:
Rolling.
Funds:
Grants range from $1,000 to
$5,000.
Eligibility:
504(c)(3) organizations.
Areas:
Grant requests should be
submitted through Autodesk's Web-based system.
Contact:
Autodesk, Inc., 111 McInnis
Parkway, San Rafael, CA 94903.
Email:
julie.wilderCaautodesk.com
Web:
http://usa.autodesk.com/company/community-relations/grants/program-requirements-financial-grants
Barney
Family Foundation
Scope:
The Barney Family Foundation
requests applications for educational projects that target youth in
grades K-8. The Barney Family Fund seeks to support initiatives that
give children the opportunity for a better education through fairly
simple, original ideas embedded with a strong plan for their
implementation.
Deadline:
Rolling.
Funds:
Grants range from $5,000 to
$50,000.
Eligibility:
Nonprofit organizations.
Areas:
No grants are made to
governmental bodies or tax-supported institutions for services that fall
within their normal responsibilities.
Contact:
Kristen Barney Adams, The
Barney Family Foundation, 130 South Canal St., Suite 9T, Chicago, IL
60606-3919; (312) 632-0000.
Web: http://barneyfamilyfoundation.org/grants.html
Daniels
Fund
Geographic Area:
Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
Scope:
The
Daniels Fund provides support in the following areas: aging, alcoholism
and substance abuse, amateur youth sports programs, individuals with
disabilities, academic and supplemental services, civic literary and
community engagement, financial literacy and entrepreneurship, and
career and technical education.
Deadline:
Rolling.
Funds:
Varies
by request. In 2008, the foundation awarded more than $39 million in
charitable grants.
Contact:
Daniels
Fund Grants Program, 101 Monroe Street, Denver, CO 80206; (720)
941-4457.
Email: grantsinfo@danielsfund.org
Web:
www.danielsfund.org/Grants/goals_youth.asp
Stuart Foundation
Geographic Area:
California and Washington.
Scope: The
Stuart Foundation supports the .education and development of children
and youth to become well-educated, self-sustaining, responsible, and
contributing members of their communities and society. The foundation is
particularly interested in partnering with those who work toward
sustainable, scalable, and systemwide change for all young people,
especially those who are most in need.
Deadline:
Ongoing
for letters of inquiry.
Funds:
The
foundation has no restrictions regarding grant requests, but program
staff will take into consideration applicant's track record in
implementing projects of a similar size and scope In 2008, the
foundation awarded more than $15.9 million in charitable grants.
Contact:
Stuart
Foundation, 500 Washington Street, 8th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94111;
(415) 393-1551.
Email:
info@stuartfoundation.org
Web:
www.stuartfoundation.org/BecomeOurPartner/GrantApplicationProcess.aspx
OMNOVA
Solutions Foundation
Geographic Area:
Calhoun
and Dalton, GA; Fitchburg, MA; Columbus, MS; Monroe, NC, Akron, Fairlawn
and Mogadore, OH; Auburn and Jeannette, PA; Chester, SC; and Green Bay,
WI.
Scope:
OMNOVA
supports: K-12 schools in the areas of reading, economic literacy, math
and science; school-to-work readiness; professional development for
teachers; parental involvement; and adult literacy.
Deadline:
Ongoing.
Funds:
In 2008, the foundation awarded more than $1.8 million in charitable
grants.
Contact:
The
OMNOVA Solutions Foundation, 175 Ghent Road, Fairlawn, OH 44333-3300;
(330) 869-4289.
Web:
www.omnova.com/about/community/foundation_categories.aspx
Louis
Calder Foundation
Geographic Area:
Schools and organizations
from communities located east of the Mississippi River with populations
no greater than 500,000.
Scope:
The Louis Calder Foundation
requests letters from charter and parochial schools, charter management
organizations, and community based organizations for initiatives to
develop comprehensive content-based core curriculum education programs
for grades K-8.
The curriculum should address
a wide range of classical liberal subjects including literature,
history, ethics, mathematics and science. The foundation is also
interested in funding out-ofschool or extended-day hours initiatives.
Deadline:
Rolling for letters of
inquiry.
Funds:
In 2008, the foundation
awarded more than $6 million in charitable grants.
Contact:
All letters should be
submitted to the e-mail address listed below.
Email: proposals@calderfdn.org
Web:
www.louiscalderfdn.org/rfp.html
Barona
Band of Mission Indians
Geographic Area:
California.
Scope:
The Barona Band of Mission
Indians requests applications for the Barona Education Grant Program,
which provides funding to schools for the purchase of much-needed
supplies and materials, such as books and computers. The application
must be completed in full, and accompanied by an endorsement letter from
a state legislator.
Deadline:
Ongoing.
Funds:
$5,000 grants.
Contact:
Barona Education Grant
Program, 1095 Barona Road, Lakeside, CA 92040; (619) 443-6612.
Web: www.baronatribe.org/education/education.html
The Jim
Moran Foundation
Geographic Area:
Florida.
Scope:
The Jim Moran Foundation seeks
to improve the quality of life for the youth and families of Florida
through the support of innovative programs and opportunities that meet
the ever-changing needs of the community. Funding is given in the
following areas: domestic violence and child abuse intervention;
education; elder care programs; meaningful after school programs; and
youth transitional living programs.
Deadline:
Rolling for online letters of
inquiry.
Funds:
Thus far in 2009, the
foundation has awarded more than $3.1 million in charitable grants.
Contact:
The Jim Moran Foundation, 100
Jim Moran Blvd., Deerfield Beach, FL 33442; (954) 429-2122.
Email: information@jimmoranfoundation.org
Web: www.jimmoranfoundation.org/GrantApplication.aspx
SFC
Charitable Foundation Inc.
Scope:
The Singing for Change
Charitable Foundation Inc. provides grants to support the health,
education and protection of children and their families; programs that
promote environmental awareness and teach people methods of
conservation, protection and the responsible use of natural resources;
and initiatives geared toward people who have been marginalized in our
society because of their low levels of skill, education or income and
people with AIDS, disabilities and homeless people.
Deadline:
Rolling for letters of
inquiry.
Funds:
Grants range from $500 to
$10,000.
Eligibility:
501 (c)(3) organizations.
Contact:
Judith Ranger Smith, executive
director SFC Charitable Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 729, Sullivan's
Island, SC 29482; (843) 882-8021.
Email: info@singingforchange.com
Web: www.margaritaville.com/index.php?page=sfc
Hallmark
Geographic Area:
Enfield, CT; Columbus, GA;
Metamora, IL; Kansas City metropolitan area; Lawrence, Leavenworth and
Topeka, KS.; Liberty, MO; and Center, TX.
Scope:
The Hallmark Community
Involvement Program provides funding to support: giving children the
chance to grow up as healthy, productive and caring persons; vibrant
arts and cultural experiences; community involvement; and persons in
need.
Deadline:
Rolling for online
applications.
Funds:
In 2007, the foundation
provided $13.2 million in charitable grants.
Contact:
Hallmark Cards, Incorporated
Corporate Giving Program, P.O. Box 419580, M.D. 323, Kansas City, MO
64141-6580; (816) 545-6906.
Email: contributions@hallmark.com
Web:
http://corporate.hallmark.com/community/Community-Involvement-Program-Guidelines
Pierce
Atwood LLP
Geographic Area:
Washington, DC; Augusta
and Portland, ME; Boston, MA.; Portsmouth, NH; Providence, RI; and
Stockholm, Sweden.
Scope:
Pierce Atwood LLP provides
funding for initiatives and institutions primarily aimed at relieving
poverty or assisting the underprivileged; education, environmental and
scientific institutions and initiatives, particularly those that
benefit the economies of the communities we serve; and cultural
institutions.
Deadline:
Rolling
Funds:
Varies by project and request.
Contact:
Pierce Atwood LLP, Marketing
Department, One Monument Square, Portland, ME 04101.
Email:
See Web site for each
location's office email address and telephone number.
Web: www.pierceatwood.com/about.asp?Page=Charitable
%20Giving
National
City
Geographic Area:
Areas of company
operations in FL, IL, IN, KY, MI, MO, OH, and PA.
Scope:
National City seeks to fulfill
its responsibility as a community partner through finding and sustaining
solutions for positive change, and by making life more rewarding for,
its employees and surrounding neighborhoods.
Deadline:
Ongoing.
Funds:
In 2006, the foundation
awarded $4.1 million in charitable grants.
Contact:
See Web site for list of
regional office addresses to be used for submission.
Web:
www.nationalcity.com/about-us/community/community-relations/pages/charitable-giving.asp
Finish
Line Youth Foundation
Scope:
The Finish Line Youth
Foundation provides funding to organizations that support:
• Youth athletic programs -
Community-based programs addressing active lifestyle and team building
skills; and
• Camps - Established camps
with an emphasis on sports and active lifestyle, especially programs
serving disadvantaged and special needs kids.
Deadline:
Rolling.
Funds:
Grants generally range from
$1,000 to $5,000.
Eligibility:
Nonprofit organizations.
Contact:
Finish Line Youth Foundation,
Attn: Program Director, 3308 N. Mitthoeffer Road, Indianapolis, IN
46235; (317) 899-1022, ext. 6799.
Email: Youthfoundation@finishline.com
Web: www.finishline.corn/store/youthfoundation/guidelines.jsp
Life
Energy Foundation
Scope:
The Life Energy Foundation
supports research into ways for optimizing Life Energy (the fundamental
animating force in living things) in the individual; archives
information relevant to this topic; disseminates such information
through various media; and sponsors performance and educational
activities which promote this philosophy. Part of how the foundation
reaches its mission is through the funding of music outreach programs
for individuals with disabilities.
Deadline:
Ongoing.
Funds:
Varies by project and scope.
Eligibility:
The applicant may be an
individual or an organization.
Contact:
The Life Energy Foundation,
P.O. Box 861, South Salem, NY 10590.
Email: mail@LifeEnergyFoundation.org
Web: www.lifeenergyfoundation.org/category.php?id=6
The
Beacon Society
Scope:
The Beacon Society provides
Jan Stauber Grants to people and organizations proposing literacy
projects and other educational experiences that will introduce young
people to Sherlock Holmes.
Deadline:
June 1.
Funds:
Grants up to $250.
Eligibility:
K-12 educators; librarians;
Sherlockians active in organizations involving young people (including
Cub Scouts, Brownies, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Camp Fire USA, and YMCA);
and Sherlockian Societies.
Contact:
The Beacon Society, c/o Andrew
L. Solberg, 5612 Thicket Lane, Columbia, MD 21044.
Email: asolberg@earthlink.net
Web: http://beaconsociety.com/JanStauberGrant.html
S.H.
Cowell Foundation
Geographic Area:
Central and northern
California.
Scope:
The S.H. Cowell Foundation
provides funds to help schools develop effective, coherent and
responsive instructional programs. It is vital that the plan for the
grant project provide sufficient time and expert support for teachers to
master new teaching and assessment methods, subject knowledge and ways
of working together.
Funding is also provided for
projects that support students' learning by strengthening connections
among schools, families and other agencies in the community, and
projects that link classroom lessons to carefully aligned and structured
programs beyond the school.
Deadline:
Before sending a letter or
proposal, the foundation requests that applicants call and speak with a
grants assistant about the project and its relationship to the
applicant's community or neighborhood.
Funds:
In 2007, the foundation
awarded more than $8 million in charitable grants.
Contact:
S.H. Cowell Foundation, 100
Montgomery Street, Suite 2570, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 397-0285.
Web: www
shcowell.org/sections/grantmaking/grm_k l2.php
CDA
Foundation
Geographic Area:
California.
Scope:
The CDA Foundation supports
programs that: promote total health, risk assessment, and that increase
access to oral health care particularly for vulnerable people, including
children, uninsured families, caregivers, and the elderly; promote
disease prevention education; and support the expansion and preservation
of community water fluoridation systems.
Deadline:
Letters of inquiry are
accepted from April 1 to June 30.
Funds:
Grants up to $25,000.
Contact:
CDA Foundation, 1201 K St.,
Suite 1511, Sacramento, CA 95814; (800) 232-7645, ext. 4916.
Email: foundationinfo@cda.org
Web: www.cdafoundation.org/receive/cda_foundation—grant
program/application_guidelines
Ambac
Financial Group Inc.
Geographic Area:
New
York.
Scope:
The
Ambac Financial Group Inc. supports arts and culture, education and
youth development.
Deadline:
Rolling.
Funds:
In
2008, the company awarded $275,000 in charitable grants.
Contact:
Ambac
Financial Group, Inc., Corporate Giving Program, c/o Global Mktg. Group,
1 State Street Plaza, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10004-1505; (212)
208-3248.
Email: soehrig@ambac.com
Web:
www.ambac.com/aboutus.html#Contributions
Nicor
Gas
Geographic Area:
Areas
of company operations Northern Illinois.
Scope:
Nicor
Gas seeks to help educators and those who support the educational system
by providing enrichment opportunities that will assist students in
achieving their educational goals. Additionally, support is given for
educational, health, cultural and community needs of the people who
reside in the company's service territory.
Deadline:
Ongoing.
Funds:
In
2007, the company awarded $1.4 million in charitable grants.
Contact:
Nicor
Gas Corporate Contributions, 1844 Ferry Road, Naperville, IL 60563.
Email: jbrown@nicor.com
Web:
www.nicor.com/nsr/contribution_brochure.pdf
Vectren Foundation
Geographic Area:
Areas
of company operations in Indiana and OH.
Scope:
The
Vectren Foundation provides support for education, arts and culture,
civic and human and health services. In regards to education, the
funding is given for: improvement in the literary and critical thinking
skills; classroom programs teaching creative skills; programs that
prepare youth for higher education and entry into the workforce; and
higher education programs that support technological and business
interests of the natural gas or electric industry.
Deadline:
Ongoing.
Funds:
In
2008, the foundation awarded more than $2 million in charitable grants.
Contact:
Mark
Miller, (812)491-4176.
Email: mmiller@vectren.com
Web:
www.vectren.com/web/holding/discover/foundation/areas_giving_i.jsp
Microsoft
Scope:
Microsoft Unlimited
Potential-Community Technology Skills grants provide nonprofit
organizations with funding to support technology training programs
ranging from learning basic computer skills to using advanced business
productivity applications.
Deadline:
Rolling.
Funds:
Donations consist of cash,
software, curriculum, or technical expertise.
Eligibility:
Nonprofit or a nongovernmental
organization; school-based organization that provides services to the
community outside of school hours, such as evenings and weekends;
government funded and operated organization that receives government
funding or is a partner with a governmental organization to run its
programs.
Email: cause@microsoft.corn
Web:
www.microsoft.com/about/corporatecitizenship/citizenship/giving/programs/up/grants.mspx
W.
Clement and Jessie V. Stone
Geographic Area:
Boston, Chicago, New York,
and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Scope:
The W. Clement and Jessie V.
Stone Foundation provides funding for: education, with an emphasis on
teacher development and principal leadership; early childhood education,
and youth development. The foundation does not accept unsolicited
proposals, but does invite phone calls if an organization feels that it
matches the foundation's giving guidelines.
Deadline:
Ongoing,
Funds:
In 2009, the foundation
estimated that it would disperse $3.8 million in charitable grants.
Contact:
The W. Clement & Jessie V.
Stone Foundation, The Presidio, P.O. Box 29255, San Francisco, CA
94129-0255; (415) 561-6691.
Email: wcsfmail@wcstonefnd.org
Web: www.wcstonefnd.org/guidelines/index.html
Marine
Toys for Tots Foundation
Scope:
The Marine Toys for Tots
Foundation's Literacy Program offers books and other resources to
organizations that provide educational and emotional support to
economically disadvantaged children.
Deadline:
Rolling.
Funds:
In-kind grants of books and
resources. Since 2008, the foundation has provided more than 900,000
books nationwide.
Eligibility:
501(c)(3) organizations;
public schools and libraries; and government-funded social
service agencies. Applicants must demonstrate that a significant portion
of the children the organization supports live at or near the poverty
level, as determined by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Contact:
Marine Toys for Tots
Foundation, 18251 Quantico Gateway Drive; Triangle, VA 22172; (703)
649-2054
Email: Questions@ToysforTotsLiteracy.org
Web:
www.toysfortots.org/literacy/request-books.asp
Wells
Fargo
Scope:
Wells Fargo provides funding
to organizations that support community development, education and human
services.
Deadline:
Deadlines vary by state, but
generally, proposals are requested at least three months prior to need.
Funds:
In 2007, more than $30 million
was awarded for 8,422 grants.
Eligibility:
Nonprofit organizations and
educational institutions in areas of company operations. See the Web
site for an extensive list and individual state guidelines.
Areas:
The following initiatives have
received support in the past: curriculum development; employee volunteer
services; general/operating support; program development; sponsorships;
and technical assistance.
Contact:
Wells Fargo & Company
Contributions Program, MAC AO112-073, 550 California Street, 7th Floor,
San Francisco, CA 94104-1004.
Email:
See Web site for list of state
contacts.
Web: www.wellsfargo.corn/about/charitable/
The Dr.
Phil Foundation
Scope:
The Dr. Phil Foundation
supports organizations and programs that build awareness and offer
solutions to address the emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual
needs of children and families.
Deadline:
Rolling.
Funds:
In 2008, the foundation
awarded more than $220,000 in charitable grants.
Eligibility:
Nonprofit organizations.
Areas:
Program areas of interest
include: education, music and the arts, children's health, and disaster
relief.
Contact:
The Dr. Phil Foundation, 137
N. Larchmont Blvd., No. 705, Los Angeles, CA 90004-3704; (323) 956-3449.
Email: info@drphilfoundation.org
Web: http://drphilfoundation.org/about/overview
Forever
Young Foundation
Geographic Area:
Ghana, Africa; Arizona;
Northern California; and Utah.
Scope:
The Forever Young Foundation
funds organizations that provide academic, athletic, and therapeutic
opportunities to children facing significant physical, emotional and
financial challenges.
Deadline:
Rolling for letters.
Funds:
In 2007, the foundation
awarded more than $1.5 million in charitable grants.
Contact:
Forever Young Foundation, 1424
S. Stapley Drive, Mesa, AZ 85204
Email: sterling@foreveryoung.org
Web:
http://www.foreveryoung.org/donations.html
Blandin
Foundation
Geographic Area:
Minnesota
Scope:
The Blandin Foundation awards
grants in the six following areas:
• Economic initiatives - for
community and regional economic activities that capitalize on diverse
assets.
• Educational attainment - to
increase educational attainment for disadvantaged populations.
• Fairness and opportunity -
to strive for fairness and opportunity primarily in the foundation's
selected local giving area through social justice and philanthropy.
• Development of diverse
leaders - to equip leaders from all segments of a community with
knowledge, skills and resources for collective action.
• Rural voice - to increase
the capacity for rural Minnesota residents to be their own voice on
issues and opportunities.
• Intercultural competency -
to help communities work effectively across differences to enhance
collective problem-solving resources.
Deadline:
Rolling for letters of
inquiry.
Funds:
Grants range from $1,000 to
$250,000.
Contact:
Blandin Foundation grants
team, (218) 326-0523.
Email: grants@blandinfoundation.org
Web: www.blandinfoundation.org/grants/grants-detail.php?intResourcelD=6
CVS Caremark
Scope: The CVS
Caremark Community Grants program provides funds to nonprofit
organizations for programs targeting children with disabilities,
programs focusing on health and rehabilitation services, public schools
promoting a greater level of inclusion in student activities and
extracurricular programs, and initiatives that give greater access to
physical movement and play.
Deadline:
Oct. 31.
Funds:
Grants up to $5,000.
Eligibility:
Nonprofit organizations with a
CVS/ pharmacy store located within the state where applicant resides.
Areas:
Funding
is also available for physical and occupational therapies, speech and
hearing therapies, assistive technology, and recreational therapies.
Contact:
CVS
Caremark Charitable Trust, Inc., 1 CVS Drive, Woonsocket, RI 02895-6146.
Email:
CommunityMailbox@cvs.com
Web:
http://info.cvscaremark.com/community/our-impact/community-grants
Eccles Foundation
Geographic Area:
Utah.
