GRANT GUIDELINES

WHO CAN APPLY

Students, teachers, administrators and community members for projects that enhance the educational experience of students and teachers in the Lenox Public Schools.

GRANT INFORMATION

The Lenox Education Enrichment Foundation (LEEF) is an endowed fund whose purpose is to enhance and enrich the educational experience of the students and teachers in the Lenox Public Schools. LEEF wants to ensure the highest level of achievement for the students and enhance their capacity to achieve excellence both in school and in the community.

LEEF seeks proposals for grants from students, teachers, administrators, staff, parents, nonprofits and members of the community of the Lenox Public Schools for projects that will fulfill the purposes of the fund.

After a thorough review of all applications, LEEF grant recipients will be notified by Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. Once funding from BTCF is received and processed, the Lenox Public Schools Business Office will issue grant amounts upon receipt of all necessary documentation including purchase orders and reimbursement requests.

ELIGIBILITY

Grants from the fund will not replace public dollars for the school district. LEEF seeks primarily to help cover the direct costs of projects (not salaries). A grant from the LEEF Fund shall not exceed 75% of the total cost of the project.

Possible projects include, but are not limited to: independent study; new programs; extracurricular activities; individual creative projects, in or outside the classroom; visiting speakers; artists-in-residence; professional development for teachers that will directly impact a broad number of individuals; scientific, athletic, or technical equipment; library resources, and class field trips.

Priority will be given to proposals that rely on volunteer efforts and that show additional means of support. Preference is given to collaborative/interdisciplinary projects. The support of a faculty/staff member within the discipline/department the proposed project pertains to is required.

The fund will not provide grants to projects that have already taken place (retroactive funding).

Berkshire Taconic does not support organizations that, in their constitution, by-laws, or practice, discriminate against a person or group on the basis of age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or religious belief.

AWARDS

Grants awarded will generally range from $100 to $1,000 for the first several years as LEEF builds its endowment. Grantees may reapply for funding bearing in mind that continued funding is not guaranteed and that no one project will be funded for more than three years.

REVIEW CRITERIA

Applications will be reviewed using the following criteria:

• Excellence: Is the project or service truly of a high quality? Is it the right time for the project? Does it involve qualified individuals/groups?
• Impact: What is the potential impact of the project or service on the school community? This does not mean the number of people involved, but rather the quality of the impact.
• Ability: Is the project well thought out and feasible?

Applications will be reviewed by the Fund’s advisory committee, made up of parents, teachers, students, the superintendent and members of the school community. Their recommendations will be referred to Berkshire Taconic’s board of directors for final approval.