|
BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
OFFICE OF FEDERAL AND STATE GRANTS NEWSLETTER | FALL 2016
|
|
Welcome back to the Office of Federal and State Grants quarterly newsletter! You have received this because you are a Program Manager, work closely with grants, have entitlement dollars in your budget, oversee a department that manages grants, or work with grant funds. Please forward this to anyone who may be interested and have them "subscribe."
Look for our next issue, coming out this winter! For updates before the next issue, or to find any of this information, please visit our website.
|
|
THE BPS GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS
Did you know that BPS has a robust grant application process in place that provides support to applicants, assures there are not competing proposals, and provides resources for finding and applying to grants? Click through the above steps to learn more about the Grant Application Process. Please be sure to submit an online Intent to Apply Form at least 2 weeks before any grant is due!
|
|
|
provides an overview of policies and procedures.
a detailed breakdown of how to do everything related to grants at BPS. This is a great document to bookmark and use as a "first step" for any grant question.
provides easy-to-find grant information. Resources, processes, forms, contacts, stories, and grant facts are organized here to allow you and the general public to find all grant-related information at BPS.
If you do not have access to BAIS Financials (PeopleSoft), complete and return this form to sign up for training.
provides a constantly-updated list of grant opportunities that you, your school, or department might be interested in applying to, as well as a list of helpful places to search for upcoming opportunities.
the first step in applying to any grant. The online Intent to Apply form should be completed once you make the decision to apply for a grant and no less than 14 days before the grant is due.
FISCAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
outlines the policies and procedures of how the Boston Public Schools fully complies with EDGAR 2 CFR 200 Federal Regulations.
|
Step-by-step instructions on how to do common grant actions.
|
|
|
|
|
ACTION ITEM: FY18 GRANT PROJECTION REPORTING PAST DUE
|
|
Every year we lay out our grant projections in order to inform our budget planning for the next fiscal year. This helps give us a sense of how much external funding we can anticipate for FY18.
Attached here is a listing of all current FY17 grants. Next to the grant with your name please fill in column 'H' and 'I' and include any necessary useful notes (reasoning behind your assumptions) in column 'K'. If you are not the fund manager anymore or if there are any other discrepancies with the information listed then please indicate this as well. If there are any new grants you anticipate for FY18 then please add those in as a new row at the bottom.
Deadline: Past Due. If you have not completed, please complete immediately.
|
|
ACTION ITEM: QUARTERLY SPENDING UPDATE
|
|
In an effort to help you understand your grant spending and status, we have created a Spend Down Report of your grants, as of November 7th
.
Program Managers - download the October Spend Down Report and follow the next steps listed in the report. Please flag anything that is incorrect or should be reported to the Office of Federal and State Grants.
Deadline: November 16th
|
|
|
DO YOU KNOW THE WHOLE GRANTS MANAGEMENT PROCESS?
|
|
Check your understanding of the grants management process/lifecycle by walking through our Grants Management Overview.
This is a great tool for anyone working with grant funds. This not only walks through the grants lifecycle from start to finish, but also highlights all new policies and procedures and key dates.
|
|
|
UPDATED FOOD PURCHASING GUIDELINES
|
|
The compliant and legal use of grant funds to purchase food can difficult to understand. The Office of Federal and State Grants has updated our guidance to make it easier to understand what is and what is not allowable with grant funds. Click the "View the Food Purchasing Guidelines" button for the complete guidance.
Some of the key allowable/unallowable expenses are:
Allowable:
- Food for parent involvement activities that encourage participation (must be during the dinner hours)
- Light or working meeting lunches under $20/person, if the meeting is longer than 6 hours
- Nutritional snacks for students in extended-day programs
Not Allowable:
- Awards for recognition or incentives for participation
- Refreshments or meals at awards banquets or functions (including Student of the Month, graduation ceremonies, Honor Roll, and Staff Appreciation). *the only eligible refreshments are those for family engagement activities
- Breakfast
- Gratuities or tips
|
|
SCHOOL COMMITTEE: UPCOMING DATES FOR GRANT APPROVAL
|
|
All grants must obtain School Committee approval before funds may be accepted into the district and spent.
