Innovation Fund Foundation Grant Opportunities

RURAL INNOVATION FUND

 

The Innovation Fund Foundation, in partnership with the Georgia Foundation for Public Education, is pleased to announce the launch of the Rural Innovation Fund on March 1, 2020! The Rural Innovation Fund (RIF) provides traditional public schools, charter schools, and school districts up to $10,000 to implement innovative projects that deeply engage students, parents, and/or teachers. An innovative project solves an existing problem in an inventive way and has the potential to have a large and lasting impact on the academic environment. 

The RIF is made possible through a partnership between the Georgia Foundation for Public Education (GFPE) and the Innovation Fund Foundation (IFF). The GFPE supports educational excellence for all of Georgia’s K-12 students. Primary funding comes from Support Education/Educator license plates and private donations. The IFF invests in innovative partnerships and initiatives to ignite student achievement. Primary funding comes from the Qualified Education Donation Tax Credit.

RURAL INNOVATION FUND TIMELINE

RIF Application Opens RIF Application Due Applications Reviewed & Announced By
March 1, 2020 March 31, 2020 Early May

 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

You are eligible to apply for a Rural Innovation Fund grant if your school or district is located in a county with a population of no more than 35,000 and:

  • You are a school administrator*, principal, or instructional coach* at a charter school or traditional public school in the state of Georgia;

  • You are a K-12 teacher at a Georgia charter school or traditional public school who has been teaching for at least three years*; or

  • You are another type of leadership-level administrator in a Georgia LEA.

In addition, schools identified on the Turnaround Eligible Schools list will receive priority points on their application.

*Please note that all teacher, school administrator, and instructional coach applicants must submit a signed Principal Certification Form as part of their application.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

To participate in the Rural Innovation Fund, please follow the steps below:

  1. Create an account on the Rural Innovation Fund Application Portal. Under the “Create a new submission?” heading, click “Rural Innovation Fund Applicants from the dropdown menu. Complete the RIF Eligibility Form. Note: You may create an account and complete the eligibility form prior to March 1, 2020. However, you will not have access to the application until March 1, 2020. You will not have access to the application if the eligibility form determines that you are not located in a county with a population of 35,000 or less. Please see the Rural Innovation Fund Application Submission Guide for a step-by-step guide on completing the application.

  2. Complete and submit your application online by March 31, 2020.

The GFPE & IFF will score the proposals using the Rural Innovation Fund Rubric. The GFPE & IFF strongly recommend that you thoroughly review the rubric prior to completing the application to ensure you have a solid understanding of the application expectations.