These grants require schools to submit applications or proposals to obtain funding. Awards of funds are based on the merits of the proposal and the compliance of the proposal with the grant criteria. In a competitive grant, the organization or agency often releases a request for proposal (RFP) or a request for applications (RFA). Eligible schools typically have 30 to 90 days to complete an application and submit it for funding. Applications are reviewed by a team of experts and scored. The top-scoring applications receive funding.

Several federal programs require states to make competitive sub-grant opportunities available, with the funding remaining with the state. States manage the federal money, and schools and districts apply to the state through a competitive process to receive funding. Reading First and Comprehensive School Reform are two federal programs that support competitive state sub-grant programs.

Often called "formula" or "entitlement" funding, this money is allocated based on the type of student population. Districts still have to apply for this funding and demonstrate the requisite need to receive it. They are notified of their allocations for various programs annually.

For the purpose of this manual, the following definitions will apply with regard to grant eligibility and the application process:

1. 501(c)(3) refers to the section of the Internal Revenue Code that provides recognition of exemption from federal income tax to a qualified organization if it is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, scientific, or literary purposes. The Galena Park ISD Education Foundation is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that can accept 501(c)(3) designated donations, gifts, or grants for Districtwide and school-specific programs.
2. School districts are considered 509(b) tax-exempt organizations.
3. A Local Education Agency (LEA) is a public school district.
4. Competitive funding refers to funding by organizations that requires interested parties to compete for financial resources for a specific project or program.

Grant applications or proposals may be applied for directly through the District’s Office of Federal Programs or the Galena Park ISD Education Foundation. If you are not sure which entity your application or proposal will fall under, please contact the district's grants point of contact, Amy Cole, Executive Director of Federal Programs, at acole@galenaparkisd.com or (832-386-1028).

Step 1:  Identify a Grant Opportunity that meets your needs
The Office of Federal Programs communicates grant opportunities to applicable departments on a monthly basis.  However, individuals within schools and departments are encouraged to research grant leads through library resources, online databases, and other sources. When suitable grants are located, schools and departments should review the eligibility requirements and ensure the grant is a fit for your project.   

• Email a copy of the blank application, program guidelines, etc., via email to the Federal Programs Director. All documents will be reviewed to determine the next steps.
• The Federal Programs Director will send the interested person a timeline for completing research, collaborations/meetings with key personnel, and due dates.
  • Consult with the Principal or Department Head. Before beginning to write a grant on behalf of a campus or a department, the principal or department head must provide approval. Writers are responsible for ensuring they have permission to submit a grant on behalf of their campus or department before submitting the Intent to Submit form to the Office of Federal Programs.
  • The Federal Programs Director will send a Grant Committee signature form to the grant lead for all participants involved in the grant planning to sign. The signed form must be received when final draft documents are submitted for review.
  • From the Campus or Departmental Grants Team. Grant writers on campuses or within departments are strongly encouraged to collaborate with others to provide a full perspective of approaches to solving the stated need.

 Step 2:  Complete the grant application

• The Grant Interest Form should be completed BEFORE beginning your application. This form, accompanied by the Grant Guidelines, will be emailed directly to the Federal Programs Director. At that time, she can discuss with you the specific assistance she can provide to help you complete this application. The only time this form does not need to be completed and submitted is if you are submitting an application to the Galena Park ISD Education Foundation.

 Step 3: Begin brainstorming responses to application questions or drafting the proposal

• You will need to be ready to craft a needs statement and to provide a project design that includes goals, objectives, strategies, activities, a management plan, and a way to evaluate the success or impact of your project. It is imperative that any required appendices (letters of support, MOUs, etc.) be planned in advance so they can be submitted on time with the grant.

Step 4:  Complete the application

• Be sure to be responsive to the requirements outlined in the grant guidelines. It includes data and information to support funding needs for your campus/department, program planning and activities for the project, and personnel descriptions for those who will manage project implementation. However, it is unnecessary to include a lot of national or state data that does not speak intimately to your situation.
  •  Small Cybergrants. If it is a small online grant, it is suggested that you copy/paste the application questions into a Microsoft Word document and provide all your responses in this format first, then paste the final responses back into the online system. Before submitting, you must send your draft to the District’s Director for Academic Support and Grants, to provide you with feedback and editing support.
  •  Have a campus committee, and your principal or department head, read your grant BEFORE submitting it to the Director for Grants.

Step 5:  Prepare your budget for the application 

• Before submitting your grant, you must submit a copy of your budget for review to the Special Revenue Accountant and the Director of Academic Supports and Grants. They will work with you to ensure your budget is appropriate.