Please note the
upcoming dates of School Committee Meetings and the
due dates
for grants to be submitted to the Office of Federal and State Grants or see our
School Committee Calendar.
November 16, 2016 | November 8, 2016
December 7, 2016 | November 29, 2016
December 14, 2016 |
December 6, 2016
|
|
|
CURRENT GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
|
|
The current grant opportunities that the Boston Public Schools is aware of can be found in our constantly-updated documen
t of
Current Grant Opportunities
. This listing contains grant opportunities from multiple different sources, as well as additional resources to assist you in locating a grant that may be right for you, your school, or department.
|
|
|
COMING SOON: TIME AND EFFORT CERTIFICATION
|
|
Per
OMB Uniform Grant Guidance (2 CFR 200.430)
, all employees, including teachers, paraprofessionals, and other staff paid with
federal funds
(including funds passed through the state) must document the time and effort they spend within that program.
The Office of Federal and State Grants will collect Time and Effort Certifications for all Federally-funded employees in February for the the first half of the year.
Please keep an eye out for emails from the Office of Federal and State Grants regarding this compliance requirement, and assure all federally-funded employees in your school/department quickly complete this requirement. It is your responsibility to make sure all employees in your department accurately complete Time and Effort Certifications.
|
|
|
HOW BPS COMPLIES WITH FEDERAL REGULATIONS: THE BPS MANUAL
|
|
|
In collaboration with the State, the Office of Federal and State Grants has created a Fiscal Policies and Procedures manual, which contains the internal controls and grant management standards used by the District to ensure that all federal funds are lawfully expended.
The manual describes in detail the District's financial management system, including: cash management procedures; procurement policies; inventory management protocols; procedures for determining the allowability of expenditures; time and effort reporting; record retention; and, sub-recipient monitoring responsibilities.
New employees of the District, as well as incumbent employees, are expected to review this manual to gain familiarity and understanding of the District's rules and practices.
 |
|
GRANT GOALS OUTCOMES REPORT
|
|
|
This summer, you were asked to report the outcomes of your grant SMART goals. The outcomes have been compiled into a published document that has been shared within BPS and with the School Committee.
 |
|
|
GREAT SMALL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
|
|
The following opportunities are great small grant opportunities for teachers or schools.
Please make sure the Intent to Apply Form is completed 2 weeks prior to the deadline (for any grant over $10,000) and that your Department Head or Principal/Headmaster reviews all proposals prior to submission.
Funding Priorities: Arts, Community, Education, Environment, Healthcare, Peace.
Awards: $500 to $27,000
Grants are available to provide teachers Grades 6-12 with additional funds to support classroom projects.
Awards: Up to $5,000
Teachers who register at the Adopt-a-Classroom website can be adopted by an individual, a business, or a foundation. Once adopted, teachers will receive up to $500 worth of credit to purchase items that enrich the learning environment, including classroom technology.
Awards: $500
Seeks projects that challenge and expand our understanding of our individual and communal potentials, bringing communities together, casting aside social inhibitions and boundaries for a moment.
Awards: $1,000.
EZRA JACK KEATS FOUNDATION, 3/31 Annually
Mini-Grants support projects that foster creative expression, collaboration, and interaction with a diverse community.
Eligible:Public schools, public libraries, public preschool programs.
Awards: $500
|
|
|
|
|
ANU MEDAPPA JAYANTH
|
TESS ATKINSON
|
CARLOS MARTINEZ
|
|
Director of Federal and State Grants
|
Manager
of Federal and State Grants
|
Coordinator
of Federal and State Grants
|
|
amedappa@bostonpublicschools.org
|
tatkinson@bostonpublicschools.org
|
lcmartinez@bostonpublicschools.org
|
|
(617)635-6995
|
(617)635-9082
|
(617)635-9084
|
|
|
HOW ARE WE DOING?
We would love to hear from you! We would love your thoughts on our newsletter, our department, what works well, and what our department can do to better assist you. Please take a moment to leave feedback
here
.
|
|
| |
|