Scope:
The George S. and Dolores Dore
Eccles Foundation provides grants for arts and culture, education,
community initiatives, healthcare, and preservation and conservation.
The foundation supports the elderly and the young, those with physical
and mental challenges, the homeless and hungry, and those who have been
abused and neglected.
Deadline:
Rolling.
Funds:
In 2007, the foundation
awarded more than $26.5 million in charitable grants.
Contact:
George S. and Dolores Dore
Eccles Foundation, 15 West South Temple, Suite 1701, Salt Lake City, UT
84101.
Email: gseg@gseccles.org
Web: wwwgsecclesfoundation.org/grantseekers/index.html
The Long Foundation
Geographic Area:
Texas.
Scope:
The Long Foundation solicits
applications for the Lozano Long Promise to Texas Hispanic Youth, which
provides grants to charities, schools and universities, and government
programs, located in areas (or targeted at groups) with large Hispanic
populations. Grants must support the youth of those areas or groups by
fulfilling at least one of the Five Promises.
The Five Promises include
promoting ongoing relationships with caring adults - parents, mentors,
teachers, tutors and coaches; providing safe places with structured
activities during non-school hours; promoting healthy start and future;
providing marketable skills through effective education; and/or
providing opportunities to give back through community
service.
Deadline:
July 31.
Funds:
The Long Foundation does not
have a set upper or lower limit on the size of a grant that it will
award.
Contact:
The Long Foundation, 40 N.
1-35, Suite 7C2, Austin, TX 78701.
Email: Mitchell@
long
foundations.org
Web: wwwlongfoundations.org/long2/long2l/long2l
1 /1 ong211.html
Donald
and Maureen Green Foundation
Scope:
The Donald and Maureen Green
Foundation provides financial assistance to programs that are effective
in achieving long-lasting improvements or advancements in the fields of
music, the arts, education, animal welfare, social assistance to
children, the aging, the homeless and the poor, and conservancy of
natural habitats and species.
Deadline:
Rolling.
Funds:
Grants range from $1,000 to
$10,000.
Eligibility:
Nonprofit organizations.
Contact:
Donald and Maureen Green
Foundation, P.O. Box 471702, San Francisco, CA. 941471702.
Email: requests@greenfoundation.org
Web: www.greenfoundation.org/
Countess
Moira Charitable Foundation
Scope:
The Countess Moira Charitable
Foundation seeks to aid the well-being of youth anywhere in the world.
Deadline:
Rolling.
Funds:
In 2009, the foundation
awarded more than $1.9 million in charitable grants.
Eligibility:
501 (c)(3) organizations.
Areas:
Funding is provided for
medical, nutritional and educational programs for children.
Contact:
Edward W. T. Gray III,
chairman, The Countess Moira Charitable Foundation, 275 Madison Ave.,
Suite 1300, New York, NY 10016; (212) 488-5340.
Email:
egray@analyticasset.com
Web: http://cmforg.wordpress.com/
Good
Sports
Scope:
Good Sports to increase youth
participation in sports, recreation and fitness activities by providing
sports equipment, apparel and footwear to youth organizations that offer
sports, fitness and recreational programs to youth in need.
Deadline:
Rolling.
Funds:
In-kind donations of sports
equipment, apparel and footwear.
Eligibility:
Nonprofit organizations that
directly serve youth, ages 5 to 18, in disadvantaged areas. Applicants
must operate an organized sport, fitness and/or recreation program. It
is not necessary for the program to be competitive, but it must have
coaching, be structured, and meet on a consistent basis.
Areas:
Proposals should show how
equipment grants will: help to develop a new program; increase the
number of participants in an existing program; decrease the overall cost
of the program for youth and families; and enhance the experience to
retain youth in program.
Contact:
Good Sports, Bayside Office
Center, 150 Mt. Vernon St., Suite 2, Boston, MA 02125; (617) 282-6125,
ext. 133.
Email: dlencz@goodsports.org
Web: www.goodsports.org/equipmentgrants.shtml
Kelly
Brush Foundation
Scope:
The Kelly Brush Foundation
provides for adaptive sports or recreational equipment (i.e. mono-ski or
handcycle).
Deadline:
Ongoing.
Funds:
In-kind grants of adaptive
sports and recreational equipment.
Eligibility:
Paraplegics or quadriplegics
paralyzed due to a spinal cord injury (paralysis must be due to a spinal
cord injury; paralysis due to other causes, such as multiple sclerosis
or spina bifida, is not eligible).
Tip: Applications for adaptive
equipment that does not fall into the sports and recreation category
will not be considered.
Contact:
Kelly Brush Foundation,
executive director, 7 Aspen Drive, South Burlington, VT 05403.
Email:
betsycabrera@kellybrushfoundation.org
Web: www.kellybrushorg/grant.shtml.org/grant.shtml
BSNF
Foundation
Scope:
The BSNF Foundation seeks to
support and help improve the quality of life for thousands of
communities across the 28 states through which BNSF operates, and where
BNSF employees live, work and volunteer.
Deadline:
Ongoing.
Funds:
The foundation does not limit
grant requests, but most grants range from $1,000 to $10,000.
Eligibility:
501 (c)(3) organizations.
Areas:
The foundation provides grants
in the area of education and for educational institutions, both public
and private, primarily at the college level. Grants of an exceptional
nature may be made to vocational and non-college schools. Preferably,
contributions will be directed toward the improvement of the quality of
education. The foundation also funds civic services, cultural
organizations, health and human services, youth organizations, and
federated organizations.
Contact:
Manager Corporate
Contributions, BNSF Foundation, 2650 Lou Menk Drive, Fort Worth, TX
76131-2830; (817) 867-6458.
Email: BNSFFoundation@bnsf.corn
Web: www.bnsffoundation.org/aboutus.html
Reiman
Foundation
Scope:
The Reiman Foundation provides
funding for education, health care and children's initiatives.
Deadline:
Rolling.
Funds:
In 2007, the foundation
awarded more than $11 million in charitable grants.
Eligibility:
Nonprofit organizations.
Contact:
Reiman Foundation, 115 South
84th St., Suite 221, Milwaukee, WI 53214; (414) 4560600.
Email: reimanfoundation@hexagoninc.com
Web: www.reimanfoundation.org/
The Hoenny Center
Scope:
The
Hoenny Center provides Project Awards to promote and recognize preK-12
classroom action research projects in the area of peer teaching.
Deadline:
Aug. 1.
Funds:
$500
grants.
Eligibility:
K-12
educators.
Areas:
The
project consists of gathering and summarizing data related to a
professional question of interest to the teacher within the general area
of peer teaching and learning in the classroom. However, preference will
be given to projects involving the analysis of descriptions of
individual differences in students' teaching abilities; attempts by the
teacher to improve students' teaching abilities; or reflections by
students on the motivations, rewards, and/or strategies of helping other
students learn.
Contact:
The
Hoenny Center, P.O. Box 9388, St. Louis, MO 63117-0388; (314) 567-5111.
Web:
www.hoennycenter.org/ProPartners_ProjectAwards.asp
Duke
Energy Foundation
Geographic Area:
Indiana, Kentucky, North
Carolina, Ohio, and South Carolina.
Scope:
The Duke Energy Foundation
provides funding for:
• Environment and energy
efficiency programs that support conservation, training and research
initiatives;
• Economic development,
including preK-12 education focused on math, science and technology;
and
• Community vitality
initiatives, such as leadership development and capacity building.
Deadline:
Rolling.
Funds:
In 2007, the foundation
awarded more than $12.9 million in charitable grants.
Contact:
Deanita McCall, Duke Energy
Foundation Manager, (704) 382-7200.
Email: Deanita.McCall@duke-energy.corn
Web: www.duke-energy.com/community/foundation/areas-of-focus.asp
Newell
Rubbermaid
Geographic Area:
Mesa, AZ; Atlanta;
Chicago, Freeport and Oak Brook, IL; East Longmeadow, MA; Charlotte,
High Point, and Huntersville, NC; Fairlawn and Perrysburg, OH; Exton and
Greensburg, PA.; Winchester, VA.
Scope:
Newell Rubbermaid provides
funding for the following: preK and child development; K-12 in-classroom
education programs; accredited professional, trade or technical school
programs; and job training programs for women, seniors or individuals
with disabilities.
Deadline:
Ongoing.
Funds:
Varies by project and request.
Contact:
Newell Rubbermaid Inc.
Corporate Giving Program, 3 Glenlake Pkwy., Atlanta, GA 30328; (770)
418-7672.
Web:
www.newellrubbermaid.com/public/Corporate-Responsibility/Investing-in-Community.aspx
Winn-Dixie Stores Foundation
Geographic Area:
Areas of company
operations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
Scope:
The Winn-Dixie Stores
Foundation provides funding for the support of health, youth, education,
the community, and the environment.
Deadline:
July 31.
Funds:
In 2007, the foundation
awarded more than $1.4 million in charitable grants.
Contact:
Winn-Dixie Stores Foundation,
5050 Edgewood Court, Jacksonville, FL 32254-3601; (904) 783-5000.
Web: www.winn-dixie.com/company/about_wd/donation_guidelines.asp
A. L.
Mailman Family Foundation
Scope:
The A. L. Mailman Family
Foundation seeks to promote the building of sustainable systems that
provide access to high quality early learning experiences for all
children.
Deadline:
Ongoing for letters of
inquiry.
Funds:
Grants range from $5,000 to
$50,000.
Eligibility:
501 (c)(3) tax-exempt
organizations.
Areas:
The foundation funds the
creation and dissemination of curricula, materials or tools that promote
quality; advocacy and strategic communication to inform and build public
will; applied research designed to inform policy and improve practice;
and collaboratives that seek to expand the foundation's learning and to
broaden its sphere of influence.
Contact:
A.L. Mailman Family
Foundation, 707 Westchester Ave., White Plains, NY 10604; (914)
683-8089.
Email: info@mailman.org
Web:
www.mailman.org/guidelines/index.html
The John
Merck Fund
Scope:
The John Merck Fund makes
grants in six program areas: developmental disabilities; the
environment; reproductive health; human rights; job opportunities; and
civic engagement/defense of the public interest.
