FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I decide whether I should apply for a Teacher Grant or a Collaborative Grant?

If you are an individual applying for $2,500 or less, apply for a Teacher Grant.

If you are a pair or group pursuing professional development that is not foreseen to have wider applications

In the school system in the future and your budget is $5,000 or less, you should apply for a Teacher Grant.

If your project is collaborative in nature, involving teachers across buildings or grade levels, with a budget between $2,000 and $20,000, you should apply for a Collaborative Grant.

If your focus is on sharing expertise among participants within a distinct discipline, apply for a Collaborative Grant.

If you imagine that the project activities may lead to innovations or changes in practice for a wide cross-section of educators in Brookline, apply for a Collaborative Grant.

If my application is approved, when will I receive the money and whom do I contact?

You will be reimbursed for your expenses after your project is completed. Instructions for receiving reimbursement will be mailed to you in May/June.

If my application is not funded, will I be able to find out why?  Yes. Members of the Review Committee are assigned to call each teacher who does not receive a grant and explain why the application was not funded.

May I apply for a BEF grant if I am a part-time employee?  Yes.

May I apply for a grant if I am a para-professional?  Yes.

Is the money that I receive taxable as income?  In some cases, yes. Whether or not themoney you receive is taxable depends upon the nature of your grant. Foreign travel grantsmay be taxable as income. Please call Skye Kramer at the Brookline Education Foundation,617-232-3846, for further information.

What makes a successful grant application?

1) A project that is consistent with the grant guidelines and purposes.

2) A clear, easy to understand application. Use short paragraphs and headings so reviewers can navigate easily. Refrain from using jargon or acronyms. Keep in mind that most of the reviewers are not educators.

3) A carefully annotated and well-justified budget. Grant applications are read for two different purposes - first, for deciding which grants to fund and second, for deciding how much to award.