Grants For Great Ideas Program Info

The Grants for Great Ideas (GGI) program is designed to encourage, facilitate, recognize and reward innovative and creative instructional approaches to the accomplishment of program objectives.
Individuals employed by the Victoria Independent School District who are involved in the instruction of students or related support services benefiting students may apply for projects designed to take place from September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2025.

The application is due Thursday, March 28, 2024 by 5 PM through Submittable.

Read the full Grants for Great Ideas Guidelines (available below or downloadable here), complete the Grants for Great Ideas Signature page and begin your application.

Grants for Great Ideas Program Guidelines

Purpose

The Grants for Great Ideas (GGI) program is designed to encourage, facilitate, recognize, and reward innovative and inspirational instructional approaches to the accomplishment of program objectives.

Persons Eligible to Apply for Grants

Individuals employed by the Victoria Independent School District involved in the instruction of students or related support services benefiting students may apply.

Eligible Proposals

Instructional approaches or projects designed to take place from the 2024-2025 school year that meets the selection criteria noted below are eligible for consideration.

Award of Funds

Grants will be awarded through three funding categories. The number of awards will depend on funds available from the Victoria ISD Education Foundation. Grant funding categories include:

1. Up to $1,000 to individual teacher-initiated programs or projects;
2. Up to $2,500 to campus teams, departments, and district-initiated programs and projects;
3. Up to $5,000 for larger projects.

Important Grant Application Dates

The Grant will be released January, 2024 and must be submitted prior to Thursday, March 28, 2024 by 5:00 p.m. via Submittable

Selection Criteria

1. The following items will be considered during the grant review process
2. The degree to which the proposal addresses important program objectives
3. The degree to which the proposal represents a creative or innovative approach to the accomplishment of objectives. (It should address a new project as opposed to one accomplished or underway.)
4. The degree to which sound evaluation procedures are incorporated in the proposal.
5. The degree to which the proposal is clear and logical

Selection Process

1. Administrative Approval:
   1. The campus principal must review all applications for congruence with
      campus programs and be signed by the campus principal before submitting the
      application.
   2. The signature of the Director of Technology is required if funds will be used to
      purchase technology and/or media equipment.
2. The deadline for all application material is 5:00 p.m. on March 28, 2024.
   1. Applications must be completed online at:
      http://www.visdfoundation.submittable.com/signup
   2. Application signature forms must have all required signatures and should be uploaded through the online submission system.
   3. Applications that do not have all the required signatures will not be accepted. (Please allow several days for obtaining signatures.)
3. Applications will be reviewed and commented on by the Grants Review Committee(s) comprised of Foundation Board members, VISD personnel, and other members appointed by the Foundation’s Grants Review Committee and approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors.
4. For each grant application submitted, the Grants Committee shall make one of the following recommendations:
   1. Approved
   2. Approved with pending conditions and/or modifications
   3. Disapproved
5. Applicants will be notified of decisions by May 2024.
6. Projects must be implemented in the 2024-2025 school year or the summer of 2025.

Responsibilites of Grant Recipients

1. Use the awards for the purposes intended.
2. Implement and evaluate projects within one year of the grant award.
3. Prepare a final report due by May 15, 2025. (Summer projects may turn in a final report over the summer of 2025.)
4. The Grants Review Committee will review the final report and either accept it or ask for additional information. If the Committee asks for further details, the applicant is responsible for providing that information by the date prescribed.
5. Share information about successful projects in staff development sessions, if requested.
6. Share photos and/or videos of the project of students approved of a media release.

Responsibilities of Principals/Supervisors of the Grantees

1. Make certain that the project is completed on time.
2. Ensure the applicant has filed the final report by the due date.
3. If the applicant has missed a deadline, immediately report the reason to the Executive Director of the Education Foundation and take steps to ensure that documents are submitted as soon as possible.

Guidelines for Completing the Application

1. A project is appropriate if “yes” can be answered to the following questions:
   1. Is there a need and is the project innovative and/or creative?
   2. Is it essential to learning?
   3. Can it be done?
   4. Is it practical?
   5. Is it new for you?
2. Suggestions for an effective application
   1. Write clearly and succinctly with details to clearly explain your project.
   2. Avoid errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
   3. Do not copy and paste directly from a product’s website.
   4. Explain acronyms.
   5. Define terms that may be unfamiliar to readers outside your field.
3. Critical Elements of the Application – read carefully and abide by each instruction.
   1. Budget
      1. Itemize expenses and round to the nearest dollar.
      2. Include the VISD budget code, vendor name, purchase quantities and amounts. New vendors (new technologies and services) not included on the VISD vendor list are allowed; however, supplies that can be purchased from VISD-approved vendors must be utilized. The approved vendor list is located at https://www.visd.net/, then click on the “Menu” tab, next on “Intranet” and select “Departments” at the top of the page, then scroll down and click on “Central Supply and Purchasing,” then click on the “VISD Approved Vendor List.”
      3. Avoid requests for salaries and stipends, as they will not be funded.
   2. Price Quote(s) from Vendor or Website (new for 2024-2025)
      1. You are required to attach a quote from a vendor (salesperson) or from a website, should a company not provide a direct sales quote for ALL items included on your budget spreadsheet. (Amazon is not an approved vendor.)
   3. Description
      1. Briefly describe your project including the purpose and what you want the Foundation to fund.
   4. Statement of Goals/Learning Outcomes/Timeline
      1. Demonstrate that the project will improve learning outcomes more than existing practices. (e.g., Increase reading proficiency by x% in one semester; decrease behavioral referrals by “x” %).
      2. How do learning outcomes align to Campus and District Improvement Plans?
      3. Describe the methods or activities to be used within a chronological timeline.
   5. Evaluation
      1. State how the results will be measured using factual data.
   6. Sustainability
      1. Are there recurring costs and if so, how will the project be funded in the future?
4. Required Application Material
   1. Scanned signature page with all required signatures
   2. Fully completed online application
5. Submission of Application
   1. The deadline for submission of all application material is 5:00 p.m. March 28, 2024.
   2. We recommend you type your grant information into a Word document, then copy and paste your proposal into the appropriate fields within Submittable.
   3. All required application material must be submitted electronically through Submittable.
      1. Log on to http://www.visdfoundation.submittable.com/signup
      2. Click on “begin your application” and create an account.
      3. Complete all sections of the application.
      4. Download the signature page and obtain the required signatures. Complete and upload at the end of the application.
      5. Verify that you understand that if your grant is awarded, you will be required to record data on the project and submit a final report by the designated deadline (May 15, 2025) or the summer of 2025 for summer-based grant projects.
      6. Review that all required documents are attached: signature page, additional materials, images and/or files (optional)
      7. Click “Apply” when all sections of the application have been completed, and the Signature Page and any additional documents have been uploaded.
6. Final report. The final report must be submitted by May 15, 2025, or the summer of 2025 for summer-based grant projects.
7. Inquiries may be directed to Robin Harkey, Executive Director, Victoria ISD Education Foundation, at [email protected].

Grant FAQ’s