Tips on Fundraising for School Projects
If you are interested in having a digital imaging project in your school or classroom, consider looking for funding from within your own community. A word of caution…before you go any further, however, share your plan with your school administration and be sure they support the idea. Most contributions from philanthropic organizations must be given to a not-for-profit institution. In this case, the funding would go to your school for the specific purpose of underwriting your proposed project.

The following information is an overview of the fund raising process. We have also included a sample proposal written by a person experienced in fund raising. We are also happy to answer any questions you might have. Just drop us an email at mail@apte.com. And if you decide to “go for it”, we would be very interested in hearing your story. Good luck.

Researching Grant Opportunities
An excellent place to begin your research is with a visit to your local library or United Way office. Both can give you invaluable information about local funding resources. Many towns have community and family foundations that fund local projects, particularly those targeted to education, children or populations with special needs. Be sure to ask about local fraternal and service organizations such as Rotary International, BPO Elks of the USA, Knights of Columbus, Lions Club International, Kiwanis International, American Association of University Women, and Sertoma International. These are just some of the wonderful sources of smaller grants ($500 - $1500). Remember the primary mission of service clubs is to support their community, so don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Your librarian will also have access to information about state and national funding resources. There are foundation directories, directories of corporate giving and a wide assortment of other references on fundraising. You can also check out the Council on Foundations website at http://www.cof.org. This non-profit organization is part of a network of specialized libraries located in many US cities. These libraries have stacks of books and other resources devoted entirely to information about funding.

Business giving is the fastest growing side of philanthropy. For example most local banks have set aside funds to support local projects. Utility companies, such as gas, electricity, and telecommunications companies have traditionally been active in local philanthropy. Other possibilities are newspaper, TV and radio companies. These companies often have community relations personnel who can help you in the grant request process. Check out local companies who do business with the schools such as office and food suppliers, copy shops and of course, computer related companies. It’s good business for these organizations to provide value-added services to a good customer.

Many school districts have an educational foundation that has mini-grant programs. These usually range from $500-$5000 and are meant to subsidize creative classroom ideas. Family foundations are another excellent source of funding, particularly for one-time projects or leadership grants. Your librarian or the trust department of the local bank might be helpful in identifying family foundations in your community.

The personal touch is a powerful way to get a funder’s attention. Think about who you know that can help you carry the flag. Is your neighbor in the Rotary? Does one of your student’s parents work for the gas company? Do you know any of the employees at your bank? Are you in a sorority or fraternity? Don’t be shy about asking for help. It is a well known axiom in the funding world that “people give to people”. As good as your cause might be, potential funders need to believe and trust in the person managing the project before they are likely to be contributors.

Writing the Proposal
Researching granting sources and writing the proposal are often done at the same time. Many newcomers to grant writing are easily intimidated by the process. To make it easy for you, APTE has asked an experienced grant writer to prepare a sample proposal to fund a digital photo project for a typical classroom or school.

Click here to download this sample proposal in Word (.doc) format

Read this proposal carefully and customize the contents to suit your classroom or school needs. If you are a teacher employed in a school or an employee of a not-for-profit youth organization, please feel free to use all or part of this proposal when applying for project funds.