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Creative Funding Ideas

We at ChartHouse Learning understand that educational budgets are suffering in many areas. While every situation is unique, we want to help you succeed in your efforts to make positive changes in your classroom/school/district culture using the FISH! For Schools program. This information has been developed to support you and your colleagues in your funding efforts.

Start out by exploring the options available to you at your school and/or district level.

Staff Development Funds and Grants
Many educators are utilizing staff development funds to purchase the FISH! For Schools materials and/or attend the LIVE! Workshop. In addition to site staff development funds, explore your options for district staff development grants that might be available to you. (See the Grant Writing Assistance section at the end of this document.)
Rochester, Minnesota, Educators Working Creatively on Funding
After piloting some of the FISH! For Schools activities, teachers and administrators at Bamber Valley Elementary School, in Rochester, Minnesota, were hungry for the FISH! For Schools program. In an effort to bring this program to their building, 2nd grade teachers, Piper Nichols and Kathy Knott worked together to write a grant requesting funds from the district’s Exemplary Staff Development funds. Their grant included funding for 8 educators to attend the April 2004 FISH! For Schools LIVE! Workshop. One teacher from each grade level, a special education teacher, and an administrator are among those that will be attending the workshop.

Another Rochester School developed Mini-Grants as part of their overall Site Staff Development Plan. Twenty-four teachers received mini-grants for stipends to fund days for them to participate in Book Study Groups using the FISH! For Schools Guided Journey.
Compensatory Funds
Some educators are finding the FISH! For Schools program to be a tool for meeting the goals of their site improvement plan. Explore your state guidelines to see if FISH! For Schools fits within the parameters for funding.

One school found that FISH! For Schools fit well under the following Minnesota Compensatory Funding guidelines:

Minnesota Statutes 2003, Section 126C.10, subdivision 4, (7): includes programs...to enhance self-concept,...provide a safe and secure learning environment,...

Using these funds, this school was able to purchase 14 FISH! For Schools Expedition Packs for staff members in classrooms.

Corporate Partners
If there’s a local corporation using FISH!, they may be very excited about partnering with your schools. It’s great PR for them and many companies have dollars set aside for charitable and community purposes. Ask your students’ parents if they know of any companies using FISH! You might be amazed at what you learn!
Walser Chrysler/Jeep Grants Three Hopkins Educators FISH! For Schools Tuition
Walser Chrysler/Jeep, after learning of the FISH! For Schools program chose to invest in their local community by offering FISH! For Schools LIVE! to three Hopkins, Minnesota educators! In an effort to support their community, Walser Chrysler/Jeep donated tuition (which includes a FISH! For Schools Expedition pack) to one educator at each of the three school levels: elementary, middle, high school. Educators from Hopkins will join the FISH! For Schools team at the LIVE! event in April 2004.

Gage Elementary School and Rochester Ford/Toyota—A Unique Partnership!
When Ann Clark, principal at Gage Elementary School, approached the dealership to discuss a corporate partnership there was great interest in the possibilities! The dealership is committed to working together by having its staff come to Gage and talk about FISH!, volunteer in classrooms by reading with students, and support Gage’s FISH! For Schools efforts financially. Two teachers and students will share at a dealership Manager’s Meeting about the impact of FISH! on their school. The dealership is excited about contributing to the community and interested in having staff members spend time at the school to connect with local children!
Parent Organizations
Approach your PTA, PTO, PTSA or other parent organization regarding fundraising efforts to support the purchase of the program. Share what you are doing with your students and the possibilities you see as a result of The FISH! Philosophy. These results should include the impact on both students and staff.

Community Organizations
Chambers of Commerce and clubs like Kiwanis or Rotary often have budgets set aside to help the community.

Local Financial Institutions
Community banks and insurance companies often have resources for community development. There's no harm in asking, and you may be pleasantly surprised by the answer!

Family Benefactors
Depending on the resources of your student population, there may be a parent or grandparent who is willing to donate funding. (See the attached Sample Benefactor Letter.)

Grants

Internet Resources
Check the Internet. Here are a couple of links to get you started: www.schoolgrants.org and www.nfie.org. You can also go to a search engine like Google or Yahoo and enter words like “education,” “grants,” “funding,” and your location or region. (See the attached Grant Writing Assistance below for information and language that can simplify the grant writing process.)

Thanks again for your passionate participation and commitment to education. Your students will be forever better for knowing you.

If you find creative ways of funding our program, please share your stories with us (schools@charthouse.com) so we can help others find ways to bring FISH! For Schools to educators and students everywhere!