Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Applicants must create an account in the grant portal before submitting a proposal. When the system asks for an EIN, please enter: 00-00000000.

Yes. All grant applications must be approved by your school principal (or supervisor, if applicable) before being submitted to the Dorchester Education Foundation. Applications submitted without this approval cannot be reviewed.

This step ensures that your proposed project aligns with school priorities, has administrative support, and can be successfully implemented if funded.

All submitted and principal-approved applications are first reviewed by the Dorchester Education Foundation Grants Committee. The committee scores each proposal using a standardized rubric that evaluates innovation, impact on student learning, alignment with the DCPS Strategic Plan, and overall feasibility. Recommendations are then forwarded to the full Board of Directors.

After the Grants Committee completes its scoring and recommendations, the full Dorchester Education Foundation Board of Directors conducts the final review and votes on all grant awards.

For the current grant cycle, the Dorchester Education Foundation will fund innovative initiatives up to $1,000 per approved project.

All awarded grant funds are distributed directly to the school where the project will be implemented. Funds are not distributed to individuals.