Arts Education Funding Opportunities

From the Seattle Public Schools Arts eNews Aug/Sept 2010:

Funding and Resources for Classroom Arts Projects

Seattle Council PTSA Arts Grants

PTA believes that all children deserve a quality arts education. An arts education enhances a student's intellectual, personal and social development. The Seattle Council PTSA is pleased to announce a new Art Grants program for Seattle PTAs to support student art. Grant requests must briefly describe how the funds will be used to support student experiences in art, including music, dance, theater, literature, and visual arts. PTA units may only receive one grant of up to $200 for the school year. PTA units must be associated with the Seattle Council PTSA. Approximately $2,000 is currently available for 2010-11 grants. (Depending on the success of the Art Grants program, additional funds may be allocated.) Grant applicants may want to link their program with the PTA Reflections Art Program or PTA Start the Art Week. Priority consideration given to: 1) New and less well-developed PTAs and 2) PTAs working with significant numbers of families whose students are bilingual and/or participating in the Free and Reduced Lunch program. For grant information visit the Seattle Council PTSA web site. Deadlines: August 31, 2010, September 30, 2010, and November 1, 2010.

Ezra Jack Keats Minigrant Program For Public Schools and Public Libraries

The Minigrant program funds public schools and libraries anywhere in the United States and its protectorates up to $500 for creative classroom projects such as ongoing pen-pal projects bringing disparate communities together; multi-cultural portrait projects; art projects culminating in art shows, murals, or quilts; bookmaking; creation and performance of puppet shows; and inter-generational journals. For grant information click here. Deadline: September 15, 2010

National Art Education Foundation

NAEF funding supports a wide variety of professional activities, including promotion of art education as an integral part of the curriculum; establishment and/or improvement of art instruction in public and private K-16 schools; promotion of the teaching of visual art through activities related to the instructional process, curriculum, student learning, student assessment, classroom behavior, management, or discipline; purchase of art equipment and/or instructional resources; and research in art education. Additionally, the NAEF provides professional development scholarships. To view the multiple grant opportunities visit the NAEF grants web site. All Grant Deadlines:  October 1, 2010

Office Depot Foundation's Listen Learn Care Grants

Office Depot Foundation's funding focus includes: 1) Making a difference in children's lives to support activities that serve, teach and inspire children, youth and families; 2) Building communities to support civic organizations and activities that serve the needs of our community. 3) Disaster relief to support disaster relief efforts of recognized national, regional and local agencies, and to provide disaster relief to Office Depot associates who have experienced catastrophic loss. Applications are retrieved on a monthly basis and are reviewed by a committee. Please allow at least 12 weeks after you submit your completed application before you receive a response. Grant amounts will be a minimum of $50 and a maximum of $3,000 (very limited). The majority of grants issued are in the vicinity of $1,000 and are supported by in-kind donations when inventory allows. For grant information click here. Deadline: Accepting applications through November 15, 2010

Using Music to Teach Mathematics Grants for Grades PreK - 2 Teachers

The purpose of this grant is to incorporate music into the elementary school classroom to help young students learn mathematics. For 2010-2011, grants with a maximum of $3,000 each will be awarded to persons currently teaching mathematics in grades PreK-2 level. This award is for individual classroom teachers or small groups of teachers collaborating in one grade or across grade levels. Any acquisition of equipment must support the proposed plan but not be the primary focus of the grant. Proposals must address the following: the combining of mathematics and music; the plan for improving students' learning of mathematics; and the anticipated impact on students' achievement. For grant information click here. Deadline: November 12, 2010

ING Unsung Heroes®

Are you an educator with a class project that is short on funding but long on potential? Do you know a teacher looking for grant dollars? ING Unsung Heroes® could help you turn great ideas into reality for students. or more than 10 years, and with $3.0 million in awarded grants, ING Unsung Heroes has proven to be an A+ program with educators. The program's "alumni" have inspired success in the classroom and impacted countless numbers of students. Each year, 100 educators are selected to receive $2,000 to help fund their innovative class projects. Three of those are chosen to receive the top awards of an additional $5,000, $10,000 and $25,000. For grant information click here. Deadline is April 30, 2011

Jenny Jones Heroes

Talk show host Jenny Jones has donated $1 million to individuals who submit the best ideas for tangible, lasting community projects. For more information click here. Deadline: Ongoing

iLoveSchools.com

This site provides a free donor-matching service for education. School teachers build WishLists of equipment, material and supplies; anything they need for their classroom. Donors locate teachers through our WishList search and offer their donations of new or used items or the cost of the teacher's WishList. 100% of donations go directly to a school teacher in need. For more information click here. Deadline: Ongoing

The Airborne Teacher Trust Fund

This fund has recently expanded to cover Washington State and invites elementary and middle school teachers to submit proposals for art and music programs that their schools are unable to fund. For more information click here. Deadline: Ongoing

Donorschoose.org  

Teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals choose projects to fund. For more information click here. Deadline: Ongoing

Adopt-a-classroom.org 

A donor selects a classroom and makes a contribution for the teacher to use and purchase much needed resources for the classroom. Donors may search for classrooms by geography, school name, teacher name or other search criteria. If a donor has no preference, Adopt-A-Classroom partners the donor with an underserved classroom in the community. For more information click here.Deadline: Ongoing

Funding for School-wide Arts Needs

Surdna Foundation Teens' Artistic Advancement
Thriving cultures depend upon the existence of vibrant artistic communities, and the survival and flourishing of these communities depends, in part, upon arts education. As an important component of this education, Surdna is dedicated to providing opportunities for the artistic advancement of teens. Surdna aims to stimulate fresh thinking and new approaches to address the isolation and lack of opportunities for artistic advancement for young people from disadvantaged communities. Long-term, we expect teens from many cultures to contribute to the artistic fabric of the United States and to contribute to the evolution of new art forms. Some will use their developed artistic voices to help address societal concerns. Surdna seeks programs in which: For grant information click here. Deadline: Now accepting letters of intent

Target Field Trip Grants Program
Managed by Scholarship America, the Target Field Trip Grant program is open to education professionals who are at least 18 years old and employed by an accredited K-12 public, private, or charter school in the United States that maintains 501(c)(3) or 509(a)(1) tax-exempt status. Educators, teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, or classified staff of these institutions must be willing to plan and execute a field trip that will provide a demonstrable learning experience for students. Grant funds may be used for visits to art, science, and cultural museums; community service or civics projects; career enrichment opportunities; and other events or activities away from the school facility. Target will award 5,000 grants of $700 each to schools for the upcoming school year. Funds may also be used to cover field trip-related costs such as transportation, ticket fees, resource materials, and supplies. Click here for grant information. Deadline: September 30, 2010

Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation Music Program Grants
The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation (MHOF) funds music programs serving low-income communities, programs with little or no budget for musical instruments and music programs that serve the most students out of the school population are considered before all others.  Applications are made available by invitation only. You must submit an online Pre-Qualification form to be considered for an invitation. Please see the pre-qualification criteria posted on the Foundation web site.For grant information click here. Deadline: Pre-qualification online forms available until October 1, 2010

National Education Association Foundation Learning & Leadership Grants

Learning and Leadership Grants provide opportunities for teachers, education support professionals, and higher education faculty and staff to engage in high-quality professional development and lead their colleagues in professional growth. The grant amount is $2,000 for individuals and $5,000 for groups engaged in collegial study. All professional development must improve practice, curriculum, and student achievement. "One-shot" professional growth experiences, such as attending a national conference or engaging a professional speaker, are discouraged. Decisions regarding the content of the professional growth activities must be based upon an assessment of student work undertaken with colleagues, and must be integrated into the institutional planning process. Grant funds may be used for fees, travel expenses, books, or other materials that enable applicants to learn subject matter, instructional approaches, and skills. Recipients are expected to exercise professional leadership by sharing their new learning with their colleagues. Click here for grant information. Deadlines: October 15, 2010, February 1 and June 1, 2011

National Education Association Foundation Student Achievement Grants

Student Achievement Grants provide $5,000 to improve the academic achievement of students in U.S. public schools and public higher education institutions in any subject area(s). The proposed work should engage students in critical thinking and problem solving that deepen their knowledge of standards-based subject matter. The work should also improve students' habits of inquiry, self-directed learning, and critical reflection. Proposals for work resulting in low-income and minority student success with honors, advanced placement, or other challenging curricula are particularly encouraged. Grant funds may be used for resource materials, supplies, equipment, transportation, software, or scholars-in-residence. Although some funds may be used to support the professional development necessary to implement the project, the majority of grant funds must be spent on materials or educational experiences for students.  (These grants replace the Foundation's Innovation Grants program, which has been discontinued.) Click here for grant information. Deadlines: October 15, 2010, February 1 and June 1, 2011

Lowe's Toolbox for Education Grants

Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation recognizes a need to increase the focus on basic, one-time project needs. Grants will be awarded to support projects that have a permanent impact such as facility enhancement (both indoor and outdoor) as well as landscaping/clean up type projects. Projects that encourage parent involvement and build stronger community spirit will be favored. Up to $5,000 per school is available. Lowe's will donate $5 million to schools and school parent teacher groups at more than 1,000 different schools during the school year. Click here for grant information. Deadline for Fall Cycle:  October 15, 2010

CVS Caremark Community Grants

The CVS Caremark Community Grants program awards funds to nonprofit organizations for programs targeting children with disabilities; programs focusing on health and rehabilitation services; and public schools promoting a greater level of inclusion in student activities and extracurricular programs, and initiatives that give greater access to physical movement and play. Qualifying organizations are eligible for grants of up to $5,000. Click here for grant information. Deadline: October 31, 2010

The Fender Music Foundation

The Fender Music Foundation accepts electronic grant applications throughout the year from 501(c)3 or governmental organizations. Qualifying applicants are established, ongoing and sustainable music programs in the United States, which provide music instruction for people of any age who would not otherwise have the opportunity to make music.The intent of the program must be music instruction, not music appreciation or entertainment, and the participants/students cannot be professional or career musicians. Almost all of the selected programs include in-school music classes, in which the students make music; after-school music programs that are not run by the school; and music therapy programs, in which the participants make the music. Click here for grant infromation. Deadline: Ongoing

Classics for Kids Foundation