LEARNING for Equity grants support small-to-medium-sized projects designed by a team of educators, usually (though not exclusively) from the same school.
Award amounts range from $1,000 to $15,000
Come discuss project ideas & get feedback at an upcoming Grants Office Hours
See this list of LEARNING for Equity Grants, Awarded Fall ’22
Check out this side-by-side comparison of LEARNING for Equity and LEADING for Equity grants.
Priority Funding Areas
LEARNING for Equity proposals are 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 (Incl. Positive Racial/Ethnic Identity Development)
- Focused Academic Support & Intervention
- Diversifying BUSD Educator Pathways
Explicit About Equity
LEARNING for Equity proposals will be evaluated based on the following equity dimensions:
- For whom? (Who is the proposed audience?)
- By whom? (What relevant qualifications does the educator team have?)
- What? (What is the intended 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.”
Collaboration
LEARNING for Equity grants aim to grow equity-informed practice beyond individual classrooms and into the fabric of grade level, subject area or whole school systems. As such, proposals are evaluated on the project team’s capacity for aligning their work and sharing best practices.
Project teams are comprised of a Project Lead (who is usually the applicant), a Project Co-lead (optional), and Collaborators who are specifically named in the application. Collaborators must be fully committed to implementing the project. LEARNING for Equity proposals from a single educator will not be accepted.
Who Can Apply
LEARNING for Equity grants are open to teams of current BUSD staff members, both classified and certificated.
Community organizations may partner with BUSD staff and be listed as a Co-lead but a BUSD staff member must serve as the Project Lead.
Please consider whether a LEADING 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 our criteria for re-applying HERE
Grantee Requirements
We ask grantees to participate in the following:
- Start-of-the-year: Conversation on Goals & Evaluation*
- Mid-year: Project Check-in (brief, via email)
- End-of-year: Final Reflections (written form)
*ONLY for projects awarded $10,000 & above
Questions?
Come to an upcoming Grants Office Hours or email Duffy Ross: duffyross@berkeley.net
Investing in Recovery to Level the Playing Field
With a mission laser-focused on equity, the Berkeley Public Schools Fund seeks to amplify existing and seed new work that levels the playing field for BUSD students furthest from opportunity.
Grant Timeline: 2023-24
- The ’23-24 LEARNING for Equity grant application will open in Wed, February 15, 2023
- The application deadline will be in Mon, April 10 2023
- All applicants will be notified of funding status by the Fri, May 24, 2023
- Grantees will be able to access their funds starting July 1, 2023
Grantwriting Tools
- LEARNING for Equity Grants Office Hours, Spring ’23
- LEARNING for Equity Grants Awarded Grants Awarded Fall ’22
- LEARNING for Equity Grants Awarded Grants Awarded Fall ’21
- LEARNING for Equity Grant Guidelines
- LEARNING & LEADING Budget Considerations
- LEARNING for Equity Application Questions
- LEARNING for Equity EXAMPLE Budget & Blank Budget Template
- LEARNING For Equity EXAMPLE Grant Application
- LEARNING & LEADING Side-by-side Comparison
- Schools Fund Reflections on Year 1 of New Equity Grants
- Other Grantmaking Organizations for Educators
For Current Grantees
- Once a grant has been approved, payments can be requested by completing an Equity Grant Funds Request form.
- If you are paying BUSD staff for their time, please carefully read these Instructions for Completing BUSD Timesheets
- Interested in re-applying? See our Criteria for Approving Repeat Projects