Grants for PPS Staff

"I remain deeply grateful for the FPPS Grants Program. The support provided is invaluable and essential. It allows us to connect with our broader community and create meaningful and lasting learning opportunities for students. The work that the grant funding enables us to do is often the most important and most memorable component of an expedition. We could not do it without FPPS. Thank you for making it possible!"

“The FPPS grant is an invaluable resource to teachers and students. This funding enables me to offer rich programming for students and address equity issues in curriculum and school culture. Thank you so much!!!”

“These grants are critical to allowing teachers to innovate…Each student listed this project as their favorite part of the year, the thing that they most enjoyed and most hope to continue in the future.”

Fall Equity and Innovation Grants

2023-2024 Grants Schedule

Applications Available: Monday, August 28, 2023
Applications Due: Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Decisions Posted: Friday, October 27, 2023
Final Reports Due: Friday, June 16, 2024

Each year, FPPS runs the Fall Equity and Innovation Grants Program, designed to support classroom innovations which enhance learning experiences for students in Portland Public Schools in response to the Portland Promise. Grants are open to both teachers and other PPS staff. Please read the guidelines before applying!

Please complete the Final Report Form. Provide photos, video, or stories of student participating in your grant and/or other documentation about the project that Foundation for Portland Public Schools can share. All images of students require signed media consent forms that are on file with the school. Photos should be sent as high resolution or actual size. Thank you!

Please email info@foundationforpps.org with any questions.

Equity and Innovation Grants for PPS Staff

The program recognizes, rewards, and supports PPS staff’s work to inspire students and improve learning outcomes. The goal of this program is to allow staff to invest in innovations they believe will have a meaningful impact and reach for students. Grants go towards experiences such as field trips, guest speakers, and resources to increase student engagement and achievement.

Summer Innovation Planning Grants

The Summer Innovation Grants Program

FPPS offers up to $800 for individuals or up to $5,000 for teams of PPS staff to engage in curriculum planning, school team collaboration, or other summer work intended to advance new approaches to student learning or otherwise prepare for the school year. FPPS Summer Innovation Grants are meant to support work that would not otherwise be funded in the PPS Annual Budget.

Please note, we are NOT encouraging PPS staff to work more in the summer. We know how hard you’ve been working and how tired many of you are. But…IF you plan to work, we want you to be compensated!

Applications Available: Monday, April 3, 2023
Applications Due: Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Decisions Shared: Thursday, May 25, 2023
Brief Grant Reports Due: No later than Friday, September 15, 2023

In your final report, please provide the name, employee ID, job title, and school for all team members, and the number of hours each person worked.

A final report must be submitted for grantees to receive their grant compensation. Grantees will be paid through PPS Payroll.

Questions? Please contact FPPS Executive Director Andi Summers at asummers@foundationforpps.org or 207-842-4658.

Summer Innovation Grant guidelines

1) Grant funds are only for PPS staff planning or collaboration time, at a rate of $40 / hour. Summer Innovation Grant funds can NOT be used for supplies, books, food, transportation, workshops, conferences, outside consultants, etc.
2) All PPS staff are eligible to apply. You can apply as an individual or as a team. Maximum awards are $800 for individuals and $5,000 for teams. Team members can only be paid for up to 20 hours of work ($800).
3) Grant must be used in full prior to the start of the 2023-24 school year—this is summer work.
4) Principal or director support is required.
5) We are unlikely to fund multiple applications from the same school.
6) Applications will be selected based on impact on student learning, innovation, and alignment with Portland Promise and/or the district’s priorities.
7) Grantees will be paid through PPS Payroll. Grantees need to track their hours and give them to the project lead with employee ID numbers for final payment.
8) In a final report, a brief summary of the work completed is due to FPPS by September 15, 2023. The project lead must submit a final report for all grantees to receive their grant money.