50 ways to fund a school project
A practical list of grant, fundraising, partnership and in-kind options to combine into a full funding plan.
Grants (1–12)
1. Classroom grants for individual teachers. 2. School-level foundation grants. 3. District education foundation mini-grants. 4. Corporate foundation grants. 5. Community foundation grants. 6. State education agency competitive grants. 7. Federal formula funds your district already receives (Title I, II, IV-A) — ask how they are allocated. 8. Federal competitive grants via Grants.gov. 9. Professional association grants. 10. Local utility or bank community grants. 11. Service club grants (Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis). 12. Subject-specific grants (STEM, literacy, arts).
Community fundraising (13–26)
13. Classroom crowdfunding. 14. Read-a-thons and other '-a-thons'. 15. Family fun nights. 16. Auctions. 17. Restaurant give-back nights. 18. Sponsored walks or runs. 19. Annual giving appeal. 20. Alumni appeals. 21. Talent shows and performances. 22. Book fairs. 23. Spirit-wear sales. 24. Recycling programmes. 25. Giving-day campaigns. 26. Memorial or honour gifts.
Business and corporate support (27–38)
27. Local business sponsorship. 28. Employer matching gifts. 29. Volunteer-hour grants (dollars for doers). 30. In-kind product donations. 31. Corporate product-donation networks. 32. Discounted nonprofit technology programmes. 33. Business-sponsored competitions. 34. Workplace giving campaigns. 35. Supplier education discounts. 36. Retailer rewards programmes. 37. Naming opportunities (follow district policy). 38. Professional pro-bono services.
Partnerships and resources (39–50)
39. PTO/PTA budget requests. 40. School site council or discretionary budgets. 41. Booster club support. 42. University partnerships. 43. Library partnerships. 44. Museum and science-centre programmes. 45. Local government or parks partnerships. 46. Extension and agricultural programmes. 47. Shared purchasing with neighbouring schools. 48. Phasing the project over two budget years. 49. Reusing or refurbishing existing equipment. 50. Combining several of the above into one funding plan.
Build a funding plan, not a single ask
Most projects are funded from more than one source. List your total cost, identify which items each source can pay for (many grants exclude furniture or food, for example), and show funders the full plan. Check district policies on fundraising, crowdfunding and sponsorship before you start.
Checklist
- Total cost itemised
- Each source matched to items it can pay for
- District fundraising and sponsorship policy checked
- Timeline for each source
- Thank-you and reporting plan