Whether your Charter School is brand new or celebrating 20 years in operation, if you have a project in mind, grants may be available to help you reach the goal. Sounds great! Where do we start?
First, it is important for schools to create short-term and long-term goals that align with the Charter’s mission and vision. In creating school goals, it is paramount to gain input from all stakeholders, including school staff, students, parents, Governing Board members, and the community. Once your school goals are prioritized, build a project plan. Schools may have concurrent project plans of, for example, a short-term personnel project to obtain a full-time school counselor and a long-range project plan to expand the campus playground with an outdoor learning classroom.
Next, work closely with your school business manager to identify where current funds are categorized and allocated. This will clarify project plan funding gap areas and what to focus on when pursuing grants/partnerships. There are a multitude of federal and state grants that Charter schools may apply for through Utah Grants (utahgrants.utah.gov). Each grant has a unique focus area, all supporting our Utah students. Information on how to navigate Utah Grants is located at https://www.schools.utah.gov/financialoperations/utahgrants.
Additionally, when exploring grant resources and partnerships, look within your local city, college/university, and community. Partnering with your local municipality to improve and benefit your community also expands your school grant opportunities. For example, cities have access to government infrastructure and environmental grants that may support your school goals in a variety of ways. Examples of city grant projects include installing sidewalks along rural roads adjacent to schools and supporting student safety and the development of greenspace, trails, and parks, providing schools and students additional outdoor learning environments.
If your Charter school is fortunate to be located near a Utah college or university, reach out to their community resource center. Colleges and universities consistently pursue grants, many of which include a requirement for outreach and involvement within their community. Additionally, many college professors prioritize real-world experience, service, or application projects for their students. A collegiate partnership is a wonderful opportunity for both college and Charter school students. Utah university/college resource centers include:
- USU Community Partners — https://www.usu.edu/cel/cbi/index
- U of U Neighborhood Partners — https://partners.utah.edu/partnership-areas/community-leadership/
- Weber State Center for Engagement and Learning — https://www.weber.edu/ccel/community.html
- Utah Tech University Community Engaged Learning Partnerships — https://community.utahtech.edu/faculty-information/
- BYU Y-Serve programs — https://yserve.byu.edu/community-service-providers
The private sector has numerous grant opportunities for Charter schools to explore. As your school is reviewing grant opportunities, consider the following questions:
- Does the project/goal align with the Charter school’s mission and vision?
- How much funding is the school pursuing? Is the funding needed for the project one-time or ongoing?
- What is the timeline for the project/goal?
- What are the grant’s criteria, requirements and compliance assurances?
- Is the performance/assurance requirements of the grant cost or prohibitive personnel comparative to the award amount?
As your Charter school prepares your grant project plans, multiple grants/partnership opportunities may exist to cluster together to meet the school goal. Ensuring you are aware of each grant’s approved use of funds will help you determine which grants to pursue and how to allocate funding resources best. A sample project plan is referenced below that utilized a university partnership, a Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation grant, and a private sector American Academy of Dermatology grant opportunities to help accomplish the school goal of establishing an outdoor learning classroom and playground expansion.
Grant/partnership opportunities are vast and can be multifaceted. Taking the time to establish your school’s short-term and long-term goals — that align with the Charter’s mission and vision — will help focus your efforts. Wishing you the best as you embark on new opportunities to support your Charter school’s success!
Laura Banda is a former charter school director, current UAPCS Mentor, and owner of Rise Education Consultants. She can be reached at (661) 433-9454.
