Grants
UPDATE: DonorsChoose (DonorsChoose.org) announced that all donations on November 28th (Giving Tuesday) will be matched by at least 2:1. SRVEF plans to fund as many grants that fit our criteria as possible on November 28. All SRVEF Grant eligibility criteria listed below remain as previously shared.
SRVUSD educators are encouraged to submit grants before November 22 to ensure DonorsChoose can review and post your new grants by Tuesday, November 28. While SRVEF may not be in a position to fund these grants, let your family and friends know about this opportunity – your grant may be funded, even if not by SRVEF.
SRVEF and Endowment Committee “Teacher Grants” window opens September 15, 2023
The San Ramon Valley Education Foundation (SRVEF) and The Endowment Committee in partnership with DonorsChoose are pleased to announce that the 2023 Teacher Grant Program will open at midnight on September 15, 2023.
DonorsChoose is a nonprofit organization that connects public school educators in need of classroom materials and experiences with donors from throughout the country who want to help.
In order to encourage teachers to continue to apply and seek funding from all sources, we will not close the grant window until all eligible grants are funded or our funding is exhausted. SRVEF will begin reviewing Grants as soon as they are posted to DonorsChoose and will fund as many grants as funding allows. If matching funds become available from a DonorsChoose partner SRVEF may choose to fund those grants earlier to take advantage of matching funds.
SRVEF’s goal is to see as many grants funded through as many sources as possible during the grant window.
While teachers may submit multiple grant requests through DonorsChoose, SRVEF’s policy is to generally fund no more than one grant per teacher. However, submitting more than one grant may lead to a higher probability of funding by DonorsChoose partners as well as SRVEF. If you have more than one great idea, submitting multiple grants is encouraged!
Posting an eligible project does not guarantee funding.
To get started, read through the Grant Criteria and Selection Information below to ensure your project is eligible for this offer. Then visit www.donorschoose.org to start your project today.
Grant Criteria:
- You must be:
- A certified PreK-12 public school teacher.
- Employed by San Ramon Valley Unified School District (SRVUSD).
- If you team/co-teach or have questions about whether you qualify to submit a grant, please contact [email protected]
DonorsChoose definition of eligibility:
- You work in an eligible school. (All of our SRVUSD schools are eligible)
- You’re employed full-time (or considered at least 0.75 FTE) by a public school, public charter school, or the Office of Head Start.
- You’re a front-line educator or other faculty member whose main responsibility is to directly teach or counsel students: Front-line educators and other faculty can include (but aren’t limited to): classroom teachers, subject-area teachers, librarians, therapists, counselors, school nurses, etc.
- You’re in charge of creating your own lesson plans (or equivalent in a non-classroom role), and not primarily assisting another lead teacher.
- Grant must not exceed $600 including taxes, shipping, fees, and the suggested donation to support DonorsChoose (TOTAL PROJECT GOAL).
- Grant must be reviewed and approved by your site administrator before being submitted.
- Must be submitted no sooner than September 15, 2023. (Posting soon after the grant window opens increases chances of being fully funded from other external sources!)
Selection Information:
Teachers may submit grants in any area they choose, however SRVEF will not be funding grants in projects that request:
- Technology, including iPads, Chromebooks, computers, software. If other technology is being requested, consult the school district’s policies related to classroom technology, prior to making a funding request. Go to SRVUSD School Ordering Guide website (District Credentials required)
- Professional Development
- Field Trips
Other Information
- Teachers are welcome to submit multiple grants. While SRVEF typically only funds one grant per teacher, many grants receive funding from other donors.
- Teachers are encouraged to notify their School Ed Funds of all grants submitted. Many School Ed Funds also fund Teacher Grants through DonorsChoose..
- The SRVEF Endowment Committee may give additional consideration to long-term, innovative projects in K-8 Vocal and Instrumental Music and K-12 Science.
- Teachers who order 10+ books of the same title must have Board approval for curriculum materials. (Check with Educational Services for the approved list and approval process.)
- Teachers will be notified immediately when their grant is funded.
- DonorsChoose will ship approved grant materials to the school. (no need to complete a purchase order)
Important Dates:
Friday, September 15, 2023
- Teachers may begin submitting projects on Friday, September 15, 2023. Note: Begin your submission early as grant content and purchases must be approved through DonorsChoose before you may completely submit.
- If a DonorsChoose Partner is offering a match, SRVEF may choose to fund that grant immediately
The DonorsChoose outreach slides (in the link below) provides an overview of their organization, as well as a step-by-step look at submitting a project.
See these FAQs for additional information
For more information, email [email protected]
SRVEF Announces 2022 Grant Awards
The San Ramon Valley Education Foundation (SRVEF) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 Teacher Grants. Once again, SRVEF partnered with DonorsChoose.org. As a result of matching funds and external donations, SRVEF funded ALL ELIGIBLE grants.
This year, SRVEF has awarded 151 grants totaling $34,456.12, including 24 music and science grants funded by the SRVEF Endowment Committee.
Because of a generous match from an anonymous donor, we were able to expand our eligibility requirements, funding grants that were submitted as early as August 1st and as recent as November 28, 2022. 33 schools had one or more grants funded by SRVEF. 125 Teachers had at least one grant funded, while some were funded multiple times.
The SRVEF Grant Program is funded primarily through proceeds from the Run for Education and the Auction for Education. The Endowment Grant Program is funded through our annual donation drive and annual recognition lunch, Celebrate Innovation in Education.
Unfunded teacher grants will remain active on the DonorsChoose website for approximately two more months during which time the grants may continue to receive external funding, including funding from individual and corporate donors, and matching fund donors. If a grant is not fully funded by the expiration date, any external money pledged is returned to the donor. Grants that still require funding may be reviewed by clicking here.
All funded SRVUSD Grants may be reviewed on the DonorsChoose.org Site are available by clicking here.
Please see the list below for the 2022 recipients. Any questions may be directed to [email protected].
Note: Grants with an ( * ) were funded by the SRVEF Endowment Committee.
