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Frequently Asked Questions
Grants - Office of Resource Development (ORD)
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| Q: |
What service does the Office of Resource Development (ORD) provide? |
| A: |
The ORD provides ongoing technical
and grant assistance; guides applicants in developing grants, monitors and screens
funding opportunities, publishes grant alerts on the district website, and liaises
between the district and funding agencies. |
| Q: |
How can I compute employee benefits? |
| A: |
Benefits are computed based on job classification and with health, medical, and other fringe benefits factored in. Staff from the District's Budget Services Division have information about the current rates. |
| Q: |
How can I get a grant to pay for a teacher to teach technology, performing arts, etc.? |
| A: |
Teaching or other positions may be written into a program proposal provided they are allowed by the grant guidelines and the funders' priorities. Funding sources for technology, performing arts, and others vary. |
| Q: |
How do I figure indirect costs? |
| A: |
The district's indirect cost rate (also known as
administrative cost/charge) is calculated on the total budget for project year. This information can be obtained by contacting
ORD at (619) 725-7786 |
| Q: |
I am applying to a foundation for a grant. They want our "501c(3)" number. What is it? |
| A: |
The 501c(3) is an IRS tax exempt designation status. The district is tax-exempt
but does not have a "501c(3)" designation. A memo from the District's Financial
Division explains this further. The funder may or may not accept the explanation
in lieu of the "501c(3)" designation. You may call ORD at (619) 725-7786 to request
a copy of the explanatory tax-exemption letter. |
| Q: |
What is the State number? |
| A: |
The District's State ID number -- Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) -- is 07-336-2543. |
| Q: |
What is a CDS number? Where can I get it? |
| A: |
A CDS number is a unique identification number
assigned to every school in California by the California Department of Education (CDE). It is a 14-digit number. The first
two digits represent the County (C) code (for San Diego county, it is 37), the next five digits represent the school
district (for SDUSD, it is 68338), the next seven digits represent the school (varies). The CDE publishes the California
Public School Directory, which lists CDS numbers for all California schools. You can find the school codes at
www.cde.ca.gov/re/sd |
| Q: |
How can I write an effective vision and mission statement? |
| A: |
Think of a vision statement as describing how you want your school/office to be, your expectations, your dreams for your school/office. A mission statement is a refinement of that vision and describes the steps on how to achieve it. Vision and mission statements are best written with input from groups who would be involved in realizing the school's vision and mission. Statements should be clear, concise, relevant, and broad enough to allow for various interpretations. Please read How to Write Grants article by Douglas Brooks, Ph.D. |
| Q: |
What is the difference between a "goal" and an "objective?" |
| A: |
A goal is a broad statement about what you want to accomplish through your project or program. The verb used tends to be lofty and immeasurable; such as "will know," "will appreciate," etc. An objective (or a performance objective) is clear, measurable, and includes how it will be met, by how much, and the result.
| GOAL |
"All 9th graders at _____ High School will know how to read at 9th grade level or above."
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| OBJECTIVE |
"By June 2005, all 9th graders at ______ High School will read at the 9th grade level or above as measured by pre-post comparison with their California Achievement Test Scores.
