More than 100 educators have received grants from the AEF and at least one grant has been awarded to every school in the district (not including charter schools). These grants have involved thousands of students, parents and community members.
Any educator employed by the Appleton Area School District or any community member in partnership with an educator is eligible to apply for a grant. In addition, nonprofit organizations engaged in collaborative projects serving AASD students may also apply.
The AEF board votes on recommendations made by its grants committee. Area residents who promote education and represent varied constituencies make up this board.
The Appleton Education Foundation favors grant projects that:
The Foundation’s normal granting has a maximum of $3,000. See the grid on the Available Grants page for more details.
Yes. The application form identifies what to include and how.
Generally, equipment alone does not qualify for a grant. Equipment required to complete a project or implement a program that meets the mission of the Foundation will be considered. Equipment upgrades are considered on an individual basis.
You may, however, a maximum of one of each Mini Grant, General (“Choose Your Focus”), and professional development grant will be approved for the same educator in a given school year.
Grant cycle deadlines are currently Sept. 10, Dec. 10., Feb. 10, and May 10. Additional details are available on the Available Grants page.
As of 11/22/2021: The AEF Grants Portal is back up and running. All grant requests must be submitted via the portal.
Applications received on time are mailed to members of the Foundation’s grants committee. Each committee member reads the grant applications. The committee meets to review the merits of each application and makes funding recommendations that are passed along to the Foundation’s Board of Directors for final approval.
Grant applicants are notified by email that their application has been received by the Foundation. Applicants may be contacted during the review process for additional information. Letters announcing grant approval or denial are mailed from the Foundation office typically approximately five-six weeks after the application deadline. You may contact Grants@AppletonEducationFoundation.org with any questions.
Applicants are responsible for completing a brief Final Report upon the conclusion of their project or Professional Development opportunity. All receipts are to be sent to the Foundation with this report. If you are unable to complete the project, please let us know. Unused grant money ($20 or more) is to be reimbursed to the Foundation as soon as possible.
Please send an email to the Foundation’s Executive Director or call the Foundation office at (920) 832-1517.
The Appleton Education Foundation believes in outfitting classrooms with new technology as it advances learning for all students. Grants from the Appleton Education Foundation Fund and other funds within the AEF have supported technology since AEF’s founding in 1997. As technology continues to evolve, AEF appreciates receiving grant requests for new, creative programming opportunities using the newest technology. The AEF grants committee and board favor requests that use technology in new ways and/or as a means to pilot a technology that has not yet been used within AASD.