The Money Mom: Who will fund your grant?

Posted by Jennifer Freeman at 12:02 PM

In my last post I discussed how the first step to getting a grant is identifying what the biggest "grantable" needs are at your school. Once you’ve decided the priorities at your school, the next step in finding grant funding is identifying the funders who are right for your project.

What funding category does the project fit into? Is it Arts--a visiting playwright, poet or printmaker, a spring musical, trips to museums? Is it Literacy--visiting historical sites and then writing about them, or buying biographies for classroom libraries? Is your grant for a Capital Expense--permanent physical improvement to a space, like planting a garden or renovating a community room? Is it Environmental Stewardship--studying where city water comes from, or connecting science curriculum with local parks?

There are often different funding organizations to help schools in each of these categories, and it’s easier to find them if you know which category your grant fits into.