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Vision for Education Grants

As a result of being a part of the Waterloo/Cedar Falls delegation to the Presidents' Summit for America's Future, held in Philadelphia in 1997, the Foundation has taken a lead role in establishing Cedar Valley's Promise to ensure that children/youth have access to the Five Fundamental Resources needed for successful development:
  • An ongoing relationship with a caring adult
  • A healthy start
  • Safe places to learn and grow
  • Education for a marketable skill
  • An opportunity to serve community
As part of its comprehensive plan, Cedar Valley's Promise has adopted, the above five resources within the framework of the Search Institute's 40 developmental assets. These assets have been identified as the building blocks that help young people grow up healthy, responsible, and caring. As part of the comprehensive plan, schools and other youth serving agencies' goals and outcomes will be based on the developmental asset model. This will help to identify gaps in service to youth. Please visit www.CedarValleysPromise.org for more information.

The Foundation is pleased to be a part of this initiative and bases our grant funding for school-based projects on the asset model. Community Foundation grants for schools are called Vision for Education Grants.

Click here to download the Vision for Education Grant Procedures Brochure.

Procedures

Be sure one original copy of the following information is provided:
  • Two page Vision for Education application
  • Detailed budget of how the funds will be utilized. If the project costs can be divided into phases, it would help to have those phases defined and prioritized to give the Foundation the opportunity to finance portions of the project
  • A signed cover letter from the principal of the school
Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Submit your proposal by the application deadline to:
Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa
425 Cedar Street, Suite 310, P.O. Box 1176
Waterloo, IA 50704

If you have questions, please call the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa's Program Director, Carolynn Sween at (319) 287-9106.

Deadlines

To apply, complete the Vision for Education application and return it to the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa by October 1 for the fall grant cycle or April 1 for the spring grant cycle (postmarked) of each year.

April 1

Deadline for submission of grant applications for June awards

June

First award cycle will be approved

October 1

Deadline for submission of grant applications for December awards

December

Second award cycle will be approved

Criteria

Public and Private schools in Black Hawk County are eligible to apply for a Vision for Education Grant. Grants are awarded according with the following criteria.
  • The project should encourage collaboration
  • The project should follow district and individual building goals
  • The project should have clear outcomes based on the resource and asset development model
  • The project should be able to be shared with and duplicated in other classrooms/ schools
  • The project should create ways to promote the involvement of youth to benefit them in at least one of the following areas- arts and culture, reading, math, science, history, or volunteerism.
  • Requests including computers, building and grounds repair, construction costs or salaries will not be considered.
Grants ranging from $250-$2,500 will be awarded.