Funding Guidelines

MEF funds projects and programs which augment and enrich the curriculum and programs already in place or that bring new educational opportunities to the town’s residents and do not supplant programs traditionally funded by the district, state or federal budgets. The criterion for awarding grants shall be high-quality educational content, having a broad impact that will reach the greatest number of individuals as well as the greatest number of groups in the community (educators, children, parents, and seniors).

Preference will be given to projects and programs, which will benefit the largest number of individuals and encourage collaboration among grades, disciplines, schools and/or the community. The Grant Committee may choose to offer partial funding at its discretion. MEF encourages collaborative funding and invites applicants to seek partial or additional funding from other sources.

Foundation awards shall not fund supplies, professional development, books, etc., unless they are essential to the project. In addition, awards shall not typically fund transportation costs, compensation for substitute teachers, and salaries or stipends for additional staffing as part of an approved project. Finally MEF in its sole discretion may accept or reject any project and is under no obligation to fund a project that it determines does not fit in the spirit of its guidelines.

Grant Review

The MEF Grant Committee reviews grant applications each cycle and makes funding recommendations to the Board of Directors. This Committee shall maintain the anonymity of all grant applicants and applications to ensure fairness and alleviate potential bias. All grant applications are reviewed and decided upon “blindly”. Committee members shall review without knowledge of who submitted the applications. Grant award(s) are announced following the approval by the Board of Directors.

The Project Lead must be involved in all stages of the project development from planning through evaluation. The Project Lead must complete and return an Evaluation Report at the conclusion of the project.

Projects

The projects should demonstrate sustainability, where applicable, and must have clear and well defined goals and clearly delineated educational value. The grant application must include the project's implementation timeline and a detailed budget. The administrator of the educational facility or agency must approve and sign all grant proposals. Grant proposals unaffiliated with a particular school or department will require the approval of the Superintendent of Schools and/or the mayor.

All applications that include hardware and/or software acquisitions shall require the approval of the Network Administrator for compatibility and sustainability assurance.

The MEF in its sole discretion may accept or reject any project and is under no obligation to fund a project that it determines does not fit with its philosophy or guidelines.

Post-Grant Action

Grant recipients must agree to acknowledge the support of MEF in any printed material or presentations. The MEF Board of Directors must approve all amendments to the original grant project and/or budget.

If a grant recipient is unable to administer the approved project, the grant recipient will return all allocated funds to MEF. The grant recipient may reapply during the next grant cycle. Any allocated funds not used for the approved project shall be refunded/returned to MEF.

GRANT AWARDS up to $10,000

Mini grant awards up to $500

We are aware of and apologize for some issues that have occurred when grant applications have been submitted by email through the MEF website but not received by MEF and we are working to correct the problems.  Going forward, all grant applications submitted will receive an acknowledgment from MEF.  Until we are assured the email submissions are working correctly, it is recommended that you check your email apps to insure they are updated and that the  MEF grant application is not stuck in your "draft" folder.  Thank you. The work you do through these grants is so valuable to the continuance of enhanced learning opportunities in Montville.