2021 WEF Grant Window Is OPEN!

ALL STAFF RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ON FRIDAY, FEB 12. We are posting it here for your convenience & reference!

The Waukesha Education Foundation 2020 Grant Application window will OPEN on Monday, February 15, 2021. We will be accepting grant applications through April 9, 2021 To learn more about WEF, visit our website at www.waukeshaeducationfoundation.org We know this post is long, but it includes everything you need to know as a grant seeker. Please read through it carefully.

The 2021 Rubric, Tips for a Successful Grant document, a sample budget template, printable application for planning purposes and access to the application link can be found by visiting our Grants page on our website HERE.

Some minor changes this year: 

1. We have included language that prohibits purchases made outside of this country. Please note that this is not a “must be made in the USA” rule, it is okay to purchase things MADE outside of our country, but you MUST purchase them from a US Distributor. Unfortunately, we’ve paid for things that have sat in customs and never got here. It’s difficult to pay an offshore vendor and/or follow up with customer service issues. An exception will be made if you are purchasing items yourself and bringing them here (for example, original literature written in Spanish that you purchase while traveling.) If this is the case, you need to contact us to clarify how that will work. You will still be required to provide a receipt. Remember, the district will not reimburse taxes.

2. There is a question regarding technology and whether or not your grant has a technology purchase. We ask this because we may be able to purchase it through the district at a lower cost AND we want to know if there are any other needs that would come along with this purchase. Two years ago we awarded a grant and when they received the equipment they realized that there were other technology pieces that were required for it to work. We want to avoid that mistake and make sure your project is funded and ready to go when you buy your technology. (Side note: we're not calling them out...they are the ones that let us know this happened and suggested this policy change! Great point! We're always trying to improve.)

3. We have added clearer language regarding grant follow up requirements. 

4. We have created a sample budget template. This is the #1 area that falls short on many applications. The template format is not required for your submission, but gives you an idea on the level of detail we are looking for. Grant Requests that estimate costs are usually not selected. 

Here are some quick answers to some frequently asked questions:

1) Any SDW Educator or Administrator may apply for a grant, regardless of whether or not they have applied in the past. Student or parent groups may NOT apply for a grant, unless there is an advisor that is employed by the school district of Waukesha that is running the potential program or project and would be managing the grant. (for example, a special interest student club run by a staff advisor) 

2) SDW Educators or Administrators MAY apply for multiple grants within the same year.

3) Grant winners are selected only by the quality of the grant application and availability of funds. The grant selection process is extremely competitive. Most years, we receive up to 100 submissions. We typically have between $30,000 and $35,000 to give. This year's total dollar amount available will be announced as soon as it's available. Do not be discouraged if you've tried in the past...try, try, try again! Every year, we have great programs that don't get funded simply due to our funding limits. Grant writers should not get discouraged, we really do wish we could fund every great idea that comes our way. Please keep trying. 

4) To increase your chances of winning a grant, carefully review the scoring rubric and also take some time to visit our website and understand what types of grants we award. We will only award grants that reflect our mission, so take the time to review our website!

5) To further increase your chances of winning a grant, please be mindful of your budget submission. Do not estimate, do not provide us with a wide range, and do not note "Whatever you can give." Grants that are awarded typically have well thought out and detailed budgets so that we can make funding decisions. Also note that large projects with price tags near or equivalent to our total available grant dollars are typically not considered, as we cannot spend all of this year's money on one program. As noted above, this year, we have provided you with a sample template. Feel free to download it, rename it and use it to figure out your budget. 

6) Late submissions will not be accepted and incomplete submissions will not be considered. 

7) Our Board has a grant writing expert that is happy to help! SAVE THE DATE: We will be hosting an interactive & virtual Grant Writing workshop (similar to what is normally presented at Waukesha One) on 2/22/21 at 6pm via ZOOM. We encourage new and experienced grant seekers to attend and receive some helpful tips! It will be presented by our experienced grant writer and Board President, Melissa Baxter. While the interactive workshop will be best attended live so that you may ask questions, we will record it for those that want to be there, but cannot attend. We will send out a reminder to sign up with the link, but if you'd like to sign up right away, you can click HERE to register.

8) A note to our grant winners from last May (May, 2020) - Please keep in mind that due to COVID, you have been given an entire extra school year to complete your grants. While you are eligible to apply again, we encourage you to consider whether or not you can complete two grants at the same time. It is unlikely that the May, 2021 winners will be granted extra time (assuming our current situation with COVID is finally over.) 

GOOD LUCK to all of our 2021 applicants. We appreciate the work that you do on behalf of the students and families in the School District of Waukesha.