Funding Sources

It is important to note that, although HonuaTreEAI staff is available to support Affiliates in the pursuit of grants, any and all funding obtained by Affiliates shall be issued in the Affiliates' name.

Community Foundation Grants

A community foundation typically supports local charities in a specific geographic area.

A community foundation is a public charity that typically focuses on supporting a geographical area, primarily by facilitating and pooling donations used to address community needs and support local nonprofits. Community foundations offer numerous types of grantmaking programs, frequently including donor-advised funds, endowments, scholarships, field-of-interest funds, giving circles, and more. Community foundations are funded by donations from individuals, families, businesses, and sometimes government grants.

Federal Goverment Grants

Federal agencies do not publish personal financial assistance opportunities on Grants.gov. Federal funding opportunities published on Grants.gov are for organizations and entities supporting the development and management of government-funded programs and projects. For more information about personal financial assistance benefits, please visit Benefits.gov.

State and Local Financing of Public Schools

The funding of public elementary and secondary schools in the United States involves a combination of local, state, and federal government revenues, in proportions that vary substantially both across and within states. According to the most recent data, state governments provide 47.0% of these revenues, local governments provide 44.8%, and the federal government provides 8.3%. Over the last several decades, the share of public elementary and secondary education revenues provided by state governments has increased, the share provided by local governments has decreased, and the federal share has varied within a range of 6.0% to 12.7%. The primary source of local revenues for public elementary and secondary education is the property tax, while state revenues are raised from a variety of sources, primarily personal and corporate income and retail sales taxes, a variety of “excise” taxes such as those on tobacco products and alcoholic beverages, and lotteries in several states.

All states (but not the District of Columbia) provide a share of the total revenues available for public elementary and secondary education. This state share varies widely, from approximately 25% in Illinois to almost 90% in Hawaii and Vermont. The programs through which state funds are provided to local educational agencies (LEAs) for public elementary and secondary education have traditionally been categorized into five types: (1) Foundation Programs, (2) Full State Funding Programs, (3) Flat Grants, (4) District Power Equalizing, and (5) Categorical Grants. Of these, Foundation Programs are the most common, although many states use a combination of program types.

A goal of all of the various types of state school finance programs is to provide at least some limited degree of “equalization” of spending and resources, and/or local ability to raise funds, for public elementary and secondary education across all of the LEAs in the state. Such programs often establish target levels of funding “per pupil.” The “pupil” counts involved in these programs may simply be based on total student enrollment as of some point in time, or they may be a “weighted” count of students, taking into account variations in a number of categories—special pupil needs (e.g., disabilities, low family income, limited proficiency in English), grade levels, specific educational programs (e.g., career and technical education), or geographic considerations (e.g., student population sparsity or local variation in costs of providing education).​​​​​​​

What is a school voucher?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

At a Glance

-  School vouchers redirect public education funds for tuition to private schools.
-  Not all states offer school vouchers.
-  Private schools are not required to offer the same special education services that public schools offer.

States offer school voucher programs as a way to give parents choices in what school their child attends. Parents receive funds to use toward the cost of private school. (Not all states allow vouchers to be used at schools affiliated with a religion, however.) In some cases, they may also be used for homeschooling​​​​​​​​​​​​​.​​​​​​​

Public Resources Available to Homeschoolers

At a Glance

-  Some states allow homeschoolers to participate in public school classes and extracurricular activities.
-  In other states, the decision is left up to individual school districts.
-  Check with your school district to find out what resources are available.

Homeschooling can be a good option for some kids with learning and thinking differences. It allows parents to work closely with their kids. And there are generally fewer distractions at home than at school.

But learning at home does have some potential drawbacks. One of them is limited social interaction. Another is limited or nonexistent services.

Fortunately, there are public resources available to homeschoolers that can make those less of an issue. (Unschooling, a type of homeschooling, relies less on a curriculum and encourages children to learn based on their passions and interests. The same regulations and resources apply to both unschooling and homeschooling families.).

21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC)

The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) is pleased to announce that registration for the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) 2023 Summer Symposium is now open!

This two-day event provides State educational agencies and their grantees with plenary sessions and workshops on successful strategies for implementing and managing all components of their program. It also offers an opportunity for the Department to provide important updates regarding the 21st CCLC program. The Symposium’s sessions are a combination of large-group presentations with nationally recognized speakers and smaller interactive workshops where attendees have the chance to work closely with education experts. This year’s Symposium will be held on July 19-20, 2023 at the Marriott New Orleans, 555 Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130.

Please go to http://21stcclc.leedmci.com/ to review important information about the Summer Symposium and to register for the event. Feel free to forward this link to your colleagues and others that may be interested in attending.

Local Funding Sources

Grant funding is available to non-profit organizations with missions that support local interests (e.g., Community Foundations). Register at New USA Funding for access to funding sources that fit your goals and objectives.

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