It's exciting to see all the grant opportunities available! Grant writing seems time consuming making it risky because there is no guarantee the grant will be awarded. I think if student teachers/interns worked on grant writing, it would be a great way for them to know more about the organization and it's needs and a paid employee would not have to make time within their work load to grant write.
On The School Funding Center (http://www.schoolfundingcenter.info/free-grant-search.aspx) I used their free trial and I found a grant available from Xerox that had a lot of funds available and aligned with the goals of the Technical Center I work for often.
I found an article Through the Eyes of the Grant Reviewer (http://www.k12grants.org/tips/ReviewerTips.pdf) found very helpful. It gave real world advice about what a grant reviewer is looking for. It is always important to see things from the perspective of those who you are trying to appeal to and this article also helps them see from your perspective.
Ford Foundation (http://www.fordfoundation.org) also really interests me. Their slogan is Working with Visionaries on the Frontlines of Social Change Worldwide. The Foundation is through gifts and bequests from Edsel and Henry Ford and seems to, in broad terms, intends to make the world a better place, primarily through social justice. In regards to educational needs, there are a few issues the foundation lists that are a priority for them that I think would align with my school (http://www.fordfoundation.org/issues/educational-opportunity-and-scholarship) such as reducing drop out rates and advancing higher education access and success.
Again, it was very exciting to visit all the sites listed and the links within them and learn more about all the grant opportunities available. This is extremely important information for teachers and, probably more important, for administrators to know to help their school and students, which of course leads to helping our communities, country and world!
Macy - The grant process is exhausting and sometimes frustrating. My experience tells me that if a project is going to happen even without the receipt of the Grant than one should continue to plan and make alternate funding arrangements. That way, if the Grant is received it is a bonus and no part of the planning has been delayed.
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