Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

Grant Guidelines: Lanesborough Initiative For Excellence (LIFE)

The Lanesborough Initiative For Excellence (LIFE) is an endowed fund whose purpose is to enhance and enrich the educational experience of the students and teachers in the Lanesborough School District. LIFE wants to ensure the highest level of achievement for students and enhance their capacity to achieve excellence both in school and in the community.

LIFE is seeking proposals for grants from students, teachers, administrators, staff, parents, nonprofits and members of the community of the Lanesborough Elementary School for projects that will fulfill the purposes of the Fund.

Eligibility

Grants from the Fund will not replace public dollars for the school district. LIFE seeks primarily to help cover the direct costs of projects (not salaries). Priority will be given to proposals that rely on volunteer efforts and that show additional means of support.

Possible projects include, but are not limited to: independent study; new programs; extracurricular activities; individual creative projects, in or outside the classroom; visiting speakers; artists-in-residence; professional development for teachers; scientific, athletic, or technical equipment; library resources and class field trips.

Grants awarded will generally range from $100 to $1,000 for the first several years as LIFE builds its endowment.

Berkshire Taconic does not support organizations that, in their constitution, by-laws, or practice, discriminate against a person or group on the basis of age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or religious belief.

Review Criteria

Applications will be reviewed using the following criteria:

• Excellence: Is the project or service truly of a high quality? Is it the right time for the project? Does it involve qualified individuals/groups?
• Impact: What is the potential impact of the project or service on the school community? This does not mean the number of people involved, but rather the quality of the impact.
• Ability: Is the project well thought out and feasible?

Priority will be given to eligible applications that are aligned with the school's strategic goals:

Strategic Goal #1: Student Achievement: Construct and implement an approach to curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices that ensures all students meet clearly defined high academic standards.

• Objective 1: Increase student proficiency in Mathematics
• Objective 2: Increase student proficiency in English Language Arts

Strategic Goal #2: Provide a safe and orderly school that supports all school community members

Strategic Goal #3: Enhancement of parental involvement in the life of the school

Strategic Goal #4: To explore ways to improve communication to staff and parents

Strategic Goal #5: Student Outreach:

• Objective 1: Improve and increase after-school programs
• Objective 2: Expand and improve transition from Lanesborough Elementary to MGRHS

Applications will be reviewed by the LIFE Board, made up of parents, teachers, students, the superintendent and members of the school community. The Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Board of Directors will review committee recommendations.

If you have any questions about The Lanesborough Initiative For Excellence, email us at grants@berkshiretaconic.org.