Finding Tech Funding for Your Classroom

We know how mind-numbing it can be to search and apply for grants and funding for your classroom. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to get gadgets into your classroom without actually taking money out of your own pocket. We decided to make it a little bit easier by showing you some opportunities that you can take advantage of. Here is a short list of ways to receive funding for technology in your classroom:

Technology Donors Program

This program matches teachers with prospective donors. In order to participate, teachers compile a wish list of technology they want for their classroom and add the items to their classroom profile, which also includes stories and experiences. Donors can then search through the various profiles and choose to either donate funding or purchase an item from the wish list for the teacher. Each time a donor purchases an item for a school, Digital Wish gives the that particular school 2–10% cash back as aid for their next technology project. Deadline is ongoing.

Donors Choose

On this site, teachers post what they need for particular classroom projects. A donor can choose to help fund the project—when the project reaches its goal, the website sends the materials directly to the school. The program supports K-12 classrooms, as well as public charter schools, in all 50 states across America.

Grants.gov

This site gives educators the opportunity to search and apply for federal grants. On the website, the teacher can search for technology grants by plugging in a key word or clicking on the category.

THE Journal

This is a great magazine that looks at the different technologies used in K-12 schools. They publish several eNewsletters that include a grants section. Here are just a few from their most current list:

• SparkFun Community Partner Program
  • Sponsor: SparkFun
  • Award: STEM/STEAM-releated prize packages, event and team sponsorships, and other types of support
  • Number of awards: Varies
  • Application deadline: Third Thursday of each month. Awards are announced on the last business day of each month.

• LIFT Prize 2017
  • Sponsor: Lumina Foundation
  • Award: $25,000
  • Number of awards: 2

• Teacher Development Grants
  • Sponsor: McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation
  • Award: $30,000 maximum ($10,000 over three years)
  • Number of awards: Not specified (two were awarded last year)

• Siemens Possibility Grant (2017 Siemens STEM Day Sweepstakes)
  • Sponsor: Siemens Foundation
  • Award: $10,000
  • Number of awards: 1

• Champion Creatively Alive Children Grant Program
  • Sponsor: Crayola and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)
  • Award: $2,500 plus $1,000 in Crayola gear
  • Number of awards: Up to 20 major prizes, plus one Crayola Classpack for every applicant submitting by the early bird deadline

• Adopt a Classroom
  • Deadline: Ongoing

• Brinker International Grants 
  • Deadline: Ongoing

• Corning Foundation Grants
  • Deadline: Ongoing

• Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Grants
  • Deadline: Ongoing
  • Award: No more than 10 percent of an organization’s annual operating expenses or 25 percent of the total budget for the project being funded; awards have ranged from hundreds to millions of dollars.
  • Number of awards: Varies
  • Qualification: Project should “directly serve or impact children living in urban poverty, particularly in the areas of education, family economic stability (including microfinance), and childhood health.”

• Naiku Innovative Teacher Grant 
  • Deadline: Ongoing (approximately 10 awards per month)

• Sony Grants for Education 
  • Deadline: Ongoing (grants awarded on a rolling basis)

eSchool News Online

This monthly online newspaper features an updated grants section.

The Foundation Center

This is an awesome website that provides the opportunity to search for funders in a particular area.

GrantWatch

Educators can find federal, state, city, local, and foundation grants all on this one website. The grants are categorized by type (i.e. teacher grants).

Twitter

Let’s not forget about social media! While most educators may not think of looking here for funding, there are opportunities available by following @winmoregrants.

So, what grants have you had luck with? Share your tips below to help other educators with their search for funds so they can fill up their rooms with the best digital technologies available!

This blog post was originally published on the Boxlight Mimio Educator blog.