Funding Research Request (Classrooms/School Sites)

Perhaps you want to use grant funds to purchase Chromebooks for your classroom. However, what problem will the Chromebooks solve? Perhaps your student population does not have easy access to computers at home, and you want to increase their technological literacy. Rather than state the problem as “Our classroom doesn’t have enough Chromebooks,” describe the problem in terms of the students: “Our students, in general, come from less tech-savvy homes and lack exposure to computing knowledge and skills that would help close the gender and racial digital divide.”

Describe your solution in human terms. Your solution should NOT be “Buy Chromebooks.” Instead, tie your solution to the people who will benefit from it: “Launch a grade-level initiative to encourage students underrepresented in STEM fields to engage in computer science curriculum.”

These activities should all be part of your solution. Most funders want their money to benefit directly the people who are the focus of the grant project. If your solution is to “launch a grade-level initiative to encourage underrepresented students to engage in computer science curriculum,” then each activity should support this goal. Activities could include generating a new technology announcement for parents, holding training sessions for teachers, collaborating with your school’s Technology Club, conducting an assessment of your students’ interest in computer science before the Chromebooks arrive and six months later, or taking two class field trips to coding-focused industries.

Again, don’t mention the Chromebooks! Your vision should be the broad, ideal change that would happen as a result of the grant project and its legacy. If your solution is to “launch a grade-level initiative to encourage underrepresented students to engage in computer science curriculum,” then the big-picture vision is to close the gender and racial digital divide by increasing the number of underrepresented students who assume a “computer science identity” and want to pursue more advanced CS coursework.

This is where you list Chromebooks! But also list costs for other activities that could be used to build an project that a funder would really want to fund. Examples include field trip costs, guest speaker per diems, release time teacher training opportunities. If you don't know what something costs (like a field trip, or substitute salary and benefits), that's ok. We can help you with this. Give as much detail as you can so we can build a good budget.

Add up the cost of the activities. If you don’t know that exact cost of something, try to base the estimate on reliable information like published rates or price quotes rather than guessing. We can help with identifying sources for accurate budget costs later in the process.

Funders want to know how the project and its impact will live on beyond the grant funding period. How will your project continue in the future? Be realistic. However, consider different types of sustainability. Are you using grant funds to pay for a Train-the-Trainer model of professional development? Will the brochures you create be usable in the future? Can Tech Services provide hardware support for the Chromebooks? Do you have volunteers or other reliable fundraising efforts to support smaller, ongoing costs? Will you collaborate with other schools, district departments, or community partners to leverage resources?

Most grant application cycles take several months from the future application deadline to award decision and receipt of funds. It’s rare to find a grant opportunity, apply for it, and receive funding in a timeframe of less than 3-4 months.