Oakland Schools Foundation Mini-Grants
October deadlines
November deadlines
December deadlines
January deadlines
April deadlines
No deadline
FREE field trip resources
Small grants can be great opportunities to get money for classroom projects and other school needs, and their applications often take little time to complete. Browse the list below and follow the links to find the guidelines.
(Note: Some foundations will ask that OSF sponsor the school's application -- if so, please let us know 14 days in advance of the deadline so we can can take care of sponsorship details. In its role as fiscal sponsor, OSF charges an overhead fee -- 8 percent of the grant award amount -- to cover administrative costs.) If a grant does not require fiscal sponsorship, we would still love to hear about the proposals you have submitted. Email monica@oaklandschoolsfoundation.org with any questions. Good luck!
Deadline: Apply ASAP as these grants are first-come, first-served
Grantor: Philanthropic Ventures Fund (PVF)
Geballe Excursion grants for field trips
Open to teachers in grades K-5.
Note: These grants go fast -- so act quickly! To improve your chances, we suggest you prepare and fax your application now. Schools can apply for two PVF grants each school year.
Amount: Up to $1,000
http://venturesfoundation.org/programs/teacher-grants/geballe-excursion-grants-program
Deadline: Apply ASAP as these grants are first-come, first-served
Grantor: Philanthropic Ventures Fund (PVF)
Grants for middle school and high school after-school programs
Amount: Up to $2,500
Note: Funds can cover teacher time, equipment, and/or refreshments. These grants go fast -- so act quickly! To improve your chances, we suggest you prepare and fax your application now. Schools can apply for two PVF grants each school year.
http://venturesfoundation.org/programs/teacher-grants/after-school
Special DonorsChoose.org Opportunity
• In the “Fuel Your School” program, Chevron is partnering with Donors Choose to donate $1 every time someone fuels up with 8 or more gallons. Post your project early to increase odds of being funded. Learn more: http://www.fuelyourschool.com/CA/education.html. PROGRAM BEGINS September 1, 2011.
Deadline: October 1
Grantor: Fuel Up to Play 60
Exercise or nutrition programs, including Playworks
Amount: Up to $3,000
http://school.fueluptoplay60.com/funds/funds_for_futp60.php
Note: Schools must “enroll” in the Fuel Up to Play 60 program in order to apply for funding.
Deadline: October 1
Grantor: Toshiba America Foundation
K-5 project-based learning in science and math
Amount: Up to $1,000
http://www.toshiba.com/taf/k5.jsp
Deadline: October 1
Grantor: Subaru Healthy Sprouts Award
Grants for garden education programs
Amount: $500 gift certificate to the Gardening with Kids Catalog
http://www.kidsgardening.org/grants/2011-subaru-healthy-sprouts-award
Deadline: October 3
Grantor: Target
Grants for field trips
Amount: Up to $700
Note: Several OSF schools received this grant last year.
http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-031880
Deadline: October 5
Grantor: North Face
Grants to schools that "help children connect to nature, increase access to both front and backcountry recreation, and provide education for both personal and environmental health"
Amount: Up to $2,500 ($125,000 in total funding available)
http://www.explorefund.org/
Deadline: October 14
Grantor: Lowe’s Toolbox for Education
Grants for "school facilities improvements such as gardens, playground improvements, family resource centers, and more"
Amount: $2000 - $5000
http://www.toolboxforeducation.com/index.html
Deadline: October 15
Grantor: Music is Revolution Foundation
Music education
Amount: Up to $500
http://www.svengirly.com/mir2/pdf/Mini_Grant_Application.pdf
Deadline: October 17
Grantor: United Health HEROES
Grants for service-learning programs that help fight childhood obesity
Amount: $500-$1,000
http://www.ysa.org/HEROES
Deadline: October 31
Grantor: Home Depot
Community Impact grants for tools, materials, or services
Amount: Up to $5,000
http://www.homedepotfoundation.org/how-we-help/grants.html
Deadline: November 28
Grantor: Kids Gardening and Home Depot
School garden materials and supplies (in the form of Home Depot gift cards)
Amount: $500 - $1,000
http://www.kidsgardening.org/grants/2012-youth-garden-grants-1
Deadline: December 11
Grantor: Literacy Empowerment Foundation
Matching funds available for purchase of Guided and Independent Reading Collections
http://www.lefbooks.org/matching_book_grants/
Deadline: December 31
Grantor: Whole Kids Foundation
School garden grants
Amount: $2,000
http://www.wholekidsfoundation.org/gardengrants-application.php
Note: If you’d like OSF to act as fiscal sponsor, please let us know at least 21 days before submitting your application.
Deadline: January 15, 2012
Grantor: California Fertilizer Foundation
Amount: 24 $1,200 grants
Garden grants
http://www.calfertilizer.org/index.htm
Deadline: April 30, 2012
Grantor: ING Unsung Heroes
Grants for innovative class projects
Amount: $2,000
http://ing.us/about-ing/citizenship/childrens-education/ing-unsung-heroes
No deadline (applications accepted year-round)
Grantor: Epson
Cash grants and in-kind donations of Epson digital imaging equipment
Amount: Up to $5,000
http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/AboutFocusedGivingProgram.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes#section1
Grantor: Annie's Community Giving
Garden tools and other supplies
Amount: Up to $250
http://www.annies.com/grants_for_gardens
Grantor: Hungry for Music
Musical instruments
http://hungryformusic.com/need-an-instrument/
Grantor: Dreyer's Foundation
Various small grants
Open to all teachers.
OSF sponsorship required.
Amount: Up to $1,000
http://www.dreyersinc.com/dreyersfoundation/small_grants.asp
Grantor: Toshiba America Foundation
Science and math grants
Amount: Up to $5,000
http://www.toshiba.com/taf/612.jsp
Grantor: Do Something!
Grants for youth-led community projects
Amount: $500
http://www.dosomething.org/grants
Grantor: East Bay Children's Book Project
FREE books for teachers (up to 25 books per teacher)
Pick up on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3-6 PM
2008 Park Blvd., Oakland, CA 94606
510-433-0412
Donated fiction and non-fiction titles arrive daily, spanning the preschool to high school level.
http://www.eastbaychildrensbookproject.org/how-to-get-books/
Grantor: Marine Toys for Tots Literacy Program
FREE books for economically disadvantaged schools
Open to all K-12 public schools
http://www.toysfortots.org/literacy/request-books.asp
DonorsChoose
DonorsChoose allows teachers to post funding proposals online, where donors can choose which program or resources to support financially. Several OSF schools have had great success posting proposals on this site! New to DonorsChoose? Check out our handy step-by-step video tutorial here!
Various FREE field trip opportunities:
Grantor: San Jose Tech Museum
http://www.thetech.org/education/field_trips/dateApply.cfm
Grantor: San Francisco Exploratorium
Schools can request free or reduced-fee visits by applying at the link below.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/visit/fieldtrips.html
Grantor: Tule Ponds at Tyson Lagoon
Free for Title I schools.
http://www.msnucleus.org/classes/fieldtyson.htm
Grantor: Field Trip Foundation
Field trip grants for Bay Area classes (grades 3-5).
Amount: $100-$500 (or more)
http://www.fieldtripgroup.org/for_teachers.html