Innovation Grants Program

The Stevenson High School Foundation was founded in 1993 with the mission of connecting community and school.  The Foundation’s goals are to:

The Innovation Grant Program was created to help achieve these goals by encouraging and supporting creative, high-quality educational, co-curricular, and community-based initiatives and opportunities in District 125.  


The purpose of the grant program is to provide support for a) SHS projects not funded or not fully funded by the school budget and b) community projects in District 125, which fulfill one or more of the following funding priorities.  The Foundation seeks to fund projects that:

1.    Expand curricular and co-curricular opportunities at SHS.
2.    Enhance the learning experience of students at SHS.
3.    Promote partnerships and interaction between the community and the school and/or extend access to SHS resources to the community.
4.    Projects with broad impact in either the school or community.


Grants are awarded on an annual basis up to $1,000 per annum for any single award.  Exceptions may be made for special projects as approved by the Grants Committee and the Board of Directors.


Faculty and staff teams and student groups at Stevenson High School, as well as outside community organizations/members in District 125.  Applicants are encouraged to submit applications on behalf of a group who will administer the project.


Applications are reviewed twice per year by the Stevenson Foundation Grants Committee following the two annual deadlines.  The Committee’s funding recommendations are submitted for final approval by the full Board of Directors.

•    Applicants must submit a complete Grant Application Form by one of the two annual deadlines: January 31 and August 31.
•    Applicants must demonstrate that:
HOW DO I APPLY?    Click here to download the grant application

• Applicants must submit a fully completed Grant Application Form, with appropriate signatures, by one of the two annual deadlines: January 31 and August 31. See "Where do I submit my application?" below.
• All applications must be signed by a Program Head, the person primarily responsible for planning, executing, and reporting on the project and ensuring that project goals are met.
• Applications from SHS faculty/staff teams must be signed by their division director, indicating that they endorse the project and that it cannot be wholly funded by the school budget.
• Applications from groups of SHS students must be signed by a faculty or staff sponsor, endorsing the project and indicating its appropriateness for Foundation funding.
• If applicant is a nonprofit organization, please provide a copy of your IRS nonprofit determination letter.
• Failure to submit a complete copy of all pages of the Grant Application Form or other requested information by the application deadline will result in an incomplete application that will not be considered for a grant.


•    Projects for January 31 applications must be completed by June 30 of the same calendar year.  Projects for August 31 applications must be completed by June 30 of the following calendar year.  If extenuating circumstances prevent project completion by these dates, the grant recipient must contact the Foundation to request an extension.
•    The Project Head must submit a Grant Report Form to the Foundation within 30 days after the completion of the project, describing activities carried out under the grant, how the funds were used, and the impact/results achieved.
•    If possible, grant recipients should submit photographs of the program/project in action, as well as any news, feedback from program participants, etc.  Recipients may be asked for a statement or photographed by Foundation representatives for publicity purposes. This assists greatly in seeking private funding for the grants program.
•    Grant recipients are asked to acknowledge the Stevenson High School Foundation on all printed and electronic materials and communications, and allow Foundation signage to be posted for public/school events.  Use of the Foundation Logo for this is encouraged, which will be provided.
•    Grants for annually recurring programs are not automatically renewable; however, prior recipients are eligible to apply annually.  Applicants may only submit one application per year.
•    Any grant funds determined to have been misspent or improperly held are subject to recovery according to the law.


•    Applicants will be notified of the status of their application as soon as practicable after the fall or spring deadline.
•    Awards will paid by check to the applicant division, organization, or individual as appropriate.  
•    Expenditures may only be used for appropriate program expenses as stated in the approved application budget.
•    Individuals may only receive funds as reimbursements for actual expenses. All expenditures must be documented and receipts must be submitted to the Foundation prior to reimbursement. Receipts may also be requested of organization/division applicants.
•    SHS faculty/staff are expected to follow all purchasing procedures as stated by the SHS business office.
•    Any awarded funds not fully expended by the end of the project must be returned within 30 days to the Stevenson High School Foundation.
•    If a grant recipient withdraws from the grant program, they must immediately notify the Foundation.  Any dispersed funding must be returned within 30 days to the Stevenson Foundation.
•    Any and all tax considerations and obligations, if any, are the responsibility of the grant recipient.


The completed PDF Grant Application Form must be saved and emailed to: gdiethrich@d125.org.

The signed signature page (p.7) must also be submitted by one of the following means:

 
If you need additional information, have questions about your application, or wish to discuss your project before submitting an application, please contact:

Greg Diethrich, Executive Director
Stevenson High School Foundation
Phone:  847-415-4465
Email: gdiethrich@d125.org