Grant Application

MISD staff have an opportunity to apply for grants from the Marion Independent School Foundation & Alumni Association. A Grant Committee consisting of current and former district staff, parents, alumni and other community leaders reviews each funding request.

2026 Grant timeline

December 16, 