GRANTS IN EDUCATION

   Application Guidelines

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GRANTS IN EDUCATION
Application Guidelines

As of January, 2011 the Fleishhacker Foundation implemented a new framework for the Precollegiate Education grantmaking program.  The only program area that will be funded for the next three years is a Literacy Initiative for elementary school students (grades K-5).   We will award grants only to Bay Area-based programs whose work is primarily focused on providing literacy services to students.  

For the first grant round in 2011, a core group of prior grantees was invited to submit materials for new grant consideration.  Organizations funded in Spring 2011 were invited to re-apply for the Spring 2012 cycle. Most of the year's grantmaking takes place at the spring board meeting, for program activities for the upcoming school year (e.g. Spring 2012 grants are for the period of July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013.

The application form includes general organizational and financial information; a supplemental narrative description of the literacy program(s) is also required.  The applications do not need to be framed in a project-specific manner beyond supporting core literacy activities.  A second group of organizations may be invited for the fall grant cycle, depending upon how much funding is available after the spring grants are awarded.

By focusing our limited dollars in one core area, we believe our funding can have more impact on the field.  We will also be able to deepen our expertise in this area and better share knowledge gained through the important work of our grantees. 

We launched the Literacy Initiative in recognition of the equity gap in the educational achievement of at-risk students, particularly those in large urban school districts from low-income backgrounds.  We are supporting programs that improve early reading readiness, grade-level attainment by the end of third grade, and students leaving 5th grade ready for the more challenging work of middle and high school (including college preparatory courses) – all key markers for future success in school and life.  This is a difficult time of diminished resources for public education and great stresses on the system.  We believe that our new focus area is the most effective way the Fleishhacker Foundation can help those who are making a long term difference in the educational lives of disadvantaged children in our community.   

Priorities for the new Literacy Initiative include:

• To focus funding on a core competency in elementary school education which affects the future educational and life opportunities of each child;
• To help students who are behind, or in danger of falling behind, improve their reading and writing skills;
• To support disadvantaged students, primarily those attending public schools, in achieving grade-level competency.

Grantmaking Criteria:

• Grants will primarily be made to nonprofit community-based organizations providing direct literacy services to students;
• Priority will be given to school-day, classroom-based programs, and those serving a significant number of students;
• The first round of Literacy Initiative grants will be awarded to organizations that have received prior funding from this Foundation;
• Multi-year grants may be awarded to organizations that demonstrate consistent programmatic strength and the capacity to track efficacy from year-to-year;
• Grants will be awarded to organizations whose primary overall mission is academic support for disadvantaged and/or at-risk students, whose programming is largely concentrated in this area.

Exclusions:
Grants will not be made to individual public, independent, or parochial schools.  However, nonprofit organizations which raise funds for and provide literacy services to individual schools (in the public or private sectors) may be considered in future grant cycles.

Grants will not be considered for other types of academic support programs (e.g. math or science), arts education, career-development, homework help, study skills, or general after-school enrichment programs. 

Future Prospects:
Grants for teacher professional development are not the Foundation’s current priority, but may be considered on a case-by-case basis if they are specifically literacy-based and serving a large number of teachers.   

Wishing to remain open to 501 c3 organizations not previously funded, we will consider a limited number of these groups for 2012 and 2013 grants.  

Any organization that wishes to be considered for future grant rounds, whose work specifically focuses on literacy activities for grades K-5, may submit a 2-page Letter of Inquiry addressed to Christine Elbel, Executive Director, Fleishhacker Foundation, P.O. Box 29918, San Francisco CA 94129-0918.  An email letter of inquiry may be sent to info@fleishhackerfoundation.org, with the subject line “Education Grant LOI.”   Lengthy attachments will not be reviewed.

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Deadlines for grant proposals are January 17 deadline for May decisions, and July 16 for October decisions. (Note: the deadline is normally on the 15th of the month but if that date is a weekend, the next business day's postmark will suffice.)

Send materials via US Post Office. Do not staple or bind, just use paper clips. Use only 12 point type and 8 1/2 x 11 paper.

Fleishhacker Foundation
P.O. Box 29918
San Francisco CA 94129-0918
415/561-5350