With just a letter of intent from me acting as a member of their PTA, John Muir ES got $1,500 to provide translation for its parents at parent/conference meetings and at PTA meetings from the Irene Scully Foundation.

Your school could also get a grant. Here are some opportunities:

1. The American Immigration Law Foundation - Curriculum Center Grant Program, 918 F St., NW, 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20004,(202) 742-5600, info@ailf.org

Application Deadline: April 6, 2007

Award Amount: $500 to $1000

Eligible Applicants: Educators teaching in public or private primary, intermediate, and secondary level schools.

Focus of Grant: Grants fund support K-12 grade level projects that provide education about immigrants and immigration. The foundation seeks to fund activities that are innovative and supportive of the foundation’s mission of promoting the benefits of immigrants to our nation. Proposals that are classroom-based will receive strong consideration, and the foundation encourages projects that can be replicated in other classrooms across the nation.

For more information: http://www.ailf.org/pubed/07grantapp.doc

2. Poets and Writers, Attn: Readings/Workshops Program
2035 Westwood Blvd., Suite 211, Los Angeles, CA 90025, (310) 481-7195, Fax: (310) 481-7193

Application Deadline: Rolling

Award Amount: $50 to $1000

Eligible Applicants: Public/state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; cultural centers; museums; libraries; correctional facilities; hospitals; small presses; community and senior centers; places of worship; bookstores; cafés and galleries; and theaters. Organizations must be located in one of the following states: New York State, California, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Seattle, or Washington,D.C.
(So public schools would have to partner with a community center or a cultural center.)

Focus of Interest: Funding supports readings or spoken word performances, and workshops presented by writers. Preference will be given to organizations that: serve a culturally diverse audience; feature culturally diverse writers; feature writers who have not previously presented at that venue; present programs in rural or other underserved areas; have not previously received previous support from Poets & Writers and are able to match the grant; and have a publicity plan and/or strong publicity samples from past events.

More info: http://www.pw.org/rw/national_rw_app.pdf

3. The Sunlight Foundation - Mini-Grants (national), Attn: Nisha Thompson, Organizing and Outreach Director, 901 15th St. NW, Suite 350, Washington, D.C. 20005, (202) 742-1520, nthompson@sunlightfoundation.com

Application Deadline: Rolling - until June 1, 2007

Application Amount: $1000 to $5000

Eligible Applicants: Small, local nonprofit organizations; website organizations; local chapters of national groups; individuals; and informal groups of citizens.

Focus of Interest: The foundation is offering grants to local groups that have creative ideas for changing the relationship between elected federal representatives and the people they represent. Successful applicants will receive the grant, consulting and strategic support, and networking opportunities. The foundation’s goal is to provide that extra element that takes a project from good to great — server space, a video camera, or access to polling data — or provide the seed that makes a new project viable. Projects could range from citizen media, to creative use of the internet to engage citizens in watchdogging, to opening up new ways of communicating with federal lawmakers to creative mapping of lawmakers’ activities.

More info: http://www.sunlightfoundation.com/node/2058

4. Kohl’s Kids Who Care® Scholarship and Recognition Program
Scholarship America, One Scholarship Way, P.O. Box 297, St. Peter, MN 56082 , 507-931-1682, kohls@scholarshipamerica.org

Online application: https://www.scholarshipamerica.org/i-applications/kohls/

Application Deadline: March 15, 2007

Award amounts: $1,000 to $5,000

Eligible Applicants: Students from the ages of 6-18

Focus of Grant: Scholarships to students from the ages of 6-18 who make a difference in their community. Nomination forms will be separated into two age groups: ages 6-12 and ages 13-18. All nominees must still be in high school or lower. One nominee from each age group will be selected as a store-level winner for each Kohl’s Store. One-hundred seventy $1,000 Regional Scholarships will be awarded, 85 from each age group. Ten $5,000 National Scholarships will be awarded, five from each age group. Plus, Kohl’s will contribute $1,000 to a non-profit organization on behalf of each national winner.

Further Application Information: You must supply a valid e-mail address and create a password. Correspondence throughout the entire nomination process will be by e-mail only. If you fail to use a valid e-mail address that will accommodate bulk mail and/or attached documents, your nomination may not be considered. Add kohls@scholarshipamerica.org to your contacts or e-mail address book, and be sure to check your e-mail regularly for information regarding your nomination and general program updates.

5. MetLife Foundation Ambassadors in Education Award, http://www.ncl.org/metlife/index.html

Award Amount: $5,000

Application Deadline: March 14, 2007

Eligible Applicants: Middle and high school teachers in 25 public school districts (including SFUSD)

Focus of Interest: The MetLife Foundation Ambassadors in Education Award recognizes teachers who have undertaken extraordinary, and voluntary, efforts to connect with their
students’ communities and to make themselves an active member of theircommunity. Qualified nominees build partnerships and increase communication between the school, families, local businesses/nonprofits, and local government.

6. The Gap Foundation, 2 Folsom Street, 14th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, (415) 427-6473, dotti_hatcher@gap.com, www.gapinc.com/public/SocialResponsibility/sr_community.shtml

Application Deadline: Not given

Award Amount: $5000 to $250,000. Gap Foundation also provides white T-shirts and gift cards to public schools and organizations involved with youth.

Focus of Interest: The foundation supports programs designed to encourage children and youth to lead healthy lives and create positive relationships, and enable them to excel.