ACCF Teacher Mini-Grants

Teacher Mini-Grants offered by the Ashland County Community Foundation provide targeted financial support to educators within Ashland County, Ohio, enabling them to pursue innovative educational initiatives that fall outside the scope of traditional school budgets. These grants reflect the foundation’s mission to enhance education through grassroots, teacher-driven efforts. The program extends its support to both public and private school teachers across the county, with specific provisions also made for educators in the Ashland City Schools district through a partnership with the Ashland City Schools Foundation. Each Teacher Mini-Grant offers funding to K-12 educators for projects that introduce new ideas, methods, or programs that would otherwise be unfunded by regular school budgets. The goal is to support creativity and enrich classroom experiences through novel approaches that directly benefit students. Projects may include hands-on learning modules, classroom technology enhancements, special events or field trips, or curriculum expansions. Teachers are encouraged to design proposals that align with their specific classroom needs and the learning objectives they aim to fulfill. Applicants must be K-12 teachers in accredited public or private schools within Ashland County. Teachers from Ashland City Schools are also eligible to apply for separate funds administered by the Ashland City Schools Foundation using the same application system. This dual eligibility structure increases the total available funding for qualifying teachers within the Ashland City School District. For general applicants through the Ashland County Community Foundation, the grant maximum is $1,500 per project, while Ashland City Schools Foundation grants may provide up to $2,000. The application process is streamlined through the foundation’s Online Grants System, where new users must create an account to submit applications. This system also serves as the central platform for grant reporting, including submission of grant agreements, final reports, and any required follow-up documentation. The foundation advises first-time or returning applicants to review the "Getting Started" page before beginning their application. Additional support is provided through the Grant Applicant FAQ and a dedicated contact person, Kristin Aspin, Chief Operating Officer, who can be reached via email at [email protected]. Deadlines for the Teacher Mini-Grants are set biannually: September 15 for the first semester and January 15 for the second semester. Applications received by these deadlines are reviewed with decisions communicated by November 1 (first semester) and March 1 (second semester), respectively. This recurring cycle ensures that educators have regular opportunities to apply and receive timely funding aligned with academic calendars. It is important to note that the Ashland County Community Foundation does not fund individual grants for ongoing operating expenses, endowment contributions (unless held by ACCF), or religious activities. Funded projects may include equipment purchases, building improvements, capital campaigns, and seed money initiatives, as long as they meet the grant’s innovation and educational enhancement objectives. All awarded teachers are encouraged to publicly recognize the foundation’s support in promoting their projects and may access promotional guidance through the “Publicizing Your Grant” page on the foundation’s website.