Inspired Teacher Grant Program

The 2025-26 Inspired Teacher Grant Program is administered by the Orange County Community Foundation with support from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation for high school STEM requests. The program is designed to provide funding for public school teachers across Orange County, California. It supports innovative classroom projects, field trips, educational tools, and materials that create meaningful and enriching learning experiences for students. This grant initiative seeks to enhance education by providing teachers with resources to pursue creative and curriculum-related ideas that expand student engagement and achievement. The program offers a wide range of eligible uses. Grants may fund supplies, materials, or curricula directly tied to projects, as well as assemblies, speakers, and field trips that are connected to classroom learning. Projects may be designed for a classroom, grade level, department, or entire school. Preference is given to classroom projects, field trips with lasting in-classroom connections, and high school STEM initiatives. High school STEM grants, supported by the Beckman Foundation, allow for the purchase of scientific equipment, STEM curriculum, and project-based learning tools. They may also be used for experiences such as site visits, bringing in STEM experts, or developing collaborative projects that address real-world scientific challenges. However, requests for laptops, Chromebooks, or other electronics are not accepted. There are restrictions on how grant funds may be used. Proposals cannot request funding for salaries, indirect costs, administrative fees, facilities improvements, maintenance, or prizes and incentives. Reimbursement of expenses made before the award, as well as programs focused on post-secondary education, are not eligible. Grant checks must be picked up in person, and the school principal must sign the required grant agreement before funds are released. Funds must be used by the close of the 2025–26 school year, and projects must be completed by June 30, 2026. A final report is due on the same date. Deadlines for check processing are also firm: February 28, 2026, is the last day to pick up checks, and March 31, 2026, is the final date to cash them. Grant amounts are tiered based on the size of the project. Teachers may request up to $1,000 for individual classroom projects, up to $5,000 for grade-level or department projects, and up to $10,000 for schoolwide initiatives. Applicants are limited to one request per teacher for the grant cycle. Reviewers consider the number of students who will benefit as well as the socio-economic status of the student population when making funding decisions. This ensures that projects with a strong impact on equity and access are prioritized. The program is open to all credentialed Pre-K/TK through 12th grade public school teachers currently working in Orange County schools. Applications open on September 4, 2025, and must be submitted no later than October 10, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. PST. Awards will be announced in December 2025, and the funding period runs from January 1 through June 30, 2026. The program is recurring annually, with cycles reopening each fall. Applicants may submit their proposals through the online application portal linked in the official announcement. Teachers are encouraged to clearly describe how their project supports student learning objectives, deepens subject knowledge, and fosters meaningful classroom connections. Projects that demonstrate creativity, sustainability, and impact are most likely to be considered for funding. For questions or assistance, applicants can contact Joe Cordell, Grants Manager at the Orange County Community Foundation, at 949-553-4202 or via email at jcordell@oc-cf.org.