Deadline:
Rolling for letters of
inquiry.
Funds:
In 2007, the foundation
awarded more than $14.7 million in charitable grants.
Eligibility:
Nonprofit organizations.
Areas: The fund favors:
• Outstanding individuals
working on promising projects in organizations that may have difficulty
attracting funds;
• Pilot projects with
potential for widespread application;
• Advocacy, including
litigation, capable of setting or protecting important precedents;
• Smaller organizations,
start-ups included;
• One-year grant requests
(although multi-year grants of up to three years occasionally are made);
and
• Matching-grant
opportunities, particularly to help broaden support for fledgling
initiatives.
Contact:
The John Merck Fund, 2 Oliver
St., 8th Floor, Boston, MA 02109; (617) 556-4120.
Email: info@jmfund.org
Web: www.jmfund.org/grant.html#eligibility
Cracker
Barrel Foundation
Scope:
The
Cracker Barrel Foundation seeks to strengthen and preserve community by
supporting programs in the areas of education, human services, cultural
affairs, and the environment.
Deadline:
Ongoing.
Funds:
In
2008, the foundation awarded more than $394,500 in charitable grants.
Previous grants ranged from $500 to $100,000.
Eligibility:
501
(c)(3) organizations.
Areas:
In
regards to education, the foundation seeks to fund programs that:
strengthen higher education and increase its availability; increase
adult literacy; and improve the quality of education.
Contact:
Cracker
Barrel Foundation, Penny
Carroll, director, P.O. Box
787, Lebanon, TN 37088-0787; (615) 444-5533.
Email: pcarroll@crackerbarrel.com
Web: www.crackerbarrel.com/about.cfm?doc_
id=1239#Cracker_Barrel_Foundation
The G.
Unger Vetlesen Foundation
Scope:
The G. Unger Vetlesen
Foundation provides support for religious, charitable, scientific,
literary, and educational uses and purposes, in New York, elsewhere in
the U.S. and throughout the world.
Deadline:
Rolling for letters of
inquiry.
Funds:
In 2008, the foundation
awarded more than $6 million in charitable grants.
Eligibility:
Nonprofit organizations.
Contact: The G.
Unger Vetlesen Foundation, c/o Fulton, Rowe & Hart, One Rockefeller
Plaza, Suite 301, New York, NY 10020-2002; (212) 586-0700.
Email: info@monellvetlesen.org
Web: www.monelivetlesen.org/vetlesen/default.htm
Millipore
Geographic Area:
Temecula, CA; Kankakee,
IL; Bedford, Billerica, Burlington, Greater Boston, Danvers, Lawrence,
and Lowell, MA; St. Charles, MO; and Jaffrey, NH.
Scope:
Millipore's Corporate Giving
Program supports programs related to education, science and
sustainability initiatives.
Deadline:
Rolling for letters on inquiry
Funds:
Grants up to $5,000.
Contact:
Alia Murphy, Millipore
Corporate Giving Program, 290 Concord Road, Billerica, MA 01821.
E-mail: alia_murphy@millipore.com
Web: www.millipore.com/corporategiving/mf3/funding_guidelines
Textron
Inc.
Geographic Area:
Rhode Island and locations
where the company has divisional operations (see web site for
interactive map).
Scope:
Textron Inc. supports all
levels of education, and provides grants for: job training and
employment development; enrichment and mentoring program for youth;
college and university support; arts and culture; community
revitalization; and health and human service organizations.
Deadline:
Sept. 1.
Funds:
In 2008, the company provided
more than $1.9 million in charitable grants.
Contact:
Karen Warfield, community
affairs coordinator, Textron Inc., 40 Westminster, Providence, RI 02903;
(401) 421-2800.
Web: www.textron.com/about/commitment/corp_giving/index.jsp
The
M.O.R.G.A.N. Project
Scope:
The
M.O.R.G.A.N. Project provides small grants to the parents of
chronically-ill children with life-long physical disabilities. Funds
will help provide the necessary tools (products or services) to a parent
with a specific goal of helping the parent to be better able to care for
their child.
Deadline:
Rolling for online pre-qualification applications. If invited to apply,
full proposals will be accepted from May 5 to Aug. 5.
Funds:
Grants
will be in the form of needed equipment, not cash, and will be paid
directly to the licensed company, facility, manufacturer, business,
service provider, or individual.
Eligibility:
Children under the age of 18 who have verification from their primary
physician stating that the child has a life-long physically disabling
condition. The foundation is not a disease-specific organization, and
applications will be considered regardless of the underlying disease,
disorder or diagnosis that results.
Areas:
The
foundation has predetermined list of eligible items. See web site for
the list in its entirety.
Contact:
The
M.O.R.G.A.N. Project, 3830 S. Highway A-1 -A, Suite 4, #153, Melbourne
Beach, FL.-32951.
Email:
QOL @themorganproject.org
Web:
htip://themorganproject.org/2010%20Small%20Grants%20Program.pdf
The Mr.
Holland's Opus Foundation
Scope:
Mr.
Holland's Opus Foundation's Melody Program assists K-12 school
instrumental music programs that take place during the regular school
day.
Deadline:
The
foundation will begin accepting pre-qualification forms Sept. 1.
Funds:
In-kind
donations of up to $10,000 for instrument repair and new instruments.
Eligibility:
Title I
public, private and charter schools or schools that can demonstrate
financial need. Schools must have an established instrumental music
program (i.e. concert band, marching band, jazz band and/or orchestra)
that is at least three years old.
Areas:
Grants are also available through the Special Projects Program for
before-and after-school music programs.
Contact:
The Mr.
Holland's Opus Foundation, 4370 Tujunga Ave., Suite 330, Studio City, CA
91604; (818) 762-4328.
Email: info@mhopus.org
Web: www.mhopus.org/teachers.asp
Baseball
Tomorrow Fund
Scope:
The Major League Baseball and
the Major League Baseball Players Association request applications for
the Baseball Tomorrow Fund. The fund seeks to promote and
enhance the growth of youth participation in baseball and softball
around the world by funding programs, fields, coaches' training, and the
purchase of uniforms and equipment.
Deadline:
Rolling for letters of
inquiry.
Funds:
The Baseball Tomorrow Fund
does not specify a maximum grant award; however, the average grant award
is approximately $39,000 in matching grants.
Eligibility:
Tax-exempt organizations,
including municipalities and school districts; and 501 (c)(3)
organizations involved in youth baseball and/or softball.
Contact:
Baseball Tomorrow Fund, 245
Park Ave., New York, NY 10167.
Email:
btf@mlb.com
Web:
http://mlb.mlb.corm/mlb/official info/community/btf.jsp?content=grant_process
Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation
Geographic Area:
Texas.
Scope:
The Albert and Margaret Alkek
Foundation provides support for charitable, religious, scientific,
literary and educational organizations and programs.
Deadline:
Ongoing for letters of
inquiry.
Funds:
In 2007, the foundation
awarded more than $12.6 million in charitable grants.
Contact:
Grant Applications, Albert and
Margaret Alkek Foundation, 1100 Louisiana, Suite 5250, Houston, TX
77002.
Email: info@alkek.org
Web: www.alkek.org/grantguidelines.htm
The Ford Family Foundation
Geographic Area:
Rural OR. and Siskiyou
County, CA.
Scope:
The Ford Family Foundation
provides support for positive youth development, access to health and
dental services for children, child abuse prevention and intervention,
and public convening spaces.
In regards to positive youth
development, the foundation supports programs that encourage the
development of skills, instill values of a successful citizen and create
structure for kids in free time. Preference is given to structured
out-of-school and youth leadership/citizenship programs; and
evidenced-based programs that show a clear connection between the types
of programming and development of successful citizen values and
behaviors.
Deadline:
Rolling.
Funds:
Grants range from $1,000 to
$250,000.
Contact:
The Ford Family Foundation,
1600 N.W. Stewart Parkway, Roseburg, OR 97471-1957; (541) 957-5574.
Email: info@tfff.org
Web: www.tfff.org/three60/Revised_Categories.html
Worthington Industries
Geographic Area:
Areas of company
operations. See Web site for interactive map.
Scope:
Worthington Industries
supports worthwhile community causes in the areas of education, civic
organizations, health and human services, and arts and culture.
Deadline:
Rolling for online
applications.
Funds:
Varies by request.
Contact:
Worthington Industries, Inc.
Corporate Giving Program, 200 Old Wilson Bridge Road, Columbus, OH
43085-2247; (614) 438-3210.
Web: www.worthingtonindustries.com/CorporaInformation/CorporateGiving.asp
Oak
Foundation USA
Scope:
The Oak Foundation USA
supports programs, research and activities that contribute to the body
of knowledge and the strategies available to students (from preschool
through college) who struggle in school as a result of learning
differences.
Deadline:
Rolling for letters of
inquiry.
Funds:
Grant requests must be more
than $25,000.
Eligibility:
Nonprofit organizations.
Areas:
The foundation seeks to fund
programs that: demonstrate an opportunity for replicability in public
school settings; utilize research and evidence-based programs and
strategies; support parent/guardian advocacy; provide services to all
students regardless of ability to pay; extend the knowledge and research
base on the use of assistive technologies to support students with
learning differences; provide information, such as materials and Web
sites, accessible to users with learning differences; extend the
research to address learning needs not addressed by current programs and
approaches; and provide strong methods for measuring outcomes or impact.
Contact:
Oak Foundation USA, 55 Vilcom
Center Drive, Suite 340, Chapel Hill, NC 27514.
Email: info@oakfnd.ch
Web:
www.oakfnd.org/activities/learning.php
Beim
Foundation
Geographic Area:
Minnesota, as well as a
limited number of projects in: Fairfield County, CT; Cumberland County,
ME; Park and Gallatin counties, MT; and Seattle, WA.
Scope:
The Beim Foundation provides
funding in the areas of arts and the environment. The foundation also
awards small capital giving for art organizations and sustainable
building design.
Deadline:
July 14.
Funds:
Grants generally range from
$5,000 to $15,000.
Contact:
Beim Foundation, 318 West 48th
St., Minneapolis, MN 55419; (612) 825-1404.
