Grant FAQs

What is PSF’s mission?

Public School Foundation’s mission is to support public education in the Chapel-Hill Carrboro City Schools through programs that advance student enrichment and teacher development.

• Our vision:  All students in our schools receive an excellent and equitable education from the highest quality educators.
• Our core values/beliefs: Every child deserves the best possible education; excellent educators ignite learning; and high quality public education is essential to academic success and a vibrant community.
• What we do: Create awareness of the value and importance of quality public education; award grants for promising innovative education practices; provide students with additional academic support and growth opportunities critical to academic success; offer educators and staff financial assistance for professional development; partner with the community and raise financial support from individuals, foundations and businesses; and manage funds responsibly with the highest degree of ethical standards.

What are the proposal deadlines?

Proposals are due by midnight on September 30, December 15, and April 30 of each year.

Should I include citations and/or references in my proposal?

Citations and/or references that support your work and help expand the reviewer’s knowledge of the subject matter are welcomed and encouraged.

What types of things can I include in my budget?  What things does PSF NOT fund?

You can include most anything for educational purposes for which you need funding to complete your project successfully.  Please note we have limited resources and you should follow the requested amounts guidance for each grant type that is listed on the website.  PSF does not generally pay teachers’ salaries (except for things like extra-duty contracts for afterschool tutoring).  Here is a link to the rubric we use to score grant proposals.  From this, you can see that the need for educational items that are essential to the implementation of a project or proposal receive the highest scores.  The Committee takes a hard look at the following requests: food, travel, playground equipment, furniture, technology, T-shirts, trinket give-aways, and school gardens. PSF will not fund a pizza party celebration, for example.  The rubric for special consideration requests is here.

May I submit more than one grant in a cycle or a year?

Yes, there is no limit to the number of grants you can submit in a cycle or a year.  If funding is limited and you make several requests, we may ask you to rank them for us in order of importance to you. One exception is the Professional Development Impact grant.  Proposals for these grants MUST be submitted by school principals and the amount of funding per school per year is limited to a maximum $2,500

May I submit a request for the same project again the next year?

We ask that, for CSEGs and Strowd Roses grants, you do not submit for the same project more than two times consecutively.  For Achievers and PD Impact grants, repeat requests are allowed if the student(s) or program needs additional funding. Please note that a recipient of an International Teacher Travel grant may receive funding one time only.

I am a parent in the CHCCS District.  Can I submit a grant proposal?

Only CHCCS personnel may submit a grant proposal to PSF.  However parents are welcomed and encouraged to assist teachers and staff with grant proposal research, writing, and budget development.  Parents may also attend our Grant Writing Workshops.

What is the typical duration of a PSF grant?

Most proposals submitted to PSF are ones that can be implemented within one school year; however, we are open to projects that may take longer.  If you have an idea for a multi-year request, it would be best to contact us in advance to discuss the proposal.

Is feedback on grant proposals available?

Yes, we are happy to review your grant proposal in advance of the deadline.  Allow ample time for us to read the grant, make recommendations, and for you to make corrections/additions to your proposal.  Please note we are also willing to review grants you are submitting to foundations/agencies outside of PSF. You may email your proposal to psf@chccs.k12.nc.us.

When will I hear if my proposal was funded?

You will generally hear back from us on whether or not your proposal was funded within six weeks of the deadline.

Who makes the decisions on what grants are funded?

PSF has a Grant Review Committee (made up of PSF Board members, community representatives, and CHCCS Administrative personnel) that reviews the grants and make recommendations for funding.

If I am awarded a grant, how do I get my funds?

Depending on the type of grant and the amount allocated, we may set up a budget code through the Finance Office for your project so you can access funds through your school bookkeeper.  If your funding is largely for items, it may be easiest to have the PSF office purchase items for you directly and have them sent to your school.

If I am awarded a grant, what are the reporting requirements?

Each grant recipient is required to fill out an Evaluation that gives feedback on the project.  How you intend to evaluate/ measure the success of your project should be clearly spelled out in the proposal.  These evaluation techniques should be used in writing your evaluation report.

PSF must find funds in order to award the grants we award, so we have funders (foundations, individuals, outside agencies, etc.) that require reports for the grants we receive.  Your evaluation is very important to the process!  Failure to submit an Evaluation report following funding of a proposal by PSF may affect a submitter’s future funding requests.

Will PSF help me submit a grant to another agency/foundation other than PSF?

Yes, we can help you with any stage of the process for a grant to another agency/foundation.  Please contact us at psf@chccs.k12.nc.us for questions or to set up a time to meet.

I’ve looked over the grant type descriptions that PSF offers and I’m still not sure which one I should apply for.  How can I get more guidance?

You can email us or call us to explain your project and we can help you navigate the process.  If you can attend a Grant Writing Workshop, that will be very helpful and you can get your questions answered there.  In communicating with us, it’s always good if you have an idea of your project objectives and a draft budget so we can get a handle on what you hope to accomplish and give you guidance on the best grant application for your proposal.