Mini-Grant Guidelines

Introduction

The mission of Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc. (MAC) is to foster an awareness of and learning about the food and agriculture industries and the economic and social importance of agriculture to the state, nation, and world. Founded in 1984, MAC has helped more than 13,018 teachers and educators bring agriculture to life for their students by making connections between everyday foods, fibers, and other agricultural products and their agricultural roots. We also assist educators in finding creative ways to tie agriculture-related lessons to the MA Curriculum Standards.

Each year MAC funds a number of agriculture-related project proposals from teachers, schools, and farms working with schools. Because we are a small, nonprofit organization, those projects that most closely fit our mission receive priority in the decision-making process. Grants are awarded two times a year. Deadlines are April 1st and September 1st. Most awards are between $300 and $500. The maximum possible award is $1500. Since 1994, MAC has given more than $300,491.00 to 446 projects planned and carried out by educators across the state. These have included reading programs focused on agricultural themes, projects that explore new technologies, writing and video projects, purchase of books and classroom materials such as incubators to support agricultural lessons, and more.

Goals of the Mini-Grant Program

The mini-grant program aims to fund agriculture-related education projects that:

• Connect students to the local and sustainable food movement.
• Provide students with hands-on experience of good agricultural practices.
• Develop instructional materials and methods for teaching science through the lens of agriculture.
• Enable students to see connections between agricultural practices and human health, nutrition, environment, community, and sustainability.
• Integrate sustainable agricultural literacy into science, math, social studies, language and literature, and arts curricula.
• Promote an understanding of the challenges faced by present-day farmers.
• Introduce ideas in creative ways that promote agricultural literacy both inside the classroom and beyond it.
• Increase knowledge and understanding of the contributions of agriculture in Massachusetts to the people of the state, the nation, and the world.

Criteria for Application and Procedure

Applications must include the following:

1. A title page that includes the title of the project, name of project leader, name of school/ organization and an abstract that summarizes the project in 150 words or less.
2. Using the button below to the Google Form online application, provide the following information. A detailed description of the project in narrative form (two pages maximum) that includes the following information:
   • Title of project
   • Person responsible for the project and grant money
   • Name of school/organization that will receive the funds and to whom to write the check to
   • Contact information including; name of project leader (if different from the applicant's name, mailing address, email address, phone number, amount requested in proposal, and total cost of project
   • Abstract (Please describe the project in 150 words or less.)
   • Objective of the project
   • What/whom the project will benefit
   • Number of students and age level that will be reached by the project
   • Start and end date of the project
   • A project timeline
   • Co-sponsors and/or project partners
   • How the project will be sustained over the long-term
   • The applicant's qualifications for success with this project
   • Explanations regarding how:
     • The project addresses the goals of MAC and the goals of the mini-grant program
     • The project promotes a better understanding of agriculture, farming and the role of farmers in the 21st century
     • The MA curriculum frameworks are integrated into the project (Provide specific curriculum links)
3. A one-page, itemized budget statement in a spreadsheet which includes:
   1. List of item(s),amount and cost and, purpose or justification for each item, requested from MAC
   2. Anticipated total cost of the project
   3. Matching funds, if any, obtained from other sources indicating the amount and purpose or justification.

Deadlines for submission of proposals: April 1, September 1

Mini-Grant Review Process

Mini-grant proposals must be submitted via online Google form found in MAC's website.

Please add MAC's email address to your personal contact list to prevent messages from getting inadvertently sent to your “Junk” mailbox.

To be considered, a proposal must be received by the deadline for the cycle for which the application is being submitted. Every item on the list of application criteria must be clearly addressed in the proposal.

All projects must be completed in the 12-month period subsequent to receipt of the grant.

The Mini-Grant Committee will review all grants, make funding decisions, and notify applicants within eight weeks from the date the mini-grant is submitted.

All committee decisions are final.

Each mini-grant award-winner will be assigned a MAC board member liaison who will provide assistance as needed for the duration of the project.

Project Requirements

Upon notification of your award you will receive 60% of the money awarded. Please let us know to whom the check will need to be addressed to.

Mid year report: towards the midpoint of the year a mid year report will need to be submitted in which you will show the progress made on the project.

Upon completion of the project each grant recipient must:

• Submit a final report to massaginclassroom@gmail.com. The final report needs to include:
  • A written evaluation that includes a descriptive summary of the project.
  • Furnish copies of curriculum designed (or used), if applicable.
  • Photographs or other audio/visual materials may be included in the final report. Note: please include permission to use students photographed or video.
• Use the MAC logo on all publicity about the project.
• Include the statement "Program funded in cooperation with Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc." on all project documents.
• Teachers will present their projects at a MAC meeting or workshop.
• Upon completion of the final report the remainder 40% of the award will be sent to the school.

Please Note

MAC mini-grant awards will be considered from schools, after school programs, farms working with schools and youth gardening organizations. Projects that involve cost-sharing and/or collaborative ventures are strongly encouraged.

MAC does not fund individuals or non-profit organizations. Mini-grants may not be used to fund salaries or honorariums, computer equipment or overhead expenses. Because we do not fund projects on a long-term, sustainable basis, a teacher may receive funding from MAC a maximum of three times. A proposal that did not receive funding the first time may be resubmitted in a later grant cycle.

Each award is made in two parts. 60% of the total is sent out when the award is announced. The final payment of 40% is sent out only when a final report has been received by MAC.