How to Apply for Mini-Grants
Now that the school year has started again, we announce the newly renovated PCO Grant program! It is hoped that the requests will promote team building and benefit a large number of students. The deadline to be considered for the first round of approvals is October 15, 2011.
· The PCO Mini-Grants are up to a limit of $250 dollars each, and are selected and voted on a week or two after the deadlines attached.
· Garden grants may be sent to the same location as the Mini-Grants, but have a set amount of allocated funds and will go through a more rigorous approval process.
· Larger grants are voted on individually. The PCO may fund them, or they may be relegated to special fundraising if too large a request.
The Mini-grants program is open to all staff members, parents, and community members. We invite and encourage each grade level to participate.
The applications will be reviewed by the PCO members and assigned a score based on set criteria provided. The total number of requests granted will depend upon the number submitted, and their dollar values. The money will be dispersed in one of several ways:
· Reimbursement of expenses.
· A check provided at the beginning of the expense period. Any extra money left over at the end will have to be returned to the PCO.
· Direct payment to the vendor by the PCO.
The application process is as follows:
1. Complete the attached application.
2. The executive committee of the PCO will vote on the mini-grants.
3. The criteria used in ranking the requests are listed on the attached rubric.
4. The committee may request additional information to clarify sections of the application.
5. It is possible for only partial requests to be awarded.
6. Submit your application to minigrants@ecspco.org by October 15, 2011 to be considered for the first round of funding.
7. If necessary, hard copies may be addressed to "Mini-Grants" and put in the PCO box in the office.
8. Award selections will be made approximately one to two weeks after the submission deadline.
9. All expense receipts must be submitted to the PCO treasurer via the PCO mailbox in the office, together with the PCO Expense Reimbursement form, 60 days after grant is approved
Through
the Mini-grant Program, the PCO hopes to fuel your desire to educate our
students in innovative and extraordinary ways.
Please feel free to email minigrants@ecspco.org
for any questions you may have. Thank
you for your dedication and commitment to ECS students!
All Mini-Grants are judged in 5 Categories:
1. Number of Students the mini-grant benefits.
2. Level of enhancement or innovation.
3. How much of what is bought is reusable
4. If there are maintenance costs are associated, the solution for the long-term costs
5. How closely tied the mini-grant is to the curriculum
Each of these categories will receive a rating of 1 - 5 from members of the Executive Committee, with 5 being the best possible number for each. Mini-grants will be selected based on which ones get the highest overall scores.
Mini-Grant Deadlines Throughout the Year
October 15th, 2011
January 15th, 2011
March 15th, 2012
May 15th, 2012
Mini-Grant Application Form