Guidelines: The NEA Urban Grants Program

What are Urban Grants?

Since 1985, the National Education Association’s Urban Grants Program has supported local NEA affiliates in the development of education reform leadership programs for prek-k 12/graduate school faculty and education support professionals. Twenty-five Urban Grants in the amount of $5,000 each are awarded annually to NEA local affiliates to help support them with these programs.

The NEA Constituent Relations Department administers the program and looks for proposals that contribute to providing a great public school for every child by:

• Closing the Achievement Gaps .
• Engaging the Ethnic-Minority Community Toward Achieving a Great Public School for Every Child .
• Working in Partnership with State Affiliates to Achieve a Minimum of $40,000 Starting Salary for Teachers and Living Wage for ESP's .
• Growing and Developing Membership .
• Increasing and Stabilizing Funding for Public Schools .
  

Are we eligible for an Urban Grant?

NEA local affiliates of 500 members or more who are listed with the NEA membership office or the largest local NEA affiliate of any state regardless of membership number are eligible to apply.

What is the Program Procedure?

1. Applicants submit a proposal to the NEA Constituent Relations/NCUEA Office. Proposals must be postmarked by September 30.
2. The Constituent Relations staff will correspond with each applicant as well as their respective state association and regional office, notifying them of receipt of the proposal.
3. Urban Grant winning affiliates are announced at the National Council of Urban Education Associations Fall Conference and publicized in NEA publications.*

* NEA reserves the right to publicize, reproduce, or use the reports and/or products resulting from any of the Urban Grants projects.

What are the responsibilities of Grant Recipients?

1. Submit interim and final progress reports to NEA Constituent Relations/NCUEA. Interim reports are due May 31 and final reports are due January 31.
2. Urban Grants recipients must be willing to share what they have learned from their projects at the NCUEA Fall Conference and in local Association-sponsored forums.
3. Any publications or media presentations prepared in conjunction with an Urban Grant must include the following statement: This project is supported by the National Education Association through its Urban Grants program.

NEA reserves the right to request the refund of grant monies from any recipient that does not comply with these guidelines (extenuating circumstances will be considered).

Important Dates:

• Proposal Deadline:  September 30
• Grants Awarded:      By December 31
• Project Duration:     One year (December of the following year)
• Interim Report:        May 31
• Final Report:             January 31 following project completion

Proposal Review and Selection

A carefully selected committee of NEA local affiliate presidents and NEA staff reads and evaluates all parts of the applications and makes its judgments using the following criteria:

• Application is complete  and adheres to all instructions
• Application reflects organization and clarity
• Complies with NEA policy
• Benefits the local Association
• Involves local members in the project
• Objectives are attainable and measurable
• Promotes partnership and collaboration with school districts and other stakeholders
• Demonstrates innovation, originality, and creativity
• Meets identified needs
• Shows potential for successful completion and replication
• Timeline for activities is adequate for successful completion of project
• Uses funds appropriately; estimates costs realistically
• Confirms that project can continue after grant monies end

Decisions by the Evaluation Committee are final.

Questions?

Please direct any questions you may have to:

NEA Constituent Relations/Urban Grants
1201 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 822-7155

Application Guidelines

Provide clear, complete responses to Parts I–VI below. To be considered, all parts must be answered and all requirements must be met.

PART 1

Applicant Information

1. Provide name, address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address of local affiliate. Two or more affiliates may submit a joint proposal for a cooperative effort; complete applicant information is required for each affiliate.
2. Provide name, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address of a) local affiliate president, b) local affiliate executive director/UniServ director, and c) project coordinator(s), who will be the contact person(s) for the duration of the project.
3. Indicate if the applicant has previously received an Urban Grant and if so, when. Proposals for continuing projects are only eligible for funding for three consecutive years.

PART II

Project Summary

1. Provide a 50-75 word summary description of the project.

PART III

Statement of Need

1. Provide a brief description of the need for the project and how it was determined. Indicate the number of Association members and other people involved, how the project will increase student achievement, and how teachers, education support professionals, and the Association will benefit from the completion of the project.

PART IV

Project Description

1. Objectives: List the specific objectives to be accomplished in the program, preferably in measurable terms.
2. Activities: State the activities that will take place to accomplish the objectives.
3. Products: Describe any products that will result from the project, if applicable.
4. Roles and responsibilities: List the principal people involved and their major responsibilities.
5. Timeline: Construct a timeline for the project. Note when major activities will take place. The project, or the phase of the project to be funded by an Urban Grant, must be completed by the following December.

PART V

Projected Budget

1. Estimate project expenses, such as travel, supplies, and printing. Note additional funding source(s) if applicable. Funding from other sources (e. g., school system, private sector) supports the importance and viability of the project. No more than 25 percent of grant monies can be used for stipends, substitute teachers, release time, outside speakers, or consultants.

PART VI

Signatures

Three dated signatures are required:

1. Project Coordinator(s)
2. Local Affiliate President
3. Local Affiliate Executive Director/UniServ Director

Local Example

Committed to Peaceful Resolution in Brookhaven, Pennsylvania

The Chester Upland Education Association (CUEA) is taking the lead in efforts to curb student violence.

"Students in the Chester Upland School District are in dire need of conflict resolution programs," notes CUEA President Melody Subashi. "Our school administration changes so frequently, we had to take on the responsibility for these programs."

This CUEA program focuses on providing better training to educators on how to recognize the signs of violence, how to prevent it, and how to cope with it should it unfold. It also examines how violence in the home or community leads to violence in the schools.

"NEA, the Pennsylvania State Education Association, and CUEA are committed to finding ways to reduce violence in our schools. The NEA Urban Grant was a first step in that commitment," Subashi adds.

Urban Grant Project Ideas

Cooperation, collaboration, and community are the trademarks of the many innovative programs developed by large urban locals of the National Education Association under this mini-grant program. Successful Urban Grant applicants have focused on NEA’s Strategic Priorities and have contributed to restoring public confidence in public education through their projects. Listed below are project ideas.

          Forming Literacy Programs for At-Risk Students

          Teacher/Student Mentoring

          Involving The Broad Community In Education

          Professional Development Activities

          Community Awareness Of School Effectiveness

          Partnerships To Help Students Learn

          Promoting Diversity And Equity In Urban Schools

          Team Building Innovations

          Member Recruitment And Retention

          Encouraging Young People To Enter The Teaching Profession

          Dropout Prevention Programs

NEA Regional Offices

NEA Mid-Atlantic Regional Office  1201 16^th Street, N.W. Washington, DC Suite 412, 20036 Tel: (202) 822-7111 FAX: (202) 822-7170

NEA Midwestern Regional Office  Alamo Plaza 1401 17^th Street, Suite 950, Denver, CO 80202 Tel: (303) 294-3541 FAX: (303) 293-8797

NEA Northeast Regional Office  1201 16^th Street, N.W. Washington, DC, Suite 412, 20036 Tel: (202) 822-7143 FAX: (202) 822-7170

NEA Pacific Regional Office  1350 Bayshore Hwy, Burlingame, CA, 94010 Tel: (650) 347-6000 FAX: (650) 347-8983

NEA Southeastern Regional Office  1745 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 330, Atlanta, GA 30349 Tel: (770) 996-9047 FAX: (770) 996-2212

NEA Western Regional Office  Alamo Plaza 1401 17^th Street, Suite 950, Denver, CO 80202 Tel: (303) 294-3548 FAX: (303) 293-8797

NEA Headquarters  Membership and Organizing/Urban Initiatives, 1201 16th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20036-3290 Tel: (202) 822-7155