Email: beimfoundation@earthlink.net
Web: www.beimfoundation.org/grant-guidelines.html
Saucony
Run for Good Foundation
Scope:
The
Saucony Run for Good Foundation seeks to encourage active and healthy
lifestyles in children by supporting organizations that initiate and
support running and fitness programs for kids.
Deadline:
June 13
and Dec. 13.
Funds:
Grants
up to $10,000.
Eligibility:
Programs whose participants are 18 years of age or less, have 501(c)(3)
status, and can demonstrate their program positively impacts the lives
of participants through their increased participation in running.
Contact:
Saucony
Run for Good Foundation, 191 Spring Street, Mail Drop 318S, Lexington,
MA 02420-9191.
Email: info@sauconyrunforgood.com
Web:
www.sauconyrunforgood.com/
SAS Institute
Scope:
The SAS
Institute supports sustainable programs that help teens succeed in the
classroom and graduate from high school.
Deadline:
Ongoing.
Funds:
Grant
awards vary by project and scope.
Eligibility:
501
(c)(3) organizations.
Areas:
Organizations will be considered if they can show that their efforts
have a long-term impact and affect significant numbers of people,
regardless of race, national origin, gender, age, disability, religious
beliefs, or income levels.
Contact:
SAS
Institute, Community Relations, SAS Campus Drive, Cary, NC 27513; (919)
677-8000.
Email: CommunityRelations@sas.com
Web:
www.sas.com/corporate/community/donationinfo.html
Quicksilver Foundation
Scope:
The
Quicksilver Foundation seeks to benefit and enhance the quality of life
for communities of boardriders across the world by supporting
environmental, educational, health and youth-related projects.
Deadline:
Rolling.
Funds:
In
2008, the foundation awarded more than $599,000 in charitable grants.
The foundation awards both monetary and product grants.
Eligibility:
The
foundation supports local communities, including schools, churches and
local charities; and major special projects and organizations whose
focus is on children, education, science, oceans, and the environment.
Contact:
Quiksilver Foundation, 15202 Graham St., Huntington Beach, CA 92649;
(714) 8897132.
Email: ryan.ashton@quiksilver.com
Web:
http://quiksilverfoundation.org/category/community/
May and
Stanley Smith Trust
Scope:
The May
and Stanley Smith Trust awards grants to organizations serving the
following populations: children and youth; elders; the disabled and
critically ill; and disadvantaged adults and families.
Deadline:
Ongoing
for letters of inquiry.
Funds:
Grants
up to $6,000.
Eligibility:
501
(c)(3) organizations; and schools and universities that receive less
than 25 percent of their operating funds from families and those that
serve a 100 percent disabled population.
Areas:
The
trust supports organizations that strive to achieve a long-term,
sustainable difference in the lives of the people they serve. For
example, an organization that offers a comprehensive set of services
(such as job training, substance abuse rehabilitation, financial
literacy, etc.) designed to break the cycle of poverty for individuals.
Contact:
AdminiTrust LLC, 2320 Marinship Way, Suite 150, Sausalito, CA
94965; (415) 332-0166.
Email:
grantsmanager@adminitrustllc.com
Web:
www.adminitrustllc.com/may-stanley-smith-trust/for-grantseekers/alignment/
Turrell
Fund
Geographic Area:
Essex, Hudson, Passaic,
and Union counties, NJ; and VT.
Scope:
The Turrell Fund provides
funding to agencies rendering direct service to disadvantaged children.
Support is given for educational, vocational, recreational, and
corrective activities that contribute to the development of young
persons from families that could not afford these services without help.
Funding is also available for programs that care and nurture children,
and that provide activities to children with special needs.
Deadline:
Online applications accepted
from July 1 to Aug. 1.
Funds:
In 2008, the fund awarded more
than $7 million in charitable grants.
Contact:
Turrell Fund, 21 Van Vleck
Street, Montclair, N.J. 07042-2358; (973) 783-9358
Email: turrell@turrellfund.org
Web: http://foundationcenter.org/grantmaker/turrell/guidelines.html
Claude
Worthington Benedum
Geographic Area:
Allegheny, Fayette,
Greene, and Washington counties, PA; and WV.
Scope:
The Claude Worthington Benedum
Foundation provides grants in the areas of education, economic
development and civic engagement. The foundation seeks to promote
successful learning throughout the educational system, from pre-K to
post-secondary education; specifically in the areas of academic
achievement and preparation for the 21st-century workforce.
Deadline:
Rolling.
Funds:
In 2008, the foundation
awarded more than $18.8 million in charitable grants.
Contact:
Grants Administrator, Claude
Worthington Benedum Foundation, 1400 Benedum-Trees Building, 223 Fourth
Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222; (412) 288-0360.
Email: info@benedum.org
Web: www.benedum.org/pages.cfm?id=10
People's United Bank
Geographic Area:
Connecticut.
Scope:
People's United Bank supports affordable housing, community development
and youth development initiatives.
Proposals should demonstrate:
•
Strong leadership that will significantly strengthen communities in
which People's United Bank operates; and that serve as a model for other
non-profit groups;
• Sound
administration and financial condition;
•
Opportunities for People's United Bank's employees to volunteer;
•
Effective board governance; and
•
Connections and collaborations with other organizations.
Deadline:
Ongoing.
Funds:
Varies
by request.
Contact:
Tammy
Torres, Community Relations Department, People's United Bank, 850 Main
Street, BC 02-815, Bridgeport, CT 06604; (203) 338-2615.
Web: www.peoples.com/portal/site/peoples/
(Under "About Us, click "In the Community.")
Deacon Charitable Foundation
Geographic Area:
Irvine
and Sacramento, CA; Portland, OR.; and Seattle, WA.
Scope:
The
Deacon Charitable Foundation supports organizations that address vital
community needs and issues in the areas of human services, animal
welfare and the environment.
Deadline:
Ongoing.
Funds:
In
2007, the foundation awarded more than $250,000 in charitable grants.
Contact:
Deacon Charitable Foundation, 901 NE Glisan Street, Suite 100, Portland,
OR 97232; (503) 764-1810. Interested applicants should contact the
charity liaison in their area for a copy of the proposal guidelines.
Individual contacts are listed on the Web site.
Email: donna.deacon@deacon.corn
Web:
www.deaconcharitablefoundation.org/index.php
James Avery
Geographic Area:
Areas
where James Avery retail stores are located in: AL; CO; GA; LA; OK; and
TX.
Scope:
James
Avery's charitable giving program provides funds in following areas:
health care and relief; education and development of children; faith
based organizations; arts and culture; and the environment.
Deadline:
Rolling
for online applications.
Funds:
In
2007, the company awarded more than $250,000 in charitable grants.
Contact:
James
Avery Craftsman Inc., Attn: Director of Corporate Communication, P.O.
Box 291367, Kerrville, TX 78029-1367.
Web:
www.jamesavery.com/info/charitable-giving.jsp
Washington Gas
Geographic Area:
Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Scope:
Washington Gas' Charitable Giving Program provides support for
education, the environment and health initiatives. In regards to
education, emphasis is placed on activities that target youth in grades
K-12 in the areas of math, science, technology and business skills.
Consideration is also given to arts-related programs.
Deadline:
Rolling.
Funds:
Funding
varies by project and scope.
Contact:
Tracye
Funn, Washington Gas, 101 Constitution Ave., N.W., 3rd Floor,
Washington, DC 20080.
Email: tfunn@washgas.com
Web:
www.washgas.com/pages/CharitableGiving
Return to Top
Resource Materials
*LearningPort to the
Rescue
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Dept. of
Education has launched "LearningPort"
- an online library of materials from national associations, state
education departments, and technical assistance centers to support
professional development.
LearningPort builds on OSEP's guidance document, American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Using ARRA Funds Provided Through
Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to
Drive School Reform and Improvement, by providing easy access to a
wealth of professional development resources.
Resource, Support, and
Statistics Family Satisfaction and
Retention in the Current
Economic Climate: 2010 -
Ism (Independent School Management)
ISM
recently conducted its second annual nationwide survey of parents of
children attending private-independent schools. Again this year, the
survey was designed to primarily address school concerns about the
current economic situation and the effect it might have on
re-enrollment. A total of 11,385 people responded; last year, there were
13,291 responses.
Overall, in the 2010 survey, parents of 80% of the 14,204 students
indicated they "will" or "probably will" remain in their current school
through the highest grade it serves. Eight percent "probably will not"
or "will not" and 9% were "not sure" In the 2009 survey,
the percentages were, "will or probably will" 84%; "probably will
not" or "will not" 9%; and "not sure" 8%. Essentially the results are
parallel.
Value vs. Cost
In the
surveys for both years, parents were asked to "rate the value your
child(ren) is (are) receiving for the tuition and fees you are paying."
Again, the two years' results are parallel. In the 2010 survey, 87%
rated the value excellent or good (compared with
86% in 2009) and 13% rated it
average, below average, or poor (14% in 2009).
Those
who rated the value of their child's education as average, below
average, or poor were asked to indicate in what areas their child's
school needed to improve. The top three responses are shown in the
following table.
Areas their child's school
needed to improve
2010
2009
Some
faculty's care and concern 44%
26%
Some
faculty's subject matter expertise 43%
13%
Academic rigor
39% 40%
The
interest in attention paid to teachers is seen in another area. In 2009,
0/9% of the respondents were concerned about school-to-home
communication. In 2010, that rose to 28%. The closer scrutiny of the
faculty and the desire to have more information from the school (and
teachers are the most frequent communicators, often on a daily basis)
could indicate that parents are thoroughly examining how well the school
reinforces for them that they made the right decision in enrolling their
children in the school. It may also be a result of families more
carefully evaluating how they spend their discretionary income.
For
schools, these results serve to reinforce ISM's longstanding
recommendations about having definitive re-recruitment strategies -
strategies that validate for parents that the education their child is
receiving meets or exceeds their expectations. The results also shine a
bright light on the importance of the role each teacher plays in
maintaining positive relations with parents.
Family Income Levels
As it
typically does in parent surveys, ISM asked questions that centered on
family income by income cohorts. The following table indicates these
cohorts. (The percentages are of those who answered the question.)
This
year's respondents represent a slightly more affluent group than last
year's. It does reinforce, though, the need for schools to periodically
- and on a regular basis - survey their families about school
satisfaction and include a question about family annual incomes
Factors Impacting
Re-enrollment
When
asked about factors affecting re-enrollment, the results of the two
years are similar. The respondents were asked to rate each factor on a
scale of 1 (lowest) to S (highest). The means for the top six cited
factors (in ranked order according to the 2010 survey) are in shown in
the following table.
|
Family income cohorts |
2010 |
2009 |
|
>$40,000–$75,000 |
15% |
18% |
|
$75,001-$125,000 |
25% |
26% |
|
$125,001 - $275,000 |
35% |
36% |
|
$275,001 - $425,000 |
13% |
10% |
|
$425,001+ |
12% |
10% |
|
|
|
|
|
Top six factors affecting
re-enrollment |
2010 |
2009 |
|
Faculty care and concern |
4.53 |
4.69 |
|
Individual attention/student-teacher ratio |
4.44 |
NA |
|
Academic rigor |
4.37 |
4.50 |
|
Appropriate class size. |
4.36 |
NA |
|
Safety for my child |
4.35 - |
4.71 |
|
Faculty expertise |
4.35 |
4:55 |
As ISM data have shown for
years, safety, academics, and faculty and staff knowing and valuing
their child as an individual are the primary drivers for parents in
re-enrolling their children (as well as for new parents).
Financial Aid and Annual
Giving
In this year's re-enrollment
survey, ISM added questions about financial aid. For the 2009-2010
academic year, 24% of the families who answered the question indicated
they had applied for financial aid. Of those families, 90% received an
award. For the 2010-2011 academic year, 25% of the respondents plan to
apply for financial aid.
Also new were a set of
questions about the annual fund. Six percent of the schools represented
do not have an annual fund. In those schools with an annual campaign,
20% of the parents surveyed chose not to donate. For 65% of the families
who did donate, the gift did not require a significant change in
lifestyle. For 7%, their gift required either a sacrifice or, in some
instances, a "significant" sacrifice in their lifestyles.
Conclusion
ISM's recommendations continue
to hold true. Schools should continue to conduct strategic financial
planning and to set their tuition increases at a minimum of the rate of
inflation
plus
2%.
Parents need to be reassured
that the school will continue to deliver a mission-appropriate
education. Judiciously use cash reserves. As the
history of independent schools consistently demonstrates, calm
reassurance and strong leadership - not rash reactive measures - and
great attention being paid to the health of your faculty culture will
help your school weather the storm.
Terminating At-Will or
Under Contract: Fairness and Due Process Are What Count
"We're in an- at-will state.
We can let someone go at any time for any reason."
"We simply didn't renew their
contract. We don't need to give a reason."
While these refrains - heard
from school administrators on a regular basis - are both true as far as
they go, they don't tell the whole story regarding the risks of
dismissing an employee at a private-independent school.
As contract renewal season
approaches again, we would like to address misconceptions about
"at-will" and "contract" status in schools - and the risks, benefits,
and protections inherent in both. Rather than relying solely on at-will
or contract distinctions when letting employees go, simple fairness (in
the form of clear communication and due process) will be the school's
primary protection against potential lawsuits from dismissed employees.
At-Will Employment: Limited
Protection
In the United States, 49
states operate under the at-will employment doctrine whereby
an employee or employer can end the employment relationship at any time
for any reason, or for no reason at all. At-will's primary benefit to
employers is its flexibility (i.e., enabling employers to cut staff
quickly if revenues decline, or to dismiss employees who are not a good
fit with their needs).
However, an employer's
unfettered right to fire "at-will" has been narrowed considerably as a
result of discrimination protections instituted with Title VII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 and subsequent legislation.
Therefore, today, it is more accurate to say that an at-will employee
can be let go at any time for any reason that is not deemed to be
discriminatory.
Contract Employment: A
Conscious Decision
While most employees in the
U.S. are at-will, this is not true in schools, where annual contracts
are the norm. By offering contracts, a school is saying, in effect, "For
our own purposes, we are choosing to forego our at-will rights." Under a
contract, at-will is no longer in play and the contract becomes the
instrument that governs the employment relationship. Accordingly,
a contract employee can only be dismissed during the contract period for
reasons spelled out in the contract. At the same time, while a new
contract doesn't have to be offered when one expires, failing to offer
renewal to an employee opens the school to the same potential
discrimination claims as exist under at-will employment.
'Employment At-Will Contract':
A
Contradiction in Terms
Some
schools have attempted to "have it both ways" by trying to create hybrid
"employment at-will agreements" - i.e., documents that look like
contracts but whose language gives the school at-will protections. Such
documents tend to inadvertently mislead employees into believing that
they have more security than they actually do.
While
both the school and employee may refer to the document as a "contract,"
if it states that employment is at-will and can be ended at any time,
the employee does not in fact have guaranteed employment, salary, and
benefits for the length of the academic year.
ISM's Advice Regarding
Contracts
ISM has
long recommended that private-independent schools offer contracts to:
– the
School Head, and
–
faculty.
We
believe it is beneficial for faculty members to work under annual
contracts so they are "secure" in the classroom for the school year.
This has direct benefit to students by way of continuity of instruction,
and it supports a healthy faculty culture by reducing anxiety and
uncertainty among faculty as to their status during the academic year.
To
Pay Out or Not To Pay Out: That is the Question
Effective contracts clearly
define not only the rights and responsibilities of both parties, but
also "what happens if things go wrong." Thus, the teacher's contract
should specify whether or not the school will continue the employee's
pay and benefits for the remainder of the academic year if the employee
is dismissed mid-year.
While schools can choose to
contractually limit salary and benefits for mid-year terminations to the
employee's last day worked, they should do so only with significant
caution. By removing the primary psychological benefit of the contract
to employees, they may be significantly reducing its supportive value
with respect to faculty culture and individual and group anxiety – as
well as provoking greater risk of a lawsuit from the dismissed employee.
Non-Renewal Scenario: Analysis
Let us
examine the following scenario with respect to risk to the school: A
faculty member is informed that he/she will not be invited to return for
the following academic year.
If the
employee is at-will, the school is fully within its legal rights to end
the individual's employment. Similarly, if the employee is working under
a contract that expires at the end of the current academic year, the
school is under no obligation to offer the employee a new contract.
While
one might consider these both to be a parting of ways without risk, that
it is not necessarily the case. If the dismissed employee claims that
the underlying reason he/she wasn't invited back is discriminatory
(i.e., based on race, gender, or any other "protected class" status),
the claim likely will be permitted to proceed in court if (1) it is
backed by plausible facts from the employee to support this claim, and
(2) there is an absence of clear documentation from the school to the
contrary (i.e., that the non-renewal was for pertinent, job-related
reasons) – whether or not at-will status is claimed.
Mitigating Risk Through Corrective Action
Documentation
One way
to mitigate risks inherent in dismissals is to engage in a corrective
action process (i.e., a system of clear and progressively more serious
warnings regarding poor performance or conduct).
While
not legally required, this process demonstrates fairness, due process,
and good faith - as the school is providing the employee with legitimate
opportunity and meaningful support to correct the issue prior to
dismissal. This applies in both at-will and under-contract situations.
Summary
Schools
and administrators may be under the misconception that fervently
protecting their at-will employment rights provides them with full
protection from legal claims from dismissed employees---or that
declining to renew annual contracts has no potential consequences. As we
have seen, both at-will dismissals and contract non-renewals may be
fully legal but still may prompt discrimination claims. By treating its
struggling employees with fairness, due process, and good faith (such as
in the form of a corrective action process), a school is providing
itself with its most important and effective protection - and doing so
in a way that is in concert with its mission, culture, and values.
Another
Way of Looking at Retention
-
Ism (Independent School Management)
Of all
the research that ISM reviews, periodically there is a report that
merits some reflection by our client schools. In this article, we review
a major finding of the Brown Center Report and consider its
implications. The Brown Report looks at three aspects of education: the
latest NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) mathematics
scores, enrollment patterns in private and public schools, and the
relationship between time and mathematics achievement. We will consider
the issue of enrollment patterns.
Brown
cites a 2004 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll that showed 50% of the
respondents would send their children to a private school if they had a
voucher to pay for it. This seemingly contrasts with the steady decline
in actual private school enrollment since 1959. Brown then reports three
major studies showing the superiority of private-independent and private
Catholic schools.
The
point at which the majority of students transfer out of private schools
is at the entrance to high school, an important finding given the
importance of high school in preparation for post-secondary education.
The Brown report summarizes one of the key findings related to
retention: "A consistent pattern is evident. Private schools lose
students from middle to high school, and public schools gain students
from the private school exodus. Once students make it to tenth grade, if
they attend private schools they are more likely to stay in school until
the senior year."
One
significant societal change is suggested with regard to parenting
attitudes. It seems clear that, while private schools offer an academic
advantage, parents are switching because it's not all about academics.
In a 1996 Gallup Poll, parents were asked to pick between the
following: their oldest child being a straight-A student with only a few
friends and extracurricular activities or a C student with a lot of
friends and activities. By a two to one margin, they picked the busy,
socially active C student. In other words, unless you are a product
school, you cannot be competitive purely on the basis of high test
scores and elite college acceptance percentages.
What
might this suggest at a time when enrollment is under stress due to, in
large part, tuitions increasing at a rate greater than inflation? We
have no evidence that tuition is or is not a significant factor in
student retention. While parents report to their own schools that
tuition is a factor, ISM's third-party parent surveys indicate their
rationale is always far more complex and usually places tuition as a
secondary, not primary, factor. While tuition is going up, the problem
Brown identifies here is long-lasting, dating back to the 1960s.
Based
on ISM's consistently tested findings, it's clear that parents want you
to demonstrate four key competencies in looking after their children.
•
Safety: Are you going to keep my child safe?
•
Academics: Is my child going to have options after she/he leaves
your school (at any grade level)?
•
Caring teachers: Are your teachers demonstrably competent in their
academic care of my child, knowing her/him personally and being
(appropriately) immersed in her/his life on a multiplicity of levels?
