Grant Guidelines and Procedures

PEF GRANT FUNDING GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES

Goals of the Princeton Education Foundation Grant Program

The Princeton Education Foundation (PEF) strives to provide funding for educational endeavors that add depth to the curriculum and broaden scholastic experiences that would not be otherwise funded through the traditional Princeton Public School budget.

Proposals from all district schools, grade levels, and curriculum areas are encouraged.

PEF aims to support innovative and creative educational programs for the students and faculty to enhance the educational experience in the Princeton Public Schools.
PEF aims to provide resources and programs that enrich our children’s appreciation and understanding of all subjects covered by the academic curriculum of the Princeton Public Schools.

Grant Eligibility

The superintendent, administrators, department heads and teachers within the Princeton Public School are eligible to apply for grants from PEF.

PEF Grant Criteria and Considerations

Throughout its history, PEF has been proud to fund grants that have met all or some of the following criteria:

Grants that enhance the existing academic program, curriculum, guidance or counseling functions of the Princeton Public Schools.
Grants that enrich- not duplicate or replace- the current curriculum and educational structure of the Princeton Public Schools.
Grants that reflect the goals of the PPS and have the support of a building supervisor and appropriate curriculum personnel.
Grants that impact a broad number of students and have lasting or sustainable educational value.
Grants that are innovative and creative in teaching and/or learning.
Grants that implement new and experimental methods of teaching.
Grants in which the results can be evaluated by some measure of quality and be expanded and replicated if successful.
Grants that fund capital improvements
Teacher Grants are limited to a maximum of $2000, unless otherwise indicated.

PEF will not fund:

Grants that replace or relieve existing responsibility for public funding of school programs nor are they intended to substitute for normal budget growth and maintenance.
Grants without the appropriate required approvals
Grants that fund teacher stipends or substitute teacher fees.
Grants that fund travel expenses for district employees.
Grants that fund tools/equipment and consumable items that should be provided for in the school budget, standard classroom supplies, or maintenance and facilities costs.
Food and drink of any kind, unless they are critical to the project’s success.
PEF will not grant funds for non-specific expenses. Budgets must be clearly defined and listed. Pricing within your budget must be exact or directly quoted. Please supply the source of your price quotes.

*The above funding guidelines, procedures and requirements represent the guiding principals of the Princeton Education Foundation. Under various circumstances, the Board of Trustees of the Princeton Education Foundation may choose to provide or not provide funding which differs from the terms of these guidelines.

PEF welcomes inquiries prior to writing grant applications to discuss viability of projects. Please contact us if you would like to discuss a potential grant application.

Grant Application Process

For the 2022-2023 academic year, we will be accepting grant applications until October 7th, 2022.
The online Grant application with the required attachment can be found on the GRANT APPLICATION tab under the GRANTS tab on the PEF website.
Accompanying documentation must be submitted along with the application. This includes, but is not limited to, the required signature/approval page, budget spreadsheet, catalog/webpages of materials to be purchased, and current educational research relating to the proposed project.
Required signatures must be completed on all applications. Applications will not be considered without appropriate approvals.

Grant Review Process

Completed applications will be acknowledged through email and be sent to the PEF Board of Trustees.
The PEF Board of Trustees meets once per month and will review any completed application that has been received prior to the deadline.
Applicants will be notified of our decision in approximately 10 business days
Please keep in mind that not all applications can be approved. PEF strives to grant as many quality applications as possible each year, but operates on the financial generosity of the community and a limited funding budget. Grants are awarded at the sole discretion of PEF. The Princeton Education Foundation reserves the right to deny an application for any reason they believe does not comply with the mission and the purpose of these grant funds.

Changes in Scope of Project of Expenditure of Grant Funds

Changes in scope of project or expenditure of grant funds is discouraged. Any changes must be approved by the PEF Board of Trustees in advance. Written notice of the proposed change must be sent to the President of the Foundation. The President will confer with the Trustees and respond in writing.

Terms of Approval:

Approval of any Grant Application is subject to the following terms:
A Princeton Education Foundation Grantee will agree to:
1. Use of the grant funds is only allowed as specified in the approved grant proposal.
2. Maintain records to show and account for the uses of grant funds.
3. Submit of all expenses in a timely manner
4. Upon request, provide records to verify grant expenditures and activities.
5. Repay any portion of the funds not used for the specified purposes.
6. Refrain from the use of the funds for any purpose prohibited by law.
7. Cooperate with any efforts of PEF to publicize the grant award.
8. Comply with reasonable requests for information about program activities, including but not limited, to inviting PEF to see the grant in action when possible.
9. Provide a report at the end of the grant cycle or by June 30th of the current school year.
10. Abide by the PEF Grant Publicity guidelines as noted below.

*Grant payments and/or reimbursements will be withheld for any breach in terms. Future grant funding may be effected.

Grant Publicity

Grant recipients are expected to be available to PEF for the purposes of publicizing their projects to parents, teachers and the local community through school publications, local newspapers and other media outlets.
Grant recipients are asked to include the following statement when presenting the grant in any public forum; “This project is made possible (in whole or in part) by a grant from the Princeton Education Foundation.”

Duration of Funding

All grant funds must be expended on the approved project within the school year for which it was awarded. If the project is canceled or materially changed, the funds must be returned to the Foundation.

PEF cannot make a commitment to continue funding the same project for more than the current school year.

While we are always looking for new, creative projects, we will, however, review applications for continued funding of previously awarded successful grants if the project has been reviewed, reconsidered and/or updated. Applications should clearly indicate that it is a request for continuation of funding from a previously awarded grant.

Grant Evaluation and Report

All grant recipients are required to submit a Close-Out Grant Report approximately 10 months after their grant was accepted. The report must describe the grant project outcomes and show the expenditure of funds. The Report is due 2 weeks after the end of the grant or no later than June 30th.

Note: The above funding guidelines, procedures and requirements represent the guiding principals of the Princeton Education Foundation. Under various circumstances, the Board of Trustees of PEF may choose to provide or not provide funding which differs from the terms of these guidelines. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to revise these guidelines, procedures and requirements at any time.