Teacher Grants

For nearly 30 years the NVEF has provided teachers with an opportunity to apply for a “NVEF Teacher Grant”. The NVEF has given over $1.5 million in grants to teachers thus far in the NVUSD.

Awarded grants range from funds for guided reading books for Kindergarten and 1st grade to microscopes for middle school science classes; headphones and computers for elementary computer labs to high school science mobile physics lab, microscopes for biology classes; LCD projectors with interactive white boards to PE equipment and school garden project supplies. We have funded books, art projects, music experience, field trips, drama supplies and so much more.

The Process

The Napa Valley Education Foundation Grants Committee is made up of NVEF board and non-board members with widely diverse backgrounds (education, healthcare, business, finance, etc.) The grants are read and discussed by this committee without the identity of the applicant’s name or school. They are scored holistically using a rubric that relates to the district’s goals and objectives by the committee. All grant requests are taken seriously.

Annual Needs / Other funding

The committee consults with administrators of the NVUSD regarding particular programs, areas, or schools in need, and is also informed of other funding that has been made available. We use this consultation as a valuable informative tool.

Grant Requests that will not be funded

· The NVEF will not fund salaries for teachers or substitutes or Field Trips.

· Grant funds are for one-time or start-up projects. Any ongoing projects, such as subscriptions, will not be granted more than one consecutive year.

Partial funding

At times, the Foundation will only be able to partially fund a request. We feel that some help toward your project is better than none.

Transferring a grant

If your grant is approved, the item(s) purchased are yours and remain with you while you are teaching in the NVUSD. If you leave the district, the items must remain the property of your present school site.

Changes

The Foundation requires that you be specific about the item(s) that you request. PRIOR APPROVAL from the Foundation, in a timely manner, must be obtained before any changes can be made. This could result in a denial of your requested changes due to missed deadlines, or exemption from the following year’s program.

Timely Grant Accounting

Every grant recipient is required to return their Grant Accounting form by the deadline. We, as a non-profit organization, cannot justify our accounting books when recipients do not return these forms, nor can we justify our books when recipients wait too long to purchase their item(s). Every effort should be made to immediately purchase your item(s) unless it is a program specifically for the end of the year, which must be explained in your proposal. We cannot fund a project that will not be purchased by this school year.

If you have any questions, or to request a Grant Application, please call the NVEF office at (707)253-3563 or e-mail nvef@nvef.org.

Grants applications for the 2011-12 will be available and sent to school sites beginning November 1, 2011. Grants will be due to the NVEF office located at 2425 Jefferson Street Napa, CA 94558 on or before 5:00pm on November 30, 2011.