•
Character: Are you helping to parent my child and ensure that she/he
gains the values in life that will sustain her/him?
Underlying those four core competencies is this foundational strategic
question: Are you giving parents the information they need on a
consistent basis (what ISM calls internal marketing) so that they are
willing to re-enroll their child and sign the new (and larger) tuition
check that requires?
Reading
the Brown Report reminds us that the current retention situation is not
a new scenario. For four decades, it has been a struggle to retain
students. Attending to the .core competencies will contribute
powerfully to enable your school to be successful in recruiting and
re-recruiting your students.
Much of
this article is based on findings from The 2007 Brown Center Report
on American Education: How Well Are American Students
Learning?, published by the Brookings institution and the Brown Center
on Education Policy,
December 2007.
Download the full report at:
www.brookings.edulreports/2007/1211_education_loveless.aspx
School
Head and Board Roles in
Shaping an Effective
Employee Handbook
ISM has
long held that the proper role of the Board is to attend to the
strategic viability of a school for future generations of students,
while the role of the School Head is to manage the day-to-day
operational needs of the school. With that core principle in mind, the
question arises as to who is properly responsible for ensuring that the
school has an effective, up-to-date employee handbook. As employee
handbooks are primarily comprised of day-to-day operating policies, we
believe that the answer clearly is "the School Head." At the same time,
however, there is an important strategic oversight role that the Board
can and should play in ensuring that organizational risk is limited—but
always showing deference to the Head on the operating details.
Employee Handbook as a Day-to-Day Operating Guide
The
goals of an effective employee handbook, in order of priority, are to:
-
protect your school from potential lawsuits by ensuring compliance
with pertinent employment laws;
-
maintain effective operation of the school by communicating policies
and procedures to employees in a timely, clear, consistent, and
predictable manner; and
-
promote your culture and values to new employees, reaffirm them to
existing employees, and-to both-clearly describe "what is important
here."
Effective handbooks help employees to anticipate (and administrators to
know) "what will happen" when any number of a variety of possible
circumstances arise - e.g., What do I do if I can't come to work due to
a sudden illness? When can I expect a new contract to be offered? What
happens if I have some performance difficulties? What professional
development opportunities might be available to me?
By
answering these questions in policy format, the handbook is essentially
serving as a operating guide-providing the framework the Head uses to
make the difficult calls when
interpretations of policy must
be applied to unique circumstances
(e.g., How does our general policy apply to the facts
of this particular
situation?). Given this operational focus, the
School
Head (and the Management Team and other administrators, as delegated)
should be the primary driver of the document (not the Board).
Must the Head-
Be an HR Policy Expert?
While
we encourage all Heads and other senior administrators in schools to
develop a strong working knowledge of employment and benefits laws: that
Impact schools, virtually no Heads are trained in human resources or as
legal professionals. As the School Head is ultimately responsible for
the creation and quality of the document, this raises the question, When
the Head delegates, review of the handbook to someone inside or outside
the school, how does he/she know
if ...
:the
job has, been accomplished well? To this end we have developed six
principles by which the Head can assess satisfactory completion of this
task.
Key
Principles for
Heads When Assessing
an Employee
Handbook
Our
school's employee handbook will:
:
-be
reviewed for legal compliance purposes by an internal and/or external
professional expert in employment law and human
resource practices, on at least a cursory level annually and an in-depth
level every three years;
-be
reviewed for tone, clarity and communication style consistent with our
mission, culture, and values by internal personnel of my: choosing on-an
as-needed basis;
-comply
with the letter and spirit of non-discrimination laws and all
other
employment laws, and establish and maintain an environment free of
harassment and
discrimination;
-establish practices that support healthy, respectful interactions
between all employees and members of the school community, including the
resolution of conflicts;
-establish and maintain processes for effectively sustaining and
enhancing employee performance, growth, and renewal in support of a
healthy faculty culture; and
-establish and maintain policies that support the highest standards of
personal and professional conduct and that appropriately define what is
important here.
The Board's Role: Strategic
Oversight
We are
not suggesting that the Board has no role with respect to the employee
handbook, but rather that the Board's role is
very
different and much more limited in nature than the Head's role.
While the Head needs to be concerned with the content of the
handbook, the Board's interest in the handbook is solely at a strategic
level - focused on sustaining the long-term viability of the
institution. With respect to employee handbook policies, this involves
asking the following four questions of the Head as part of the Board's
risk management role.
1.
Do we
have an employee handbook that accurately reflects current school
operating policy?
2.
Is the
handbook compliant with current federal, state, and local employment
laws?
3.
Does
the handbook adequately convey to all employees (not just faculty) the
required procedures of the school as well as provide insight into the
mission, culture, and values of the school?
4.
Has the
handbook been reviewed recently by an appropriate expert who has
confirmed the above?
When those questions are asked
of the Head and answered
in the
affirmative on an annual basis, the Board has fulfilled its role in
appropriately striving to protect the school from risks in this matter.
Social
Media and Background Checks
The
headline reads: Teacher Fired for Derogatory Postings About
Students on Facebook. If this teacher applied for a position at
your school, would you want to know about this episode from her past?
Most school administrators would answer, "Of course."
How
about a candidate whose MySpace page features photos of him engaging
in
binge drinking and possible illegal drug
use? Again, an "of course" for most School Heads.
It is
possible these days to perform
your
own
"background search" by entering a potential hire's name into search and
social networking programs (Google, Facebook, MySpace, etc.). Before you
use these tools to seek information, ask yourself, "Are there any
risks?
If so, what are they - and do the risks outweigh the potential
benefits?"
What Are the Risks?
Risk No. 1: Discrimination
The primary risk to the school
in the above examples is facing a discrimination lawsuit from the
rejected candidate. The suit's claim wouldn't necessarily be directed
toward the photos or posting issue-but rather, that the school was
exposed to information about the candidate's race, national origin,
religion, or other "protected class" status, and that information was
used discriminatorily. A related issue could be a claim that the school
violated public policy by using the candidate's participation in
non-job-related legal activities (with The exception of the possible
drug use) against him/her.
Risk No 2: Negligent Hiring
If you
fail to seek out pertinent available information about candidates,
you
could
be looking at a claim from exactly the opposite direction - that is, a
claim from a parent that you failed
to
take
all of the steps a prudent organization would take in thoroughly
checking the background of employees. If you don't discover (or even
look for) information about a candidate's violent past, for example, and
the employee causes harm to a student, you could be liable for negligent
hiring practices.
Risk
No. 3: School Reputation
The
possibility of damage to the school's reputation and culture is
ever-present. If you don't check the individual's background properly
and that person ends up being mission-inappropriate (e.g., the "toxic"
teacher), there is a risk to your school culture. Or, if it becomes
public knowledge that the teacher engages in an after-hours activity
that - though legal - is frowned on by the school or even the wider
community, you could be dealing with a very delicate public relations on
issue. You might even
face a financial issue if, for example, you must buy out the remainder
of the teacher's contract to get him out of the classroom and also pay
for a long-term substitute.
Should You or Shouldn't
You?
What to do, then? Use these
three points to guide you in determining your approach to this issue.
Point No. 1:
See the forest. for the trees (it's the data, not the
technology).
Technology is constantly
changing - from Netscape and AOL, to Google and Bing, to MySpace and
Facebook, to Twitter, to whatever the "next big thing" or "killer
application" will be. With each innovation, it is easier to lose sight
of "the basics." Here's the
key:
Since Title VII of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 became law, it has been illegal in the U.S. to
discriminate in employment based on an individual's race, sex, religion,
color, national origin, or any other "protected status" added over the
years at the federal or state level.
Therefore, any Web site or
other data source that provides (even indirectly) information about an
individual's race, color, etc., is sharing information that can
potentially be used discriminatorily
and should thus be approached with caution. Regardless of the technology
used, the elements of Title VII are always our guideposts for what is
legal or discriminatory.
Point No. 2:
Decide what's important and what you're willing to fight for Today,
there is an almost unfathomable amount of information that may be
available in cyberspace regarding candidates. The key is to separate
what is available but merely "interesting" from that which is "vital to
know" for valid, job-related purpose. And how does this intersect with
public policy (e.g., the prohibition against using legal after-hours
activities against someone)?
For example, let's say you
Google the candidate and you find a Web page listing him as a member of
a group whose mission appears to conflict with the school mission. On
the surface, this seems to be fairly clear-cut issue, i.e., a person who
cannot support the school mission would not be a good fit.
However, what if that same Web
page also indicates the person's racial, ethnic, national origin,
disability, or other status? Now the school runs the risk of a claim
that the activity was incidental (or "pre-textual," as the attorneys
say) i.e., the "real reason" you rejected the candidate was because of
his protected class status.
The core question from the
school's perspective is, "Is this issue something that is really
important to us, and something that we are willing to take a stand on,
regardless of the risks?" The answer to this question will be based
largely on the school's mission, culture, and values. What some schools
would be willing to take a firm stand on at all costs might be something
that another school - with a different culture and values - might not
deem important or noteworthy at all.
Point No, 3:
Weigh the risks and benefits -
then go forward with a clear strategy
Once the decision is made as
to "what is important here," this needs to be weighed against the
anticipated
risks
in the situation, and a clear strategy needs to be developed. Your plan
should include the following points.
1. State whether you will or
will not seek out Web-based (Google) or social networking (MySpace)
information about candidates, because you do/do not consider it to be
vital, job-related information.
2. If you do seek out this
information, make these determinations.
¨
Who in the school is authorized to seek this information, and to whom
are they reporting what they find?
¨
How will you go about confirming the accuracy of the information and
will the candidate have the opportunity to confirm/deny the information?
¨
Has the school established clear standards of behavior (based on the
need for personnel to serve as role models for students), and have these
standards been communicated to employees and candidates?
¨
Have all employees involved in the hiring process been trained on the
legal aspects of hiring and discrimination laws, and are they aware of
the school's standards and processes regarding background screening?
3. Since this is an evolving
area of society and the law, has the school thoroughly reviewed its
background screening processes (notably, the online/social networking
portions of the process discussed in this article) with its employment
attorney?
Only when all of these
questions have been addressed can the school go forward with confidence
that its full screening process is both compliant with the law and also
consistent with its mission, culture, and values.
The 20st
Century School: Curriculum and Technology
We continue our series on the
21st Century School,- addressing the issue of curriculum; its
implications are enormous. The 20th century curriculum paradigm was
dominated by the power (and needs) of publishers who took a considerable
amount of time to develop textbooks and drove a profitable mass market
in educationally acceptable knowledge. The 21st century curriculum
paradigm is far more anarchic, with "textbook" knowledge being
accessible and created through "social production"
(collaborative work with open platforms) and largely available for free.
Consider the following
currently relevant practices.
• Google (www.google.com)
is often the first port of call for finding information and one of
many search engines. Its ability to direct the individual seems
unparalleled.
• Project Tomorrow (www.tomorrow.org)
carried out its SpeakUp 2007 survey and found the chief reasons
students want to take an online class include (1) learning about a
subject, (2) taking a class not offered at their school, (3) working at
their own pace, (4) getting extra help, (5) scheduling, and (6)
receiving college credit.
• In 2008, Florida mandated
that all students from K-12 can use online options and has a virtual
school to deliver that (www.flvs.net).
Alabama requires that students take an online course. There are
several other examples in the United States and Canada.
• Government, nonprofit, and
for-profit sources now provide free access to wide-ranging resources
that are not just informational but participatory, e.g., Google Earth
(earth.google.com);
creation and free worldwide distribution of learning materials
through Curriki (www.curriki.
org); a storehouse of content at the Open
Content Alliance (www.opencontentalliance.orglabout/);
and many other similar online resources.
• The connection of education,
entertainment, advertising, and philanthropy experienced on the Free
Rice site (www.freerice.com)
demonstrates the blurring of lines between previously separate
disciplines.
As only a few of many
examples, these demonstrate that the 21st Century School will approach
curricula from a different standpoint. The inevitable
teaching/coaching/mentoring paradigm will be one of blended learning
involving the individual learner, the teacher/coach, and technology.
Curriculum, far from being stratified into a rigid scope and sequence
determined by grade level, will be far more fluid and determined as much
by each learner's passion as by school fiat. "Standardized" will become
a thing of the past.
What can schools do? Take
the following steps.
• At the middle school and
upper school levels, begin to approach curriculum from the point
of view of the student. As we recognize in recruitment and
re-recruitment that the decision for being at the school partially or
wholly in the hands of the student, so we will now acknowledge
(voluntarily or involuntarily)
that the learning sequence will increasingly be a conversation between
the school and the individual student.
• Move more intentionally
toward blended learning, where e-learning becomes a normal part of a
regular education.
•
See laptops not as
the servant of the classroom but as the definer of the
classroom--they
free
the student in terms of when, where, and how to learn, and provide a
student-to-student and student-to-teacher ad hoc learning vehicle.
• Accept radically varied
paths and different speeds of progress as the norm, not as an
accommodation.
• Treat all students as
"special needs" students from a curriculum point of view,
making the objective of "diversity" in that sense meaningless -
every
student's scope and sequence will be individual and different. The definition
of "expert" will change as students, in their own areas of passion,
become as or more expert than the teacher.
•
Provide
professional development that supports
blended learning and that aids the teacher in being the expert
(teacher-centered) and the coach to the expert (student-centered).
The three characteristics
identified in previous 21st Century School articles7 now have
a fourth added to them: the individualization of the content and delivery
of curriculum, which meets the needs and passions of the learner at the
rate best suited to that learner, using blended learning as the means.
matters.
The
Growing Importance of Technology in Parent Communications
ISM conducted a survey of
private-independent school parents from 37 schools, and 7,986 families
responded. One of the
survey questions concerned satisfaction with the use of technology at
their schools. The survey results indicated that: -- 77.59% of the
respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with their school's "use of
technology in the classroom" and 81.38% of the respondents were
satisfied or very satisfied with their school's Web site.
ISM also asked parents about
the use of technology for school-parent communications and, not
surprisingly, parents are turning more and more to the Internet to
maintain contact with school teachers and administrators.
Parent Survey Results: The
Importance of Technology in Communications," concerning the top four
elements that are most important to parents.)\
Email
Many parents now rely on
email, both on the job and in the home. If school personnel have email
accounts, this can make school-parent communication more efficient. Make
sure parents can easily find the email addresses of your faculty and
staff, either online or in a printed directory, or both.
However, email should not
replace personal communication (e.g., telephone or parent-teacher
conferences) and should never be used to communicate confidential
information about individual students. If a teacher receives an email
from a parent, a lengthy or confidential response need not be via email.
Reply with a brief message like, "Your last message raises some
interesting points that I'd prefer to discuss in person. Let's meet
soon. Please let me know what time is best for you."
Of course,
email
and online
school-parent communication are only as effective as the responsiveness
of your staff. Since many teachers and administrators are not
immediately available, your school should develop a clear policy
concerning how quickly a message must be returned. (A reasonable period
is within 24 hours.) Make sure this policy is clearly delineated in your
faculty handbook, take every opportunity
to tell parents what the policy is, and then see that everyone follows
it.
E-letters
When school newsletters meet
their mission, parents rely on them for information and look forward to
receiving each issue. However, parents are coming to rely more on the
convenience and immediacy of e-letters, and many prefer to receive your
newsletter electronically (rather than a paper copy that often gets lost
in a book bag or disappears in a pile of mail at home). If your
newsletter is delivered by email and includes links to the school Web
site, it becomes even more effective and useful to parents. Or, simply
create an online newsletter on your Web site. When a new issue is
posted, notify your parents via email that the newsletter is now online.
Include any important information or dates that parents should not miss
in the e-mail, along with headlines for the major articles that are
featured.
Then provide a direct link to
the updated newsletter. (For those parents who prefer not to receive an
e-letter or to go online for the e-version of your newsletter, allow
them to specifically request the newsletter in print.)
Web Site/Intranet
Use your school Web
site (including a password-protected area for parents) as a rich
resource and communication center for your school's families. Sports
schedules, upcoming events, and announcements can be posted on the main
Web site; individualized content (e.g., student grades, homework,
student comments posted by teachers) should be provided in the protected
area. Parents welcome and value this form of communication.
Keep in mind that your
school's Web site is often the first source of information for
prospective parents - particularly if yours is a boarding school
recruiting students from afar. What families find on your Web site will
form their first impressions of your school. A Web site that displays an
open, thriving community with clear lines of communication for parents
has broad appeal and will be far more attractive than a school with
unclear (or hard-to-find) school-parent avenues of communication.
Examine your Web site through
the eyes of someone unfamiliar with your school. Is there a staff page
that includes e-mail contacts? Is there a password-protected area on the
Web site and/or an intranet for the parent community? (Even prospective
parents without access can appreciate the value of a "closed"
community.) Is it clear from the Web site that your school provides open
lines of communication for families?
Clearly, most schools
understand the importance of technology in their classrooms and online,
and have taken steps to meet the needs of their students and parents in
these areas. The next time you survey your parents be sure to ask them
how satisfied they are with your school's Web site and technological
lines of communication - then strive to make improvements if significant
dissatisfaction is indicated.
Harvard launches unique – free - degree
In an
effort to help infuse the educational system with transformational
leaders, Harvard created a three-year, practice-based Doctor of
Education Leadership Program. The program includes one year of a
custom-designed core curriculum taught by faculty from HGSE, the Harvard
Business School, and the Harvard Kennedy School. A second year of
elective courses is drawn from across the university. The program
concludes with a year-long residency with one of Harvard's partner
organizations that are leading the way in improving education in
America.
All
students participating in the program receive a full-tuition funding
package, which also includes stipend support in years one and two, as
well as a paid residency in year three. The first students are slated to
begin courses in August 2010.
For more information,
visit: www.gse.harvard.edu/academics/doctorate/edld/faq.html
History curriculum comes to life
The
Center for History and New Media and George Washington's Mount Vernon
Estate and Gardens announced an online exhibit showcasing the life of
Martha Washington. The Web site offers teaching materials intended for
both middle and high school students. Teachers can choose from three
themes: sociability, slavery and the American Revolution.
For more information,
visit:
http://marthawashington.us/
Free science curriculum available online
National Geographic offers the JASON Project's Operation: Infinite
Potential full curriculum free for educators who register on the Web
site. The curriculum is designed to fit within school districts' core
curriculum. It provides five to nine weeks of material with suggested
lesson plans, extensions, interdisciplinary connections, and other
teacher resources.
For further information,
visit:
www.jason.org/public/Whatls/CurrOIPIndex.aspx.
Free
curriculum addresses food questions
The Center for Ecoliteracy
offers a free-downloadable guide for high school teachers to use as a
companion to the recently released documentary film Food, Inc.
The 102-page guide provides questions and activities about the film's
themes, including health, sustainability, animal welfare, and workers'
rights.
For more information,
visit: www.ecoliteracy.org/publications/food_inc.htm
l
Web site
seeks to rekindle science interest
The National Science Teachers
Association recently launched Science Matters, an initiative designed to
rekindle a national sense of urgency among schools and families about
the importance of science education and science literacy. The Science
Matters Web site provides teachers and parents with helpful reports and
studies about the current state of science education in the U.S.,
information about to how to work together to foster better learning
experiences in K-12 science, and links to valuable Web sites that offer
simple science experiments and activities to do in the classroom or at
home.
For further information,
visit:
www.nsta.org/sciencematters/
#Student's behavior,
speech deficits mandate therapeutic placement
Case name:
City of Chicago Sch. Dist.
299, 53 IDELR 274 (SEA IL 2009)
Ruling:
An IHO found that an Illinois
district deprived a child of FAPE by placing him in a self-contained
class for children with autism. The officer ordered the district to
place the child in a private, full-day, year-round therapeutic school
with intensive educational and therapeutic services to address his
behavioral and communication needs.
What it means:
Districts cannot use the LRE
mandate as a rationale for placing a child in a setting where be won't
receive educational benefits. Sometimes, a child's need for intensive
services such as speech-language therapy or behavioral intervention
trump his need to interact with nondisabled peers.
*Child's inability to
navigate, focus demand aide's constant presence
