LEADING for Equity Grants

LEADING for Equity Grant Application

LEADING for Equity grants are designed to support collaborative, equity-explicit projects that are district-wide (or multi-school). Award amounts range from $5,000 –  $30,000.

Announcing our ’23-’24 LEADING for Equity Grantees

Check out this Side-by-side Comparison of LEADING for Equity and LEARNING for Equity grants

And here’s a Step-by-step Guide to Writing a Schools Fund Grant

Priority Funding Areas

LEADING for Equity proposals will be prioritized where they clearly support at least 1 of the Schools Fund’s priority funding areas:

Explicit About Equity

LEADING for Equity proposals will be evaluated based on the following equity dimensions:

  • For whom? (Who is the proposed audience?)
  • By whom? (What relevant qualifications do the educators have?)
  • What? (What is the curriculum or content?)
  • How? (What is the chosen pedagogy? How will the project be implemented?)

Read more about what the Schools Fund means by “equity.”

Systems Change

To drive systems change in BUSD, LEADING for Equity proposals will be evaluated on:

  • The number of schools committed to the project
  • The extent of district-level collaboration
  • The systems & structures that enable essential collaboration across project partners

Who Can Apply

LEADING for Equity grants are open to current BUSD staff members, certificated and classified. Community organizations may partner with BUSD staff but the BUSD staff member must serve as the Project Lead.

Please consider whether a LEARNING for Equity grant may be a better fit. See this side-by-side grants comparison.

Are you a current grantee interested in re-applying for the same or similar project? Read more about our criteria for re-applying.

Grantee Requirements

We ask grantees to participate in the following:

  • Start-of-the-year: Conversation on Goals & Evaluation*
  • Mid-year: Project Check-in
  • End-of-year: Final Reflections

*only for projects awarded $10,000 & above

Questions? 

Email Duffy Ross: duffyross@berkeley.net or in winter/spring ’24, join us for Grants Office Hours.

Strategic Investments Where They Matter Most 

With universal goals for all BUSD students, the Schools Fund works in a focused way to ensure that all students, and especially those furthest from opportunity, thrive in school and in life. 

Timeline, Spring 2024: 

  • LEADING Applic. Opens Mon Jan 8
  • LEADING Applic. Deadline Thurs Mar 7
  • Applicant Final Notification Thurs May 23
  • Funds Available Mon July 1

Grantwriting Tools

For Current Grantees

Grantees can request funds with this Equity Grant Funds Request Form

Are you paying BUSD Staff? Read these Instructions for Completing BUSD Timesheets

Are you working with external contractors? Read this Working with External Contractors.

Are you purchasing technology? Read this How to Request/Purchase Grant-funded Tech through BUSD.

LEADING for Equity Grant Application