Does your PTO offer a mini-grant or grant process for teachers and staff in the school? Our PTO is interested in setting up a system whereby teachers or staff can apply for "X" amount of money from the PTO through a formalized grant process. I am interested in hearing how different PTO's go about handling requests for monies from teachers and the parameters that you use in reviewing each request. Is your process formalized or does the staff merely drop an informal note or phone message asking for money and the PTO board decides arbitrarily?

What do you call this process? MiniGrants? Request for Funding?

How frequent do you accept these requests?

The process we are considering would be for teachers to further enhance the classroom experience.

thanks!

MicheleC

Our organization has a "Student Enrichment fund". Every year, depending on our finances, we give each school $800 or $1000 each. The teachers then decide on how they wish to split it up or buy one big thing. They bought ellison dye machines, die cuts, etc. and it usually works really well and the teachers love it. We also have a budget for students who are in need of things such as pre-pack supply kits, event money, book money. The teachers let us know that they have a needy family and ask if we would fund their project. Hope this helps. Carol

We do that same thing through our PTO whereby each classroom teacher gets 2 separate checks during the school year at $50 each and the specials teachers get $75 because they deal with not just one classroom, but all of the students in the school.

I am looking for an application process where staff can apply for funds on a case-by-case basis providing a review process by a team of PTO reps/board plus the mini-grant committee comprised of staff and parents.

Any ideas anyone?

Thanks

MicheleC

Our PTC has a line item in our budget and a committee for a "Teacher Incentive Grant" We have a form that we have put together and the principal has this in her office and when a teacher is in need of something that benenfits the kids and the teacher the principal gives the incentive grant application to the teacher to fill out. The form then goes back to the principal for her signature and then it is given to the Incentive Grant Committee. We give all of our teachers $50 at the beginning of the year and this is an extra. The interesting thing is not many use this but we have funded many things for our classrooms for this!

Thanks for forwarding the sample form! It is exactly what I was looking for to create one for our school. I will bring this sample to our first planning meeting and now, thanks to you, we will not have to recreate the wheel!

Have a great day!

MicheleC
Connecticut
(Where we are expecting 2+ feet of snow today...Spring!..Where are you????!!!!!)

This mini-grantis a great idea. Thanks.. Over last summer I made goodie bags for the teachers with incentive awards to give to their students, such as (stickers, pencils, erasers, stamps, rulers, etc.) The teachers were really excited. We also decided to give each teacher a $50.00 classroom spending money to use as they wish. We had them spend the money then give us a copy of the receipt(s) for our records and then we gave them a check they were also very thankful.