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| Q: |
What is a "technical review?" |
| A: |
A technical review addresses
non-programmatic aspects of the proposal and is done by the funding agency. The
reviewers determine if required components, competitive components content,
forms and/or other required documents have been submitted, if format guidelines (margins,
font size, etc.) have been followed, and if the arrival time coincides with the
grant requirements. |
| Q: |
I need the Superintendent or Deputy Superintendent's signature on my application for a grant. How can I get it? |
| A: |
The Office of Resource Development will assist in obtaining signature authority. |
| Q: |
Who signs on the authorized signature portion of the cover sheet? |
| A: |
The Deputy Superintendent has signature authority. Proposals should be submitted to ORD to obtain these signatures. |
|
| Q: |
Which address do I use for grants for district programs? |
| A: |
List the address where the Principal Investigator can be reached in addition to the address of the Office of Resource Development, 4100 Normal Street, Room 3209, San Diego, CA 92103. |
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| Q: |
Should I be aware of specific budgetary requirements before submitting my final budget to the funder? |
| A: |
Yes. Depending on the type of program and the type of grant you are seeking, it is required that you discuss budgetary needs of the specific departments impacted by your proposed project. For example, an award of funds to purchase a new copier machine will impact the budgets of several departments. Department staff will need to perform possible wiring upgrades at the site, oversee or conduct moving and installation, and possibly train staff who will use the machine. In the Request to Develop a Proposal (RDP) you will be prompted to discuss the proposed project impact with appropriate central office department staff, Information Technology and Facilities Department staff. Through this discussion appropriate budgetary allotments can be made. |
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| Q: |
When a grant application asks for "matching", "cost share" or "in-kind services", what do they mean? |
| A: |
An in-kind service generally refers to a donation — other than money — given toward a particular program or project. An example of an in-kind service would be the donation of software by a company for computers that will be purchased with grant funds.
Matching or cost share are specific funds from another source that is used to meet the goal of the project. They can be salary and benefit costs for a position or positions; supplies, etc. Matching funds or cost-share are usually expressed as a dollar figure or a specific percentage of the funding being requested. |
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| Q: |
Who is a Principal Investigator? |
| A: |
The Principal Investigator, often referred to as PI, is the district
person responsible for the day-to-day operations of the project proposed in the grant. The PI will be responsible for budget
control and management, program management and for performing reporting requirements. This position will be named in all
required grant forms, and will be the person to contact regarding questions about the grant program.
It is not required that a principal of a school be listed as the PI, although they may be listed in grant information. |
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| Q: |
What if I have not received approval of the Request to Develop a Proposal (RDP) and/or Evaluation Impact, Study Design Forms process before my proposal is due? |
| A: |
Submit completed RDP and/or Evaluation Impact
Forms as soon as possible. The RDP review process is a required
process for all grants, no matter the amount of the award. Submit the grant application prior to the funder's due date.
Awards must receive district approval prior to spending grant money.
Please see the
Grant Process Flow Chart . |
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| Q: |
What is the Evaluation Impact Form? Does my proposal require this form to be completed? |
| A: |
The Evaluation Impact Form provides preliminary information to the district about the scope of the grant evaluation. More specifically, the form asks you to identify the study population (e.g., which schools and students), the study’s focus (e.g., literacy or mathematics), instruments such as surveys that might be used for data collection, and categories of student data that the study will require (e.g., assessment results, demographic, behavioral, or health). The form also importantly asks if the study will require central office to provide the data you identify.
Completion of an Evaluation Impact Form is required if your grant requires an evaluation. If your proposal is funded, much more detailed information is required in a later phase of the process before grant-supported activities can begin (see Grants Process Flow Chart ).
Please contact Marie Stimpson at mstimpson@sandi.net or Susie Millett at smillett@sandi.net for questions about this form or the information required to complete it. |
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| Q: |
What is the Study Design Form? Does my proposal require this form to be completed? |
| A: |
The Study (or evaluation) Design Form provides an
outline for identifying research activities related to the evaluation of the grant. It includes general and more
specific study questions (typically taken from the grant’s objectives), the data source (what information you’ll use to
answer the study questions), a timeline for implementation/due date (to meet your reporting deadlines), and the level of
analyses (a description of how the information will be presented). This form and a completed sample are available on
the district grant web site. A study design must be approved by the district PRIOR to acceptance of any grant monies
and the initiation of any grant activities. In lieu of a formal study design, the applicant may provide explicit detail
with regard to these issues in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
If your grant activities require district data (e.g., information about students or teachers, or financial data), you will be asked to submit a detailed listing of the types of data you or your evaluator need and to indicate who will be responsible for making data requests.
