Grants and Allocations

We Allocated $50,000 for Prairie Schools for the 2024-2025 Academic Year

Every year, the Prairie School Foundation plans to distribute funding to each school building based on the certified enrollment in grades AK through 12.

Assume enrollment is 6,000 students. $50,000 divided by 6,000 equals $8.33 per student. There are about 900 students at Prairie Creek. Multiply $8.33 times 900 to find that there will be $7,497 allocated to Prairie Creek.  

(Funding available to each building may vary annually based on foundation fund levels and student enrollment.)

The Prairie School Foundation was excited to fund a Special Request for the Prairie Crest 4th Grade Mural Club in the 2023/2024 school year. Students painted murals in the Crest hallways that brighten the day of everyone in the building while also helping students improve their artistic abilities and learn a new technique.


Important Dates

Requests should be submitted by building representatives anytime between October 1st and February 1st of the current school year.


Procedures and Expectations

Each building will form an allocations committee to include the principal and teacher representatives. The committee should name a chairperson from among the building representatives to serve as a liaison between the school and the foundation. It is the goal of the foundation allocations committee to communicate with the building liaisons at various times during the year. The liaisons may contact the Allocation Committee through foundation Operations Manager, whenever the need arises. Open lines of communication are the key to the success of the process. Building committees will be advised of the funds available to them annually in October after the annual count day. 

The building committees will propose projects to be funded for their respective buildings. They will submit, in writing, a brief description of the projects it wishes to fund and the cost of each project to the Foundation Allocations Committee through on-line documentation between October 1st and February 1st. Building committees may request all of its annual funding in the first submission. The Allocations Committee will review the funding requests on a regular basis. Action taken on the requests will be given to the building committees through use of on-line documentation.
 


Guidelines for Building Committee Requests Include:

Funds should be used for projects or items that have a long-term impact and benefit the highest number of students.

Past financial support does not establish entitlement for additional/continuing support or set a precedent for future funding.

Funds must be used to supplement the district curriculum, not supplant it.

Funding for large group projects should go through the building allocations process.

Additional funding from the foundation may be requested by contacting the foundation allocation committee via foundation Operation Manager, Alicia Tjelmeland.


Distribution Follow-Up

The Foundation appreciates pictures, videos, testimonials, or other types of information to be provided from schools utilizing the funding. Information being provided to the Foundation assists in our ability to report to donors the impact of the dollars they have given. 

Labels available from the foundation should be used to mark books and other materials that are purchased from foundation funds.  


Promoting Allocations

A major purpose of the Prairie School Foundation is to provide financial support to improve learning opportunities for staff and students in the College Community School District. Part of our success in providing funds is effective communication with the staff, donors and prospective donors.  

Building committees can assist our fundraising efforts in the following ways:

Involve many staff members in making the decision about how building funds will be spent. Staff members will become more aware of the availability of funds from the foundation and the decision making involved in determining how to allocate them.
Staff members are also communicators who will tell neighbors and friends about the work of the foundation. When purchases are reported to the foundation, we will then inform foundation members, donors, and potential donors about district items that were bought using foundation funds.

Recognize the purchases provided by the foundation in your communications. The patrons understand the work of the foundation the more likely they are to support our fundraising efforts.

Projects Funded Summary

Please let us know if we can be of assistance in the allocations process. Contact the Operations Manager, Alicia Tjelmeland, aliciatjelmeland@crprairie.org.


Grants

From time-to-time special projects or initiatives will be identified by teachers and/or administrators in the Prairie Schools. Please refer to the foundation’s Grant Approval Policy.  

PSF Grant Approval Policy

PSF Grant Approval Request Form

Some grants recently approved by the Prairie School Foundation Board include:

 

PBIS Awards    9th Grade Reading Support

Reading education is receiving a boost at the 9th grade level to ensure every student is proficient.  

 

Club Start-Up and Operating Funds    Ag Club Start-Up 

Funds have been made available to start an Ag Club that is a precursor to more extensive Ag Education. Participation in student clubs has proven to improve grades, increase student retention and graduation rates.  

Events

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Prairie Fest is the Prairie School Foundation’s most popular and…
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The Prairie Hawk Golf Challenge is a great way to entertain friends…

Contact

Prairie School Foundation
401 76th Avenue SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404-7034
Phone: (319) 848-5200 Ext. 2019

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