Guidelines for Writing an LTEF Grant Proposal

Each proposal must be organized according to the outline below. Proposals should convey a vision for the project but should be concise and to the point. References to state or national teaching and learning standards should only be cited if they are explicitly related to your project. Grant proposals that are directly linked to district or building goals are strongly encouraged. Projects that have specific and measurable outcomes will be given priority over proposals that do not include a clear way to determine the outcome of a project.

1. Title and Date of Proposal
The title should be concise and descriptive of the project. It should not simply be a "sound bite" with little substance. Using Dr. Seuss Books to Assist the Developing Reader is better than Dr. Seuss comes to Lawrence Township Public Schools.

2. Project Participants and Contact Information - Include names of all individuals, title(s) and school(s) involved. For projects involving more than one teacher, designate one project leader. The Project Leader will be responsible for implementing the project and will be the primary contact person for LTEF.

3. Executive Summary
The executive summary should be a one paragraph description of the proposal that includes:

• general goal(s)
• general method(s) of implementation
• specific outcomes with description of how they will be measured

4. Project Description
The Project description should be a concise but complete description of the project. Points to be included in the Project Description should include:

• Rationale for the project. Answer the question: "What problem will the project address?"
• Expand on the method of implementation.
• A general timeline.
• Relationship to School Program. Be specific. Describe how the project is linked to district or building goals. Do not simply reference state or national teaching and learning standards. You may use these standards to support your proposal, but you must make the connection explicit.
• Expand on the projected outcomes of the project. Be specific as to how many students and/or staff will be influenced by the project.
• Expand on how outcomes will be measured. Include details of the criteria, procedures, and data that would provide evidence of success for the project.

5. Budget - Provide an itemized list of expenses and, when appropriate, vendors' names. Make explicit what is to be funded by LTEF and what items are to be funded by the district (and/or other sources). LTEF supports curriculum development and will fund the purchase of equipment if there is evidence that by doing so the proposed curriculum will be facilitated. In short, the LTEF does not typically fund proposals that appear to be primarily for equipment. LTEF does not fund services typically funded by the district (custodial services), nor does it pay salaries or stipends to district employees.

6. Appendices - In most cases, a good grant proposal will stand on its own merits. Thus, supporting information should be limited to a list of links to web sites. If it is essential to include printed material to support the proposal, items should be scanned into your grant file or sent to the Office of Instructional Services for transmittal to LTEF. Be sure to reference the grant on a cover sheet that accompanies the appended material.

• List web sites or describe expertise in the grant proposal.
• Include relevant photographs as electronic files.
• Do not include product catalogs. Describe materials to be ordered and list prices in the budget section of your proposal.
• Do not include curricula vitae nor supporting publicity for visiting experts or groups.
• Videotapes and audio tapes are not accepted.

Proposals must be sent to your principal and subsequently received
in the Office of Instructional Services BEFORE 4:00 pm on the due date.

Thank you for your hard work! We look forward to your Proposal!

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