Please contact Marie Stimpson at mstimpson@sandi.net for questions about this form or the information required to complete it. |
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| Q: |
How do I know if my grant requires an evaluation? |
| A: |
Almost all grantors expect accountability through some kind of reporting. The Request For Proposal (RFP) will typically use the word “evaluation” and require the applicant to discuss what measures will be used to evaluate program progress. Larger grants will often tell applicants what percentage of the grant review score will focus on the evaluation plans and how much of the grant funds should be used for the evaluation component. |
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| Q: |
How much does the evaluation cost? |
| A: |
The scope of the evaluation requirements ultimately determines the cost. In the case of large grants with extensive evaluation requirements, generally 5-7 percent of the grant funds support evaluation activities that are conducted by the district’s Program Studies Department. The information provided on the Evaluation Impact Form (links can be found on the grants web site) help to determine the scope and cost of evaluation. If an external evaluator is chosen the cost of their service is determined by that evaluator. |
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| Q: |
How do I address the evaluation component in my proposal? |
| A: |
You should seek assistance from whomever will be conducting the evaluation of your project. They can develop language that describes evaluation plans, addressing all the grant’s reporting requirements. |
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| Q: |
What is an Internal Evaluator? |
| A: |
The
Program Studies Department in the Standards, Assessment,
and Accountability Division is the internal evaluator for the district. In addition to a program director, the department
employs three Educational Research Specialists, two Research Systems Analysts, and an Evaluation Analyst whose fulltime work is
focused on the evaluation of district programs and policies. The audiences for their work include independent funding
sources (e.g., the National Science Foundation, the California Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Education,
the San Diego City Schools Board of Education, various departments within the district’s central office, and the larger
San Diego City Schools community). |
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| Q: |
What is an "External Evaluator"? |
| A: |
An external evaluator is someone who is employed with an external entity (i.e., outside the district) that conducts research and evaluation activities. Examples of private organizations that engage in education evaluation include WestEd and the Pulliam Group. Local researches who are affiliates with higher education such as University of California, San Diego, and San Diego State University also often conduct evaluation in school districts. Contact the Office of Resource Development or Standards, Assessment and Accountability for contact information for external evaluators. |
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| Q: |
Can I use evaluation data prepared for a past grant program again? |
| A: |
No. Recent amendments from No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation to the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) developed the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This act protects the privacy of student education records and applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. This legislation gives parents certain rights with respect to their children’s education records and mandates that schools receive written permission from the parents to release information regarding achievement, as well as other information. Each grant that requires evaluation of student records or achievement needs formal requests, made by the program department, to the parents of students involved in order to maintain compliance with FERPA legislation. |
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| Q: |
What District Factors Might
Delay My Request to Develop a Proposal’s Progress and Implementation? |
| A: |
| • |
Signatures are missing from the RDP. The Superintendent or designee has signature authority. Proposals should be submitted to ORD. |
| • |
Information is missing from the RDP form. |
| • |
The Deputy Superintendent, and/or the Standards,
Assessment and Accountability Division requests clarification or revisions of the proposal or a Memorandum of
Agreement/Understanding related to the project or grant. |
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| Q: |
What is an LOI? |
| A: |
LOI is an acronym for Letter of Intent, also called a Letter Of Intent To Apply. Some funders require an LOI as a preliminary means of requesting funding or to show interest in applying for a particular grant program. If the LOI is accepted, you may be invited to submit a full proposal for a grant program. |
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| Q: |
What is an RFP or RFA? |
| A: |
RFP is an acronym for Request
for Proposal. A Request For Applications (RFA)
is also used by funding agencies to request applications for specific grant projects.
An RFP is put out by organizations awarding funds, usually to announce that the
funds have become available for programs. |
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| Q: |
What is an MOU/MOA? |
| A: |
The district must have a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) when funds are awarded from a third party or fiscal agent other than the district. An example of this is when a foundation secures a grant from another organization and awards the district funds. An MOU must be signed and approved between the district and the organization directly awarding the funds. |
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| Q: |
Why do I need to have the Directorof Information Technology (IT) initial my RDP? |
| A: |
The Director of IT will review grants that involve
technology for use within the district. Review of the grant projects will ensure that technology requested in grant
programs will interface technology in place within the district, align with future technology plans and will be
supported by the district's IT department. |
>> Grants - Office of Resource Development (ORD)
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