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Find grants for parent-teacher organizations supporting school programs, events, technology, and student enrichment
900+
Available grants
$171.1M
Total funding
$10K
Median grant
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Mission
The Sherwood Foundation® promotes equity through social justice initiatives enhancing the quality of life in Nebraska.
Vision
We believe social justice is the proactive reinforcement of policies, practices, attitudes, and actions that all produce equitable power, access, opportunities, treatment, impacts, and outcomes for all.
Who We Fund
The Sherwood Foundation limits grants to organizations that are tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3), government entities, schools, or churches that are serving Nebraska. These organizations must be in good standing with the Internal Revenue Service.
What We Fund
The Sherwood Foundation limits grants to nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations that predominately benefit those that are serving Nebraska and must address one of our categories:
Urban Community Partnerships
Our work in Nebraska’s urban communities focuses on family stability and child wellbeing with an overarching emphasis on community context. Using a two-generation approach, we are interested in the relationship between direct service provision and the greater systems that impact a community. Applicants are wise to cite specific research that influences a service model or approach to solving a community challenge.
Omaha Public Schools
Guidelines:
Greater Nebraska Initiatives
Through these grants, The Sherwood Foundation promotes equity and inclusion as pathways for creating the good life for all in Nebraska. Core areas of work include child welfare, immigrant inclusion, housing, advocacy & civic engagement, leadership, and community infrastructure. Requests from communities outside of the Omaha and Lincoln metro areas are considered during standard grant cycles.
Early Childhood Education
The Sherwood Foundation supports early childhood education on a regional and national basis through The Buffett Early Childhood Fund.
What the Sherwood Foundation Values
The Sherwood Foundation has strongly held values regarding civil liberties, equality and fairness with a particular focus on women and people oppressed because of their race, sexual orientation, and/or religion or lack-thereof.
Equal rights.
We believe all humans are created equal. We work to eliminate government and social barriers to equality.
Access to civic life.
We are proud to live in a democracy and believe that the rights provided to individuals in the United States should be protected and the best way to protect those rights is to ensure equal access to the voting polls.
Reproductive justice.
We support a woman’s right to self-determination about reproductive health choices. We expect our grantees serving women and girls to ensure access and education to all health care options, including abortion.
Opportunity to thrive.
We believe a zip code should not determine the outcome of a life. We see how government institutions and laws have historically and do presently oppress and suppress opportunity, particularly for people of color but also other minority populations and women. We work with our community to undo systemic oppression and build systems that meet the needs of citizens and do not further oppress. We seek economic justice for our neighbors and the opportunity that lies therein.
Access to services.
We expect grantees to ensure that clients have access to services and that service providers work to remove barriers rather than create barriers to care and compassion. A service provider’s religious belief system should not be imposed upon those who seek their services, whether through proselytization, coercion, guilt, or an unspoken quid-pro-quo expectation to participate in faith-based classes or religious services.
Operating Grants
The Sherwood Foundation® believes that providing operating support can make all the difference to nonprofit organizations by providing flexible funding to cover the ongoing costs of day-to-day operations (administrative/overhead). This type of support can free nonprofits to become more strategic about how they address community issues, craft internal solutions to enhance effectiveness, and build organizational infrastructure.
Are you seeking grants for your Parent-Teacher Organization? Below, we share different available grants. From educational resources to school improvement projects, Instrumentl's vast database offers a wealth of active grants.
Begin your 14-day free trial of Instrumentl to access opportunities suited for your PTO’s needs.
How common are grants in this category?
Quite common — grants in this category are more prevalent than in others.
Over the past year, when are grant deadlines typically due for Parent-Teacher Organization grants?
Most grants are due in the first quarter.
Organizations eligible for Parent-Teacher Organization (PTOs) grants include those who focus on student enrichment initiatives. Organizations that focus on teacher support and school improvement initiatives are also encouraged to apply. These grants are not only open to PTOs, but also Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), school foundations, and nonprofit educational support groups.
Grants in Parent-Teacher Organizations typically have the highest concentration of deadlines in Q1, with 28.4% of grant deadlines falling in this period. If you're planning to apply, consider prioritizing your applications around this time to maximize opportunities. Conversely, the least active period for grants in this category is Q2.
The primary use of PTO grants serves to fill budget deficits across public and private educational institutions. These grants are designed to enhance students’ educational experience by funding essential teacher resources, classroom improvements, and extracurricular activities. Additionally, PTO grants may support after-school programs and school facility upgrades to create a well-rounded educational environment.
Funding for Parent-Teacher Organization grants varies widely, with award amounts ranging from a minimum of $25 to a maximum of $40,000,000. Based on Instrumentl’s data, the median grant amount for this category is $8,000, while the average grant awarded is $281,062. Understanding these funding trends can help nonprofits set realistic expectations when applying.
PTO grants are funded by several sources both in and out of the community they serve. Educational foundations and community groups give a majority of the funds for PTO initiatives. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and government educational agencies provide several annual grants to support educational initiatives. Additionally, national education-focused foundations and private donors serve as key funding sources for PTO-related projects.
There are over 800 funding opportunities available with over $91 million in awards.
PTOs have a high chance of winning awards if they:
For additional guidance on determining the size of a grant to request, explore our
Instrumentl helps PTOs find and manage grants effectively by providing a centralized platform. Key features include discovering the latest opportunities, tracking deadlines, managing multiple grant applications in one place. Instrumentl even offers insights into funders’ giving patterns and eligibility requirements. Learn how to craft a strong grant proposal here.