Grants

Since 2003, the North Syracuse Education Foundation (NSEF) has funded a variety of grants and programs donating over $200,000 worth of funding and materials to the NSCSD to enhance students’ education in grades preK-12. NSEF has been able to provide these grants through generous contributions from the community. The mission of the Foundation is to sponsor activities and projects intended to enhance the education and cultural enrichment of the students of the North Syracuse Central School District. The programs and materials are not typically funded by the regular school budget. All faculty and administration are encouraged to submit their ideas in the application form below.

Grant winners will be announced prior to the end of the current school year and may purchase materials immediately. Grants are intended to be implemented in the following school year, and winners are required to submit a grant summary/evaluation of how implementation went to the NSEF by May.  For the evaluation, refer back to your original grant application and evaluation plan. This summary can include a written summary, photos, PowerPoint, video, etc.

Check out our Grants In Action page!

 Grant Submission

There are two components to submitting a grant. Please download and fill out the Grant Application and Grant Narrative forms below.  Once completed, email the application and narrative forms directly to grants@nsefweb.org. You will receive a confirmation email when the NSEF receives the application. If you do not receive confirmation that your application was received within 3 days, please contact us.

DO NOT TURN GRANTS INTO THE DISTRICT OFFICE AS THEY WILL NOT BE FORWARDED TO NSEF.

All applications are due electronically via email to NSEF no later than February 1, 2025.

 Criteria for Grants

To be funded, all grants awarded by the Foundation must meet the following criteria:

  • Be directly related to student learning
  • Be measurable
  • Not include the purchase of materials or supplies that are typically included in the District or Building budget
  • Not include any stipend for an employee or staff/faculty member working for the NSCSD.

Examples of grants include:

  • Funding classroom materials not included in the regular budget.
  • Funding a guest to address an area of curriculum
  • Funding the purchase of specialized learning equipment for classroom use that would not normally be part of the building or district budget
  • Funding for a trip or workshop for students not normally covered in the budget
  • Funding for materials to replenish supplies no longer covered by the district due to budget cuts
  • Funding of specialized furniture or technology where the applicant demonstrates the direct benefit to students’ education based on research, etc.

Grants are due to the Foundation by February 1, 2025. Completed grant narratives should be emailed to grants@nsefweb.org.

  • Additional info:
    • Grant applicants can request the full amount for what they would like in a “perfect scenario,” but we will also consider a lesser amount as an option if noted. For example, “I would prefer to order a full class set of 30 but can make 15 work if students work in pairs.” In this case, calculate the budget based on the maximum amount desired, and NSEF will make adjustments if needed to the budget upon approval.
    • The NSEF will not fund conference requests for faculty/staff or provide stipends for staff to create curriculum or run a club or program.
    • The NSEF cannot fund grants that are in conflict with any district bargaining agreement/contract.
    • The NSEF will not place a cap on award amounts. Grants requests typically range from $200-$5000 per application.
    • The NSEF will not fund grants where the budget is in error. Do not include sales tax as we are a tax exempt organization. Remember to include any shipping costs.
    • The NSEF will not fund technology that is not in-line and supported by the district and/or building technology plan.
    • The NSEF will not consider any grants received after the stated due date.
    • The NSEF will only award worthy grant applications for those having a direct impact on the public school students of the North Syracuse Central School District.
    • The NSEF considers the number of students impacted and the ability to use materials over several years when funding is limited as a criteria for rating one grant higher than another so include information that may benefit your application when available.
    • For the procedure on submitting a request for a grant reimbursement, please see the website section titled “Grant Reimbursement Policy.”

    Please Note: The maximum amount payable for a grant will be the lesser of the amount of the approved grant or the receipts submitted. If pricing changes prior to the grant materials being purchased, the applicant may have to adjust the quantity of items ordered to remain at or under the overall grant budget.

Grant Reimbursement Policy

When submitting a request for a grant reimbursement, it will be handled in one of the following ways depending on how the vendor will accept payment and how the grant recipient wishes to proceed:  Any bill sent to the Foundation treasurer from the vendor should be sent to the following address: NSEF Treasurer, P.O. Box 5225, Syracuse, NY 13220-5225.

For ALL payments, please use the attached Grant Expenditure Reimbursement Form.

    • If the vendor will accept payment after the item(s) is received:
        • Then a bill should be submitted to the Foundation treasurer, along with a copy of the order and the packing slip, indicating those items ordered and received.   This information should be sent to the P.O. Box indicated above.
  • The treasurer will then send a check payable to the vendor as indicated on the “Grant Expenditure Reimbursement Form”
    • If the vendor will NOT accept payment after the item(s) is received and the grant recipient would like to pay for the item(s) and be later reimbursed:
        • Then the grant recipient must supply the Foundation treasurer with a copy of the order and the packing slip indicating those items ordered and received.
  • The treasurer will then issue a check to the grant recipient as indicated on the “Grant Expenditure Reimbursement Form”
    • If the vendor will NOT accept payment after the item(s) is received and the grant recipient is NOT able to pay for the item(s) and be later reimbursed:
        • Then the grant recipient must supply the Foundation treasurer with a copy of the order.
        • The treasurer will then issue a check as indicated on the “Grant Expenditure Reimbursement Form”.
  • Once the item(s) is(are) received, it is the responsibility of the grant recipient to forward a copy of the packing slip to the Foundation treasurer indicating the items ordered and those received.

In any case, the maximum payable will be the lesser of the amount of the approved grant or the receipts submitted.

Grant Questions & Answers