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:
- Emotional Health & Wellness
- Digital Equity
- Equitable Family Engagement
- Culturally Responsive Learning (Including Positive Racial/Ethnic Identity Development)
- Focused Academic Intervention & Support
- Recruit & Retain Educators of Color
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
- Step-by-side Guide to Writing a Schools Fund Grant
- This Year’s LEADING for Equity Grants ’23-24
- Past Year’s LEADING for Equity Awards: ’22-23 Grants and ’21-22 Grants Grants
- LEADING for Equity Grant Guidelines
- LEADING for Equity Application Questions & Planner
- LEADING for Equity Example Budget & Blank Budget Template
- LEADING for Equity Example Completed Application (Funded)
- LEADING for Equity Budget Considerations
- LEADING & LEARNING Grants Side-by-side Comparison
- Other Grantmaking Organizations for Educators
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.