Funding your technology ambitions.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK, AND YOUR TECH FUNDING WISHES MAY BE GRANTED.

This issue of Leadership magazine emphasizes the role school leaders play in educational technology. But many readers might be wondering how their schools will pay for the recommended tools. This column will help answer that question by providing resources for you to seek out help funding your technology projects and infrastructure. Links to each of the resources mentioned here, as well as many others, can also be found on ACSA Online at www.acsa.org/help.

Before you start

The first thing to remember in seeking funding for your technology project is that you should already have a plan before you ask for money -- perhaps even before you start looking for funding sources. The plan should answer all six journalistic questions (who, what, when, where, why and how). Don't go to a potential funding source with a vague dream of "updating our computer lab" or "converting from a lab-based to a classroom-based computer-assisted instructional model." Rather, you should have determined the specifics of your plan (which may, in fact, be "updating our computer lab" -- just don't leave it at that) in advance:

Who will install the hardware and software?

What kinds and what quantity of hardware and software are needed?

What is the time frame for commencement and completion of the project in addition to ongoing maintenance and training, if needed?

Where are the systems going to be installed?

What is the instructional justification for the project?

How will the district, county office or school site measure the effectiveness of the project? And how will the expenditures be accounted for?

Understanding the granting institution

Most granting agencies, organizations and corporations have Web sites to help you contact them and answer your preliminary questions. In some cases, the Web sites may provide all the instructions and forms needed to apply for a grant. These Web sites will also help you to determine whether the granting organization is a good match for your project. While some may be obviously incompatible -- asking the William and Melinda Gates Foundation for help purchasing Apple Macintosh computers, for example -- others may have a more subtle preference. Read the material completely before submitting your grant proposal.

Grant sources

Rather than listing all of the major grant-making institutions here, I have provided a lengthy list on ACSA Online at www.acsa.org/help. For more resources, you can refer to my article on using Internet search engines on page 20 of this issue of Leadership. Following is a partial list of grant-making sources available via the Internet:

* www.vcss.k12.ca.us/distserv/edgrants.htm (the Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Grant Listing)

* www.morriscatholic.org/grants.html (Morris Catholic High School's Grants page)

* www.schoolgrants.org (Schoolgrants.org)

* http://wneo.org/staff/grants.htm (Public television's WNEO grant page)

* www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/federal.htm (Federal funding tools and information sources from Michigan State University's libraries)

* http://fdncenter.org (The Foundation Center)

* www.foundations.org (Foundations.org)

The money for your project is out there; do your homework and you may receive a check sooner than you think.

Share your expertise by writing an article for Leadership. Topics and deadlines are: Recruitment and retension of educators, Oct. 23; Educational equity, Jan. 5, 2001; and Supporting school leaders, Feb. 26, 2001. For more information contact us at www.acsa.org/publications/Leadership or call [phone].

Marc Elliot Hall is ACSA's former Webmaster.