Grant Writing for Art Teachers

Is your school under-funded?  Do you have an idea for a project but don't have the budget to accomplish it?  If so, there are a number of grants available that may help you reach your goals.  Currently I am batting about 50% success rate with my grant applications, which I feel pretty good about.  Granted, as I complete more that average will probably go down, but it's still a worthwhile endeavor to help augment your teaching.  Here are some tips to help you if you are new to the process:

Start with a plan.  Start by thinking about what you want a grant for.  This will make it easier for you to narrow down the ones you want to apply for.  As great as grants are, the application process can be very time consuming, so investing hours and hours applying for a travel grant when you hate to travel probably isn't the best use of your time.  Do you want to participate in a professional development opportunity?  Do you need new equipment for your Art room?  Do you want to take your class on a great field trip?  Once you have some ideas, that will give you a good place to start.

Take your time searching.  I've found it helps bookmarking any that sound like they could be good, and then narrowing the list down.  Pay careful attention to the deadlines, and prioritize any that are due soon.

Write carefully. Once you've found a grant that you really want and that you feel is a good fit, get started writing.  Pay careful attention to what they are asking for in the proposal.  Review committees are looking to select a person and a project that is a good fit with their objectives.  It's just like I tell my students- if I ask for an essay on Stonehenge, and you turn in an essay on the Mona Lisa, I don't care how good it is, you're not going to get credit.  Read the instructions very carefully and make sure your proposal is well-written and on point.

Find a grant buddy.  This may be another teacher who will help search for grants with you and send you any good ones they find.  Or this can be a good friend, your spouse, or anyone that is supportive and willing to read your writing.  You will have spent so long working on it that the words will start to bleed together.  Get someone to read it for you and give you feedback and suggestions.

Choose your reference(s) carefully.  Many grants ask for a reference letter from an administrator.  If you have more than one administrator or supervisor, choose carefully.  You will want to pick someone that is a strong supporter of you and your work, is reliable, and has good writing skills. 

Take it one (or two) at a time.  Don't overwhelm yourself trying to apply for 15 grants in a single year.  Sure, they all sound great, and wouldn't it be great to have all that money!? But.... you can only do so much. I was recently reminded of this when I read the great post by Artful Artsy Amy about time management for teachers.  I had a running list of 5 different grant projects I was working on, and this really made me re-evaluate what I was doing.  I came to realize that I wasn't as invested in some as in others, and I was able to narrow the list down to 2-3 that I am most interested in.

Don't get discouraged.  There are a lot of teachers applying for a small number of grants.  And it seems like only a small number of grants apply to Art teachers.  So there's a good chance you won't get the grant you applied for, but that's ok.  You will try again and get better and get smarter and eventually you will get one and it will be so exciting.  It's like I tell my son about basketball-- if you don't shoot the ball, you have a 0% chance of scoring.  So don't be afraid to shoot the ball!

Upcoming grant opportunities for Art teachers: