MEF Grant Guidelines
The Millburn Education Foundation (MEF) works to ensure continued educational excellence for Millburn Public Schools by providing grants for innovative and progressive improvements that enrich the academic experience of students. We do this by providing grants for equipment, technology, programs and staff development that cannot be funded within current budget caps and restrictions. MEF welcomes grant applications that further the Millburn Board of Education’s goals and fall into the following broad categories:
Communication Skills. These projects develop students’ skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening. They also provide experiences in the performing and fine arts.
Critical Thinking and Development. These projects are intended to sharpen students’ thinking skills in all areas of the curriculum. Projects enhance students’ abilities to evaluate, plan, organize, analyze and solve problems. Projects that benefit the physical and/or emotional well being of students will also be considered.
Teaching and Learning Methods and Skills. These projects seek to foster professional growth and development for all staff members.
MEF welcomes innovative proposals. Small-scale projects with the potential to be expanded to other schools and/or grade levels will be considered as carefully as larger ones.
MEF will consider funding:
- Projects that enhance the academic program, and/or curriculum or staff development of the Millburn Public Schools.
- Projects that enrich but "do not duplicate or replace" the current curriculum and educational structure of the Millburn Public Schools. For MEF to consider funding a project dropped by the Board of Education, the applicant must have rethought, updated and/or revamped it.
- Projects that reflect the goals of the Millburn Board of Education and must have the support of a building supervisor and appropriate curriculum personnel.
- Projects for which it is possible to determine and judge the results by some measure of quality. (See post evaluation procedures.)
- Projects that are based on one year of funding. If multiple years of funding are needed, a new application must be submitted each year and will be subject to the same review process.
MEF WILL NOT fund:
- We will not fund grants without the approval of the Millburn Board of Education.
- MEF will not fund grants that replace or relieve existing responsibility for public funding of school programs; grants are not intended to substitute for normal budget growth and maintenance.
- We will not give more than the amount the Board of Education pays for curriculum development, when requests are made for a stipend for a teacher’s and/or parent’s time.
- MEF will not pay for substitute teachers, for food (catering, meals, etc.) or for consumable items (standard classroom supplies, etc.).
- MEF will not grant funds for non-specific expenses. Budgets must be clearly defined and items listed.
The MEF Grants Committee screens every grant request diligently. Grants may be submitted by district administrators, teachers, staff, community groups and/or individuals. We encourage applicants to collaborate across schools, grades and departments.
Grant Cycle
MEF offers one grant cycle each year; applications will be accepted between December 1, 2021 and March 15, 2022.
Applicants will be notified of award/denial before the end of the school year with funds generally to be used the following school year. The only exception to this is an application for a time urgent project that cannot wait until after March 15th for review and is less than $2500.
Grant Application Process
- All applications must have the support of a Millburn Public School principal or administrator.
- Applicants should discuss proposals with their building and/or curriculum supervisors before submitting an application.
- Applicants must complete the 2 part application and obtain the required approval signatures.
- Submitted applications will be reviewed by the MEF Grants Committee. After reviewing the application, the Committee may contact the applicant for additional information and/or support.
- Each year, the MEF Board of Trustees will set a limit on the total amount of monies to be distributed in grants based on the amount of MEF funds available.
- The MEF Grants Committee will review each grant application; based upon the merits of the each application and subject to the availablity of funds the Grants Committee will recommend to the MEF Board of Trustees which applications be funded.
- MEF will submit the proposed Grant awards to the Millburn Board of Education for acceptance.
- Applicants will be notified via email of the funding decisions.
- Grant recipients will receive detailed instructions for accessing the awards.
- Once a grant is awarded, the total amount of the grant cannot be increased. Remember to include the costs of storage, shipping etc., in the application.
- All purchased materials, equipment and supplies will be the property of the Millburn Board of Education.
- Grant recipients agree to promote and publicize MEF whenever possible, i.e. at Back to School Night, Parent Teacher Conferences, Staff Development Days, PTO Meetings, including by using the tagline "This project is funded by a grant from the Millburn Education Foundation."
- Grant recipients agree to share the benefits/efficacy of any Grant with relevant staff members in the district.
- Grant recipients will provide MEF an evaluation of the grant within 30 days after the completion of a funded program or within 30 days after the first term of the receipt and use of the materials.
- Grant Funds are available for eighteen months from the date of approval. Grant recipients must submit a written request for any application of extension of the eighteen-month period of fund availability to the MEF Grants Committee.