Step 6:  Submit your application to the Federal Programs Director for review

• Please allow at least a 2-week turnaround to enable review of the application and time to obtain the necessary District signatures. If your grant requires Board of Trustees approval, more time may be necessary.

Once you have written your proposal and completed the grant application, please forward a copy of the Grant Guidelines, the application, and all supporting documents, including the budget, to the Federal Programs Director. All applications requiring a signature will be signed by the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) or the Superintendent. The Federal Programs Director will obtain this signature during the final review process. A copy of all grants submitted on behalf of Galena Park ISD is required for auditing purposes.

The Federal Programs Director will do the following with your grant application:

• Submit any contract, agreement, or Interlocal Agreement via Laserfiche for review of terms and conditions, when required. Only the Superintendent or CFO is authorized to sign a contract on behalf of GPISD. Note:  Not all applications will have a contract or agreement.
• Obtain approval from the department Assistant Superintendent and Associate
• Superintendent.
• If the application does not contain a contract/agreement/Interlocal Agreement, a summary of the grant will be submitted to the Special Revenue Accountant for review. The cover letter will be signed by a Special Revenue Accountant. If purchases over $50,000 are made, the Purchasing Director will review vendor information to ensure the vendor is competitively procured.
• Route the application to the CFO for signature.
• Coordinate with the submitting campus/department to determine whether Board of Trustees approval is necessary.
• Return the application to the originator for submission to the Grantor.

Once notification has been received from the funding agency of a grant award or rejection, the following steps should be followed:

Step 1: Inform the Federal Programs Director upon receipt of a grant award or rejection

Step 2:  Accepting the award

• The Office of Federal Programs will communicate with the funding agency and assist with initial post-award steps, including board approval (If applicable), district coordination, etc.

Step 3: Say thank you!

• It is always important to follow up with the funder once you hear back about your proposal, even if it wasn’t funded. A well-written note thanking the funder for their time and asking for feedback on how you can improve can go a long way toward getting your second request funded.

Step 4: Share your progress with us!

• Send photos or videos to communications@galenaparkisd.com and invite us to stop by your classroom to visit you in action

Upon receipt of the NOGA from the grantor, the Federal Programs Director schedules a formal orientation meeting with the Grantee (i.e., program or project director) and Accounting. The Grantee must attend the meeting for the budget to be loaded into Frontline and for program implementation to begin.  The Grantee:

• Identifies the principal or liaison who will serve as the contact person for the grant;
• Aligns program objectives and activities with grant guidelines and district policy;
• Completes the required board agenda item, if required for acceptance of award;
• Facilitates contracts with all service providers;
• Facilitates Frontline access for budget monitoring;
• Monitors budget and implements strategies written into the grant;
• Provides program management and timekeeping;
• Disseminates program information to parents and the community; and
• Completes compliance reporting.

Program or Project Budget

After Galena Park ISD takes the necessary steps to accept the grant, the funds must be submitted through the Accounting Department. The Special Revenue Accountant prepares the budget for each program or project in accordance with the grant award amount and applicable regulations. The funds are loaded into Frontline in accordance with the Notice of Grant Award (NOGA). The Grantee is responsible for supervising the execution of the grant and monitoring expenditures to prevent any misuse of funds and to ensure compliance with state and federal guidelines, as applicable. The Grantee must adhere to the deadlines established by the Business Office, including the grant ending date, requisition cut-off, P-card cut-off, and goods receipt posting date.

Procedures for grant monitoring

1. Expenditure Reports: The Special Revenue Accountant prepares expenditure reports as specified by the grant and forwards them to the funding agency.
2. Expenditures: The Grantee is responsible for monitoring expenditures and ensuring compliance with approved grant expenditures during the grant funding period. The Campus or Department Secretary will provide expenditure details from Frontline when requested by the Grantee.
3. Budget Amendments: Program and project budgets may be amended as indicated by the funding source and or district guidelines. The Grantee is responsible for knowing the required submission deadlines to the grantor.
4. Progress Reports: The funding source will indicate progress report requirements

Procedures regarding progress reports are as follows:

1. Notice. The Federal Programs Director will send reminders to schools of upcoming progress reports 30 days before the report is due.
2. Preparation. The Grantee collects data and completes required reports.
3. Submission. The Federal Programs Director receives progress reports from the grantee 10 business days before the report is due to the funding agency and submits a report to the funding agency as required. The Superintendent or CFO signs the progress reports when applicable.

The Executive Director of Federal Programs will offer the following assistance during the course of the grant:

• Provides technical assistance on form completion, accuracy, and compliance with grant rules and regulations;
• Maintains accurate records of grants through a database; and
• Files reports and documents with the NOGA and approved grant application