Local Education Foundation Outreach

Sample Foundation Procedures

CLINTON PUBLIC SCHOOL FOUNDATION
PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Clinton Public School foundation is to promote academic projects which advance the quality of education for the students of Clinton Public schools by:

  1. creating an endowment to which private citizens and businesses may make monetary or in-kind contributions
  2. establishing an organization which manages funds, accepts applications, and dispenses grants to fund high quality educational projects that are not already provided for in the established school curricula and budget.

DESCRIPTION

The Clinton Public School Foundation was established in November 1986. This broad-based, non-profit organization stimulates curriculum expansion beyond regular academic funding. A public school foundation reflects a community's commitment to education and its realization that an endowment fund can be used to promote excellence in education.

Tax-deductible contributions, both monetary and in-kind, from individuals or businesses stay in Clinton for the direct benefit of local students. The Foundation has its own Board of Trustees and is a separate entity from the Clinton Board of Education.

Foundation money is used exclusively for additional instructional projects and in no way supplants state or local funds for school operating expenses or teachers' salaries.

FOUNDATION PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES

  1. The Foundation shall make grants twice a year, in November and April.
  2. The Foundation will fund only those projects which enrich and augment the curriculum, but do not take the place of funding by the district.
  3. The foundation shall not fund books, supplies, honoraria, equipment, professional development, etc., as isolated items, but will fund these items if they are essential to a project which is funded.
  4. The trustees shall adopt a standard application form which shall be reviewed annually.
  5. The trustees shall adopt a standard project evaluation procedure which shall be reviewed annually.
  6. The trustees shall have the power to call in educational consultants to assist in evaluating proposed or completed projects.
  7. The primary criterion for dispensing grants will be that high quality educational content is central to the proposed project and appropriate for study by the intended audience.
  8. In dispensing grants, the Board will consider the long range goals of the Foundation, and the short term objectives shall be consistent with long term goals.
  9. In dispensing grants, the Foundation shall give preference to projects which will benefit the largest number of students.
  10. In incidences where the Board ascertains that the requested budget needs amending, the Board can grant part of the funds requested or ask the director to rework the budget.
  11. Although there is no minimum or maximum of funds which can be granted for any one project, the grantors shall consider the amount of funds available and the number of worthy projects.
  12. Although funds may be available, grantors will fund only projects which meet the established criteria.
  13. Grant funds shall be created by interest on the endowment and by special gifts.
  14. Once a grant is made, amendments to the budget or changes in the content must be approved by the Board's executive committee.
  15. Once a year the Board shall provide the membership with an accounting of funds and projects.
  16. At the end of the fiscal year, any allocated grant money remaining in the Clinton Public School foundation account (of the student Activity Fund) will be available for use on future grants.

PROJECT GUIDELINES

Project applications will be judged on these criteria:

  1. The educational content must be central to the project and appropriate for the intended audience.
  2. The goals of the project must be clear and well-defined.
  3. the project must promote advancement of skills or knowledge.
  4. The need for the project must be clearly established.
  5. The time schedule must be clearly stated.
  6. There must be adequate provisions for evaluation of the project.
  7. The budget must be detailed and clearly thought out.
  8. The project director must be qualified to direct the project.
  9. A Clinton educator must be involved in the project in all stages, plannin g through evaluation.
  10. The project must enrich and augment the curriculum rather than take the place of a project which is or should be funded by the district.
  11. The project must have been approved by the site principal and a copy of the proposal sent to the superintendent of schools.