Grants and Funding

Crowdfunding, or the use of internet-based donation sites to raise money for projects, is prohibited in Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS). While there may be benefits to sites such as DonorsChoose.org or GoFundMe.com, there are issues and potential liabilities that exist through the use of these tools. At this time, CCPS believes the risks outweigh the benefits and prohibits their use. This prohibition includes individual teacher use, as well as, school-based clubs, activities, and organizations. 

External organizations, such as PTA’s, PTO’s and booster groups develop their own fundraising policies which are not controlled by CCPS. Decisions on the use of crowdfunding by these organizations should be made by the leadership of each individual group.

The Grants office is required to be informed of any grant project in development. Typically, an individual, group or school team generates a project idea. Contact is made with the Grants Office to determine the level of services needed or desired. The proposal narrative is developed simultaneous to developing the budget for the proposed activities. Contact must be made with the Grants Office at least two weeks prior to submission of the grant as most grants are required to go through a sign-off process before acquiring the Superintendent's signature.

The grant process can start in 2 ways: Grants Office finds an opportunity and forwards information to a potential project coordinator or a staff member contacts the Grants Office with a project/idea.

The CCPS Grants Office or interested party locates upcoming grant opportunities through announcements in publications, newsletters or the Internet. The Grants Analyst notifies appropriate CCPS personnel and/or publishes the opportunity in CCPS Grant News. If required/requested, the Grants Analyst performs a search for appropriate grant opportunities and makes recommendations to the project coordinator/staff member. Project coordinators also have access to grant information from professional publications or contacts. Any grant information may be forwarded to the Grants Office for inclusion in the library of funding opportunities.

The project coordinator contacts his/her principal and/or supervisor (as applicable) to inform them of the opportunity and the project idea to ensure alignment with CCPS goals.

If required/requested, the Grants Analyst can facilitate project/ proposal development as it relates to grantsmanship. The Grants Office will provide various forms of technical assistance in developing grant concepts and completing grant applications. The Grants Analyst will meet with the team or team leader and establish the level of services to be provided. Projects that contain technology related items will include a review by Tech Services. Likewise, projects involving other services will be reviewed by the appropriate office/department (i.e., Facilities, Plant Operations, Transportation).

The Grants Office will establish internal deadlines for application review and final approval based on funding agency deadlines, system impact and calendars. It is essential that all deadlines be met to ensure adequate internal review and timely submission of applications. The Grants Office will monitor the progress of proposals toward completion.

All grant applications are to pass through the Grants Office prior to acquiring the Superintendent's signature. The applications will be reviewed in one of two ways, depending on the nature of the application, and then forwarded to the Superintendent's Office for execution.

New Applications: New applications go through a sign-off process that includes, at a minimum, a budget review and completion of a Summary/Sign Off form with all appropriate signatures (project coordinator/grant manager and supervisors up to and including the superintendent). This form is completed by the Grants Analyst upon receipt of all pertinent grant information. Allow at least one week for this review to occur.

Existing Grants: Grants the system currently receives, such as formula or entitlement grants, will be reviewed by the Grants Office and sent directly to the Superintendent for signature. At a minimum, the budget will be reviewed for accuracy of category and account code allocation. The one exception to this minimal review for existing grants will occur if there are significant changes to the program/project including change of focus, project coordinator or budget categories. In that event, a full review will occur. Allow three to four days for the abbreviated review to take place.

In both cases, indicate whether you would like the Grants Office to forward the application to the funding agency or if you prefer to do so. If the Grants Office is to send the application, please provide the address and contact person. Contact with Grants Office staff during grant preparation will also speed the process.

Upon receipt of the grant award, contact the Grants Accountant immediately and forward the notice of grant award to the Grants Office. Copies of the grant should ultimately be in the Grants Office and with the Project Coordinator.

The Project Coordinator is responsible for preparing the Budget Adjustment form. The Grants Accountant is available to answer question. Submit the budget adjustment with grant award, financial report forms, contracts and/or assurances, as applicable, to the Grants Office. The budget adjustment is presented for Board of Education approval (consult schedule for submission of board work). The budget adjustment is then presented to Carroll County Board of Commissioners for approval. Upon approval of budget adjustment, the Project Coordinator receives authorization to proceed.

The Project Coordinator is responsible for submitting necessary paperwork to funding agency. The Grants Office can assist with getting necessary signatures and completing forms. However, most funding agencies send application guidelines, regulations and forms to the project coordinator so the project coordinator must contact the Grants Office to request the assistance.

The Grants Office acts as a clearinghouse for grants for the school system. The Office is to receive copies of all grant-related documents including applications, notices of award, contracts, reports, etc.

Most grants have time frames within which funds must be expended. It is important to note that internal financial processes and state and federal regulations affect these deadlines and that all expenditures must occur in a timely manner relative to the end of the grant year.

Individual grant files, including application, notices of grant award, approval of grant change submissions, copies of financial reports to grantor, CCPS financial system reports, interim and final programmatic reports should be maintained in the office for 1 year after grant end date or submission of all grant reports, whichever is later. The files are then moved to offsite storage for an additional 6 years or 1 year after audit requirements are met, whichever is later. Files may be kept on site longer if the grant extends over a period of years. The files are destroyed after the 6 year period. The project coordinator may forward the files to the Grants Office for storage.

Grant securing includes project development, proposal development, application submission and follow-up.  The Grants Office is available to work with CCPS staff members on the following aspects of grant securing:

• development of grant applications for new and existing projects/programs,
• development of grant-fundable projects/programs,
• facilitation of proposal development teams,
• act as head writer, and
• evaluation of grant requirements to ensure the organization's ability to comply prior to making application.

When developing a project and writing a proposal with a team, team members can write different sections of the proposal individually. However, when the final narrative is assembled, one person should serve a head writer to ensure that the style is consistent.

