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Money Matters

Funding Online Programs: Leave No Stone Unturned

The funds available to schools and districts are not only limited, they often fail to keep up with the high costs of the cutting-edge programming that most funders want to support. While this is true in all areas of education, it is even more obvious when trying to expand or maintain programs that incorporate technology, which often necessitates expensive equipment, extensive training, and software that must be replaced or enhanced after only a short time. To address these problems successfully, schools must be creative when looking at available funding and resources.

First, it's important not to overlook the obvious: All funders offer money in the field of education with the ultimate purpose of raising the achievement levels of students. Even funds that are directly specified for things like professional development are truly awarded with the expectation that they will improve the academic achievement of students, not just train teachers for their own professional fulfillment. In a similar way, technology is rarely funded for its own sake. Instead, funders look for programs that will raise achievement levels, while using technology as a modality. This is an important distinction. If you write a proposal for a grant that focuses on your need for hardware or software, instead of a proposal that focuses on how you are going to get as many students as possible to meet or exceed various educational standards, you are less likely to receive funding.

Understanding technology's place within the broader scope of education will also help you to see funding possibilities where you might not have before. If you are only focusing on hardware and software, it's easy to miss opportunities in areas such as professional development, special populations, or specific subjects. For example, a cultural after-school program for youth that incorporates a monthly newsletter and community activities might be able to find support under a variety of funding headings: education, youth programming (not specific to schools), literacy, after-school programming, service learning, English language learners, foreign languages, professional development, the arts, and technology, among others. Sometimes you can fund a program with one grant, but often you need to patch several grants together. Savvy grant seekers check under all headings and all online "cyber rocks."

Sometimes though, it's necessary to focus on funding specifically for technology, such as when schools and districts need to fund widespread technology resources like Internet service. Many schools and districts apply for eRate funds to help pay for this enormous expense. Congress created the $2.25 billion eRate program, authorized by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, as way to provide affordable telecommunications services to eligible schools and libraries. Through the program, qualifying schools and libraries receive up to a 90 percent discount on the cost of Internet and telephone services, and internal wiring. Though there was a delay in 2004 funding, those funds are now being distributed. The 2005 funding window will open December 14, 2004, with applications due by February 17, 2005, at the latest. For a great resource on eRate, see the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)-related Web site, www.e-ratecentral.com/ . There are also various news articles on www.eschoolnews.com, which can be accessed via a worthwhile, free subscription.

State education agencies may apply for grants like Enhancing Education Through Technology (commonly referred to as E2T2) from the federal education department (www.ed.gov/programs/edtech/). While E2T2 funds, as with all education funds, are meant to raise student achievement, they are also specifically focused on making all students technologically literate by the end of eighth grade. State education agencies may keep up to 5 percent of their allocations for state-level activities, but must distribute half of the remainder by formula to eligible local educational agencies and the other half competitively to eligible local entities. Though the formula funding will bring them money automatically via allocation, districts and schools should be aware of how and when their state education agencies announce and grant their competitive E2T2 funds. Many links to state education agencies may be found here: www.ed.gov/about/contacts/state/.

Another way to find technology-related resources, though not necessarily grant money, is to look around your community for potential partners. Corporations, as well as colleges and universities, for example, often have cutting edge technology that they are willing to share with your students and teachers. Holding classes in a college computer lab or the board room of a local company not only gives students a chance to use some of the best hardware and software available, it can also expose them to future opportunities in higher education and to potential careers. For the company or university it is a way to foster a potential relationship, while allowing them to make a difference in the lives of young people. Both employers and institutions of higher education benefit from having technologically literate and competent young people join their ranks. Think not only "outside the box," think outside the school!

Ensuring that your students, teachers, schools, and districts have what they need to meet educational goals is a priority in every area, not just technology. Remember, technology is not a separate entity, but an integral part of the educational continuum. Carry that thought with you when it's time to think about funding, and you're sure to be more successful in your endeavors.

— Jill R. Oppenheim
NWREL Resource Development Associate
oppenhej@nwrel.org