Grant Guidelines and Procedures

Westmont Hilltop Education Foundation Guidelines and Procedures

Goals of the Westmont Hilltop Education Foundation

The Westmont Hilltop Education Foundation (Hilltopper Foundation) strives to provide funding for educational, athletic and cultural endeavors that add depth to the curriculum and broaden scholastic experiences that would otherwise not be funded through the Westmont Hilltop School District budget.

Proposals from all district schools, grade levels, and curricula are encouraged.

The Hilltopper Foundation aims to support innovative and creative educational programs for students and faculty to enhance the educational experience in the Westmont Hilltop School District.

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Grant Eligibility

The superintendent, administrators, content leaders, teachers, and coaches within the Westmont Hilltop School District are eligible to apply for grants from the Hilltopper Foundation.

The Hilltopper Foundation has been proud to fund grants that have met all or some of the following criteria:

Grants that enhance the existing academic program, curriculum, guidance, or counseling functions of the Westmont Hilltop schools.
Grants that enrich, not duplicate or replace, the current curriculum and educational structure of the Westmont Hilltop schools.
Grants that reflect the goals of the school district and have the support of a building supervisor and appropriate curriculum personnel
Grants that impact a broad number of students and have lasting or sustainable educational value
Grants that are innovative and creative in teaching and/or learning
Grants that implement new and experimental methods of teaching
Grants in which the results can be evaluated by some measure of quality
Grants that fund capital improvements

The Hilltopper Foundation will not fund:

Grants that replace or relieve existing responsibility for public funding of school programs or are intended to substitute for normal budget growth and maintenance
Grants without the required approvals
Grants that fund teacher stipends or substitute teacher fees
Grants that fund tools/equipment and consumable items that should be provided for in the school budget, standard classroom supplies, or maintenance and facilities costs
Food and drink of any kind, unless they are critical to the project’s success
The Hilltopper Foundation will not grant funds for non-specific expenses. Budgets must be clearly defined and listed. Pricing within your budget must be exact or directly quoted. Please supply the source of your price quotes.

Changes in Project Scope or Expenditure of Grant Funds

Changes in the scope of project or expenditure of grant funds are discouraged. Any changes must be approved by the Foundation Board in advance. Written notice of the proposed change must be sent to the President of the Foundation. The President will confer with the Board and respond in writing.

Terms of Approval

Approval of any Grant Application is subject to the following terms:

A Westmont Hilltop Education Foundation Grantee will agree to:

1. Use of the grant funds is only allowed as specified in the approved grant proposal.
2. Maintain records to show and account for the uses of grant funds.
3. Submit all expenses promptly
4. Upon request, provide records to verify grant expenditures and activities.
5. Repay any portion of the funds not used for the specified purposes.
6. Refrain from the use of the funds for any purpose prohibited by law.
7. Cooperate with any efforts of the Hilltopper Foundation to publicize the grant award.
8. Comply with reasonable requests for information about program activities, including but not limited to inviting the Foundation to see the grant in action when possible.
9. Provide a report at the end of the grant cycle or by June 30th of the current school year.
10. Abide by the Hilltopper Foundation Grant Publicity guidelines as noted below.

*Grant payments and/or reimbursements will be withheld for any breach in terms. Future grant funding may be affected.

Hilltopper Foundation Grant Publicity

Grant recipients are expected to be available to the Foundation to publicize their projects to parents, teachers, and the local community through school publications, local newspapers, and other media outlets.
Grant recipients are asked to include the following statement when presenting the grant in any public forum: “This project is made possible (in whole or in part) by a grant from the Westmont Hilltop Education Foundation.”

Duration of Funding

All grant funds must be expended on the approved project within the school year for which it was awarded. If the project is canceled or materially changed, the funds must be returned to the Foundation.

The Hilltopper Foundation cannot commit to continuing to fund the same project beyond the current school year.

While we are always looking for new, creative projects, we will review applications for continued funding of previously awarded successful grants if the project has been reviewed, reconsidered, and/or updated. Applications should clearly indicate that it is a request for continuation of funding from a previously awarded grant.

Grant Evaluation and Report

All grant recipients are required to submit a Close-Out Grant Report approximately 10 months after their grant was accepted. The report must describe the grant project outcomes and show the expenditure of funds. The Report is due 2 weeks after the end of the grant or no later than June 30th.

Note: The above funding guidelines, procedures, and requirements represent the guiding principles of the Westmont Hilltop Education Foundation. Under various circumstances, the Foundation Board may choose to provide or not provide funding that differs from the terms of these guidelines. The Board reserves the right to revise these guidelines, procedures, and requirements at any time.

Next Steps:

Grant Application

Budget Spreadsheet

Expense Reimbursement Form