Project development and proposal writing adds details and supporting information to an idea/concept. It includes identification of specific goals and objectives consistent with needs and formulation of alternative methods or strategies that can address those needs. There are several basic components required in the development of a project/proposal:

• Needs
• Goals
• Objectives
• Methods
• Evaluation
• Dissemination
• Budget

When developing new projects or programs for your area, you may not follow formal processes to identify all the above, but most funding agencies want to see that your thought process was logical and well-founded. You are answering the un-asked questions:

• What made you think you needed this?
• What makes you think it will solve your problem?

There are basically five functions of a proposal: written representation of the program, a request, a persuasion, a promise, and a plan. Proposal development puts the fully-developed project into a written proposal including needs, objectives, methods, evaluation, dissemination, budget, and future funding. Using the information gathered while developing your project, arrange it to suit the Request for Proposal (RFP) guidelines.

If you are using this information as a companion to a Request for Proposal (RFP), and you find contradictory information, use the information contained in the RFP. This contains general guidelines and accepted practices and EVERY RFP will have variations on this general theme. 

• Application preparation and submission involves writing the proposal, acquiring the appropriate approvals and signatures, putting the package together, photocopying, mailing the application and the correct number of copies, contact with the State single point of contact (if necessary), and follow up.
• All applications must go through Central Office for approval. Follow-up on applications submitted includes sending a thank you letter, whether or not you were funded, and requesting reviewer comments.
• Post-award procedures that occur just after award but prior to implementation of the project are included in grant seeking. Examples of those activities are budget negotiation with the funding agency, assigning special project numbers and revenue codes, and announcing the award.
• Organizing for receipt of a grant award includes preparing and submitting the Budget Adjustment Form, forwarding ALL forms (or copies) to the Grants Office, and processing the grant agreement and assurances. It is essential for the Office to have these documents in-house prior to expenditure of any funds.

The following forms are available:

Summary and Sign-Off (completed by the Grants Analyst)

 CCPS Budget Adjustment

 MSDE Budget Amendment

• The Grants Management function of the CCPS Grants Office assures compliance with grant regulations, assurances, and certifications, and advises grantees in the administration of grant funds. Essentially, this function ensures that all project coordinators follow sound management practices, as it relates to the full legal responsibility as the grantee organization, for fulfilling the granting agency requirements by participating in planning, budgeting, application, implementation, monitoring, closeout, and evaluation of grant projects.
• As with the other functions of this Office, the practical application of this assistance is in the form of consulting services and technical assistance. The intricacies of managing grant funds can seem almost mystical at times and the availability of expertise can take some of the burden off the project coordinators.
• The Office is also responsible to ensure that all staff associated with grants understands the internal processes related to grants management. Workshops are offered on a regular basis relating to many of these processes and procedures.

Grants management differs drastically from one grant to another. Generally, grants management involves the business and operations aspects of grant activities. The line is not always clear between grants management and project/program management. Following is a list of duties and responsibilities of the grants manager. While this list is not all inclusive, it does provide an understanding of the role of the grants manager and the function of grants management. At CCPS, these duties and responsibilities are shared by the Grants Office and the Project Coordinator.

• Provides the means and capacity to manage a grant and all related requirements.
• Reviews, analyzes and interprets federal and state regulations, guidelines, assurances, certifications, etc.
• Develops the necessary organization lines of communication to ensure smooth and efficient management of grant funds.
• Develops internal policies to ensure effective management and compliance with public policy requirements.
• Determines broad policies for grantee functions relating to the business and fiscal aspects of the organization's grant activities.

• Performs a cost analysis of program activities. Knows all of the cost required to conduct a program.
• Estimates cash-flow needs.
• Uses an indirect cost rate to recover all allowable indirect costs.
• Ensures that all proposals seek (to the greatest extent possible) full reimbursement of costs.
• Budgets costs by function or activity a well as by object class expenditure category (personnel, fringe, travel, equipment, supplies).
• Establishes a system for budget control to guard against "overruns," and prevent "under-runs."
• Prepares the CCPS Budget Adjustment in a timely manner.

• Administers the grant from award to closeout.
• Serves as the organizational representative and the single point of contact with the federal agency for all business management aspects of the agreement, and particularly, as the point of organizational entry for legally binding documents.
• Applies appropriate management control using management systems, checklists and records.
• Measures and charts progress along a timetable.
• Assembles staff resources using a team or project management approach if appropriate. Brings together each grant staff person with important contributions and responsibilities. 
• Assures linkage between program staff and business management components. Initially, on large projects, it will be necessary to hold a meeting of all parties involved to discuss responsibilities, timelines, etc., and build the team capacity.
• Keeps abreast of changes in policies, procedures, or requirements, and continues to advise program staff of grant requirements.
• Requests any further "prior approvals" when identified.
• Requests grant payments as necessary to minimize balances.
• Makes the most of site visits by the funder by using them for image building and obtaining a "stamp of approval. Prepares staff for site visits using a dress rehearsal if necessary. Show organizational strengths and demonstrate commitment to the project.
• Prepares necessary report (financial and program/performance)
• Keeps interested parties, including Board of Education, funding agency, and the public aware and informed about grant project progress.

• Asks questions which assume that approved plans frequently do not work as expected, such as ""What is the cash flow compared to expectation? How have actual expenditures met budget estimates?"
• Reviews equal employment opportunity efforts, merit system, purchasing rule, prior approvals as necessary and all deviations from plans
• Uses a strong accounting and performance reporting system with periodic comparison of actual accomplishments with targets. 
• Analyzes and justifies deviations, then make appropriate alternation in the program.

• Includes a process and outcome evaluation. 
• Determines what really occurred and was accomplished.