Grantee FAQs

Yes. Lead and partner applicants for Learning & Leadership grants must be current members of the NEA.

Grant applications focused on the following topics are most likely to be funded:

• Enhanced critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Master of essential academic content
• Communication and collaboration skills
• Project-based learning and learning experiences connected to real-world issues and challenges

Yes. Although the educators assigned as the lead and partner must be NEA members, non-members can certainly take part in the project.

Applicants must be teachers, education support professionals, or specialized instructional support personnel and must be current NEA members. Current NEA Foundation grantees are ineligible for this funding opportunity. A successful proposal will also make an individual ineligible for other NEA Foundation funding opportunities until the grant is successfully completed and closed out.

Education support professionals include: para-educators, school bus drivers, maintenance and custodial staff, food services staff, school nurses and student services workers, clerical and office assistants, school security officers, and technicians.

Specialized instructional support personnel (SISP) are defined as: school counselors, psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, library media specialists, speech pathologists and others.

No. Grant funds may not be used to reimburse expenses incurred prior to the notification date. Applications that include activities or expenses scheduled prior to the notification date will not be considered. We encourage you to plan ahead.

We normally review Learning & Leadership Grant applications three times a year. To have your applications considered for a specific notification, you must submit your application by the posted deadline.

We notify all lead grant applicants via the email submitted on the application. If you haven’t received an email the Foundation by the notification date, please contact us at GrantsAndPrograms@nea.org.

Grant funds can be used for resource materials, supplies, equipment, transportation or technology. Although some funds may be used to support the professional development necessary to implement the project, a majority of grant funds must be spent on materials or educational experiences for students.

Grant funds cannot be used to pay indirect costs, grant administration fees, salaries, or for lobbying or religious purposes.

While we recognize there is a tremendous need for student devices, unfortunately, at this time, we are unable to fund proposals solely focusing on electronics such as laptops, Chromebooks or tablets.

If you have a proposed project that does not meet these criteria, we encourage you to visit our grant resources.

Yes. As long as you have submitted all of the required reports for your previous grant, you may apply for the Foundation’s grant programs as many times as you like. However, you must submit a unique proposal; we won’t consider identical applications.

No. If you do not designate a fiscal agent, we award the grant to the lead applicant. In that case, the IRS may consider the grant personal income and therefore taxable. Fiscal sponsors are usually non-profits, schools, districts, or local unions that can accept the funds without tax liability.

Before you designate a fiscal agent, make sure you know the organization’s procedures for dispersing funds. You will have to abide by these procedures and should be sure you are comfortable working with that system.