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Grants Office

The Grants Office serves as a liaison to Teachers, Principals and other Tacoma Public Schools staff to help navigate through the process of seeking and securing grant funds for projects to help our students and their families. 
 
How the Grants Office Can Help You: Contact the TPS Grants Office (571-1456) before you begin the process of applying for a grant so we can work together, individualizing support to meet your needs. 

If you are new to grants, look through our web site.  We have put together lots of information to assist you – Our own “Online Grants 101 Training Class.”

 

 STEPS TO WRITING A GRANT – CALL US

 
  1. Plan the Project
    To find funds to improve your program or create a new one talk to your supervisor to get ideas then call the TPS Grants Office.  Tell us what YOU WANT TO DO so we can begin to look for funding sources.  Help Me find a grant And, e mail us your request for support.

    We will send you the Grants Approval Request Form to be signed by your Supervisor.  Always get your supervisor’s approval for the project you want to do first. Grant Approval Form
     
    The very best planning for grant writing is well before we have an application in our hands.  With time to plan the process, the language, and the budget we have a much stronger proposal that is more likely to get funded.
     
  2. Find the Grant Funder
    We can help you research funders to find a good match, obtain the necessary guidelines, application forms, regulations, and any other information you will need to write the proposal.  If you have identified a specific grant program or funding agency for your project, you need the application forms and guidelines to get started.  Chances are good that copies already exist in the Grants Office.  If you obtain this information on your own, you will need to forward a copy of these materials to the Grants Office. 
     
  3. Write a Compelling Proposal
    The Grants Office can guide you through the process of  identifying a funder, and assist you in creating a timeline for proposal preparation and required internal review, navigate the approval process and assist in completing your proposal for submission.   The conceptualization and writing of the grant is up to you.  You know your program and its needs best.  We can help to edit to sharpen the language.  We are also a resource to you for other information – demographics, and other information to justify funding, past grants to funders written and received, and other information you may need.
     
  4. Submit the Application
    Government Funds:  The majority of the state grants, funded by OSPI, are now on iGrants, which means they are submitted on-line electronically.  The grants office can assist you in accessing this web resource if you do not have access.  If you are planning a request for federal or other state grants you need to work closely with the Grants Office to manage the complex application process.
     
  5. You may be experienced and not require much help in grant writing, but we still need you to contact us.  We maintain a data base of grants written and received district wide.  When you submit a grant we need that information including a copy of your proposal and budget for our files.  We are here to coordinate applications to give everyone a better chance at getting funded.
 

 SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT GRANT WRITING

 
  1. The Grants Office is here to help you at each step of the process — You need to  call and ask for our help.
     
  2. The Grants Office needs to know who your plan to ask, who you did ask, and what happened — You need to tell us.   We need to be the centralized record keeping repository for district grants.
     
  3. There is no “dumb” question — And, If we don’t have an answer, we will try to find out.
     
  4. Teamwork in grants means we do it together — You do what you are best at, and we help out with what we do best.  
     
  5. Good grant applications start from the  creative “idea,” from the need — Not from, “There’s money available.”
     
  6. Start simple — Make your first grant an easy one.  Don’t start with a complex federal grant unless you are highly skilled at writing and an organizational wizard.  Even if someone else is writing it, you need to know about the process.
     
  7. Practice, practice, practice — The more you write, the better you get.

The Tacoma Public Schools is committed to building and maintaining strong relationships with parents, students and the community. The district strives to provide accurate and timely information to the community.

Contact Information
Phone: 253.571.1456
Fax: 253.571.1138

Deanna Briese, Grants Management Coordinator
dbriese@tacoma.k12.wa.us
253.571.1522

Debbie Valadez, Grants Assistant
dvalade@tacoma.k12.wa.us
253.571.1546
Superintendent Arthur O. Jarvis, Ed.D., ajarvis@tacoma.k12.wa.us
Superintendent-Elect (Interim) Carla Santorno, csantor@tacoma.k12.wa.us
Central Administration Building, P.O. Box 1357, Tacoma, WA 98401-1357, 253.571.1000
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