Impact Grants for Principals

Important Dates: 

Applications Open: May 1, 2025  
Application Deadline: June 20, 2025
2025 Award Date: TBD                      

Questions about your application? Please contact Program Director, Lori Finke, at lfinke@spsmail.org

 

Impact Grant Guidelines: 

Read the following guidelines before applying.

  • Only principals and/or assistant principals in the Springfield Public Schools district may apply for an Impact Grant.
  • Impact Grants must be written for projects/resources at the building level.
  • Applicants should think through and itemize the total budget needed to carry out the project they’re requesting funds to complete. This budget will be needed to answer some of the questions on the application. When researching costs, be sure to search SPS approved vendors. Ask your financial secretary if you need assistance with this.
  • There is no dollar limit on Impact Grant applications. We will accept and review applications for any amount.
  • Grant recipients must follow SPS district purchasing guidelines. No exceptions. Guidelines for district purchasing can be found at this LINK, as well as contact information for the Purchasing Team.
  • Applications WILL NOT be accepted for stipends, salaries, the cost of substitute teachers, or capital improvements.
  • Once your application is complete, print a copy for your records, before you submit it. A confirmation message will be displayed once your application has been successfully submitted.

TIP: We recommend typing your answers in a Word document first, then copying & pasting them into the application for the following reasons: 1) If the form “times out” before you’ve finished, you will lose your answers when you attempt to submit. 2) The form must be completed in a single session, as the system does not save your responses for later. 3) Grant recipients often need to review their applications, and this ensures that all your information is already saved for easy access.

  • If your grant is for an outdoor projects using the grounds, please make sure to get approval from the SPS Grounds Management Department before submitting the application. Email Brittany Taylor (brittanydtaylor@spsmail.org), Director of Custodial & Grounds, and cc: Andrew Hay (athay@spsmail.org), Assistant Director of Custodial & Grounds; or call them at 417-523-0468.
  • If your grant is for technology, it must be approved by the district’s Information Technology & Systems department and District Administration. Grant applications submitted for technology will not be accepted without IT approval. Please complete the IT Request Form for approval. If you have questions concerning IT or about approval, contact Bruce Douglas, Chief of IT, at bdouglas@spsmail.org or call him at 417-523-0156. If you have any issues with submitting the IT Request Form (from your SPS account), please contact the SPS IT Help Desk by phone at: 417-523-HELP or phone extension: 33333
  • We consider the classroom to be anywhere learning occurs, whether that be on a field trip, in the classroom, on the ball field, in the counseling center, library or nurses’ office.

Impact Grant Criteria:

Grants to be awarded are selected based on how well the applicant addresses the following criteria in their application. Applicants may address the criteria throughout the application even if not stated in each question.

  • Need: How well does this project meet the academic and/or social emotional needs of students and/or schools?  How does this project help eliminate barriers to student success?
  • Impact: How will the project affect the students being served? How many students will it serve? When considering the impact of the project, take into consideration the longevity of the resources to be purchased.
  • District Goals: How well does this project align with the SPS mission and the district strategic plan.
  • Well-written: How well the application was written will play a part in which applications receive awards. Applicants are encouraged to be sure their answers are well-written, creative and well thought-out, being sure to advocate for their project in their answers.
  • Sustainability: Is the project sustainable? If so, how will the project continue to operate after the grant funding is exhausted? What plans, if any, does the applicant have for ensuring long-term success and for securing future funding, if needed?

Applications Open May 1, 2025

(return here starting 5/1/25 to access the application)

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