The Martha Holden Jennings Foundation is inviting applications for its open grants.
The Open Grant program is designed to make a positive lasting impact on student learning and teaching across Ohio. Any public school district, non-religious private school, or non-profit organization working in conjunction with public schools, in any county of Ohio, can apply.
Funding Information
The typical size of an Open Grant is $15,000, but they can range from $2,000-$55,000.
While providing a picture for the larger scope of the work is helpful, the Foundation only approves funds for one year.
An organization may re-submit a proposal for continued funding based on the Final Evaluation Report responses.
Eligibility Criteria
Public school districts in any county of Ohio
Non-religious private schools in Ohio working in conjunction with public schools
501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations that assist PK-12 public schools in Ohio
Evaluation Criteria
Please be sure to read all sections of the grants overview page in order to fully understand the criteria. Distribution Committee members reflect on the following questions as they review Open Grant applications:
If the focus is Excellent Teaching, does the project address criteria on the grants overview page? Does the proposal identify the target population of teachers and explain how the project will enhance “the art” of teaching? If it is focused on professional development, is it job-embedded and include an appropriate evaluation process?
If the focus is Deep Learning for students, does the project address the criteria on the grants overview page? Does the proposal identify the target population and explain how the project will address learning gaps and underserved students? Does it align with the characteristics of excellent teaching?
Does it have a clear element of originality reflecting creative, innovative, and/or effective use of practices, tools, personnel, or other resources to achieve desired outcomes?
Are the goals and objectives clearly defined, aligned with one another and measurable, including a specific evaluation plan to determine the extent to which objectives were achieved and the impact of the outcomes on student achievement or growth? Does it align with state standards and/or course objectives and the district’s strategic plan?
Is it clearly based on existing research related to deep learning and/or excellent teaching, involving teacher and/or staff participation in systematic inquiry/action research?
Is the timeline realistic, including its starting and ending dates, and will it be evaluated within 12 months? Are there clear staff roles and responsibilities for each aspect of implementation, and is there a reasonable action plan to achieve the goals and objectives?
Does it show evidence of broad stakeholder involvement, including support from the organization’s leadership? Does it involve parents where appropriate? Is there evidence of partnerships and/or connections within the organization and outside the organization?
Does the budget reflect efficient use of existing organization resources, in addition to the requested resources, and state why the Foundation funds are necessary? Does it specifically identify how the Foundation funds will be used?
If the budget includes technology or equipment purchases, does the proposal clearly follow the Foundation’s guidelines for funding of technology and equipment? Make sure to read this blog post outlining written examples of what is funded and not funded in this area.
Does the proposal include an explicit discussion of post-grant sustainability and future funding sources, if needed?
Are there appropriate methods to identify what new ideas and effective practices were learned, and what the impact achieved on student learning was? Is there a specific plan to disseminate the outcome results, the new ideas, and the effective practices from the project to applicable populations?
Is the application completed accurately, and proofread for spelling and grammatical errors?
If applying for a consecutive year of funding, incorporate the learning from your Final Education Project Report Form into your proposal.
