G.I.F.T.S.
Grant Initiatives for Today’s Students

Catholic Schools Grant Program Guidelines

Purpose/Scope
As we mark the 175^th Anniversary of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, we are pleased to announce the creation of the Catholic Schools Grant Program called G.I.F.T.S. - Grant Initiatives For Today’s Students. Funds raised at the annual Archbishop's Catholic Schools Dinner will support G.I.F.T.S. The Office for Schools plans to award up to 10 grants of $10,000 and 20 grants of $5,000 following the 2019 Catholic Schools Dinner for use in the 2019-2020 school year. Grant awards will be determined by a panel led by the Superintendent of Catholic Schools, archdiocesan representatives and retired educators.

Focus Areas
Schools seeking grants from the Office for Schools should align their project with one of the following four focus areas:

• Catholic Identity
  Grants will be awarded to support mission and faith formation and the creation of a visible Catholic identity. Examples include but are not limited to: faculty faith formation, liturgical needs, environmental enhancements/artifacts, resource materials, etc.
   
• Development/Marketing
  Grants will be awarded to support development and marketing initiatives. Examples include but are not limited to: annual fund development, software needs, website development, brand development, recruitment initiatives, etc.
   
• Educational Innovation
  Grants will be awarded to encourage and facilitate innovative and creative instructional programs and ideas in education. Examples include but are not limited to: new programs to enhance student learning, supplemental resources to advance existing programs, etc.
   
• Project Initiation: Seed Money
  Grants will be awarded to provide kick-start funding for new long-term projects. Examples include but are not limited to: new programs, resources, positions, etc.

In awarding grants, the committee will value:

• Alignment with the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Schools (NSBECS)
• Innovation
• Long-term sustainability
• Application of best practices in the focus area

Eligible Organizations
Eligible schools must be recognized as Catholic by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and be fully accredited. Seton Catholic Schools and Siena Catholic Schools of Racine cannot apply for a grant as a system but are welcome to assist an individual school in their network to apply for a grant

Program Specifications
The G.I.F.T.S program will award grants for projects and programs in the focus areas identified. Each school can only apply for one grant per application cycle. The program does not fund multi-year grants, scholarship grants, endowment grants and emergency funds. Grants will be provided for $5,000 or $10,000. Once awarded, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee will require an annual follow-up report to verify how the funding was used and to measure grant effectiveness.

Grant Guidelines in PDF Form

Application Scoring Rubric

If you have questions, contact Jenny Mendenhall, Catholic Schools Advancement Manager, at mendenhallj@archmil.org or 414-769-3451.

Online Application