The GROW Grant Office assists school districts and other nonprofit agencies in identifying funding sources and then developing and submitting grant proposals to support educational programming initiatives.
The GROW Grant Office - the only one of its kind in the nation - was established in 1994 when twenty east-central Wisconsin school districts entered into a consortium contract for competitive grant-writing services. Since then, the consortium has expanded to now include nearly 50 members in eight CESA regions. In recent years, the office has successfully secured about $6 million per year in competitive grant awards for its clients, with a success rate of over 60%. Many districts and nonprofit agencies that previously lacked the time or expertise to apply for grants now have the means to do so, thanks to our support in identifying needs and appropriate grants, getting planning efforts underway, and writing highly competitive proposals with an eye toward long-term sustainability.
Grant writing is not simply about writing or budget relief, but rather about clarifying what children need and then working in partnership with school and agency personnel to develop the highest-quality intervention or reform strategies to meet those needs. These strategies are then packaged into compelling, straightforward grant proposals. Many projects funded through grant-writing initiatives serve as models to other districts experiencing similar challenges.
The GROW Evaluation Department provides evaluation that addresses both process- and outcome-based questions for either grant projects or specific school district programs that are not grant-related. Evaluation reports are often used as assessment instruments so program staff can plan modifications for program improvements, and also to meet accountability requirements of funding sources.
GROW Grant Writing & Evaluation Team
Grant Seeker Newsletter | 