Process to Apply & Eligibility
All applications must be submitted electronically. Paper applications will NOT be accepted. All applicants will create an account with login credentials on our thid party website, Submittable, allowing work to be saved and continued at a later date. Only GISD employees are eligible to submit applications. A student or parent should never complete an application for funding from GEF. All projects must directly benefit GISD students and align with GEF’s mission to enrich the educational experience and prepare students for the future. There are three application types to solicit funding from GEF:
- Grant Cycle – support for innovative projects that impact student learning. You must fill out a brief Letter of Intent (LOI) and receive permission to apply for a grant.
- Individuals, Teams, Campuses and Departments are welcome to apply for grant awards up to $10,000
- Out-of-Cycle – emergency funding for needs that impact student learning and cannot wait until the next grant cycle
- Determined on a case-by-case basis by GEF's grants committee
- Individual Student – assistance for students in difficult circumstances that prevent them from participating in a valuable experiences with peers
- Awards up to $500 per student to a GISD educator serving as the student’s sponsor
*If your project/grant request exceeds the above amounts, you are still encouraged to apply. Funding amounts are at the discretion of the GEF Grants Committee who may choose to partially fund or exceed these limits.
Funding Priorities
In an effort to support GISD’s strategic plan, GEF has aligned its funding priorities with the Board of Trustees’ goals for student outcomes. All applicants will select one of the issue areas listed below when they submit their project for consideration. Applicants are encouraged to think creatively about how they can design projects that will contribute to improving academic performance in the identified issue areas. If you have an idea and fear it may not fit one of these areas, please don’t be discouraged! Reach out to GEF to discuss your project.
- Early literacy
- High-school readiness
- College and career readiness
- Innovation
Deadlines to Apply
For the 2024-25 Grant Cycle, the deadline to apply is Thursday, October 3, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. The deadline is extremely firm. No exceptions.
The Out-of-Cycle and Individual Student applications are available year-round with a rolling deadline. Projects are reviewed by the Grants Committee and considered for funding as quickly as possible.
Application Attachments
All submissions must include the following attachments:
- Letter of support from the appropriate principal or department head (if you are applying as an educator you must have principal approval)
- Completed copy of GEF’s grant proposal budget template; Click here to download the budget template.
- For technology requests, proof of support and official quote from GISD’s MIS Department: Email techquotes@gisd.org and put GEF in the subject line along with "deadline October 3."
- Proof of support from GISD’s Director of Facilities for any project that requires installation or alteration of a building in any way, email: Director of Facilities, Delton Kelly at deltonkelly@gisd.org.
Timeline
All grant recipients will receive an award letter noting the deadline to spend their funds and the deadline to submit an evaluative report. The letter will also inform the recipient of any special instructions. The following is the tentative timeline for the Grant Cycle for the 2024-25 school year.
- Early-November- GEF awards funds
- January 24 – deadline to spend funds
- April 25 – deadline to submit an evaluative report
Project Coordinators
All proposals must identify a Project Coordinator who is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the grant and communicating with GEF. The principal at the respective campus must assume or re-assign responsibility if the Project Coordinator becomes unavailable or does not fulfill the duties associated with the grant. For grants that involve several campuses, a GISD administrator assumes the role of the principal as the responsible party.
Things to Avoid:
Generally, funds will not be awarded for:
- Capital improvements
- Salaries and fees for speakers
- Subscription services/renewals (committee may approve the first year of a subscription service as a "test run")
- Single-use items (snacks, awards, trophies, t-shirts, etc.)
- Field trips or travel
Other Guidelines:
- Make sure to include additional costs for shipping or a written statement for free shipping.
- Follow Galveston ISD purchasing guidelines, including use of approved Galveston ISD vendors.
- Consult with your school’s financial secretary before the budget is submitted.
- Items purchased using grant funds belong to a campus unless the GEF board and principal approves a transfer to another campus.
If you have any questions, please contact the Galveston ISD Educational Foundation at foundation@gisd.org
Additional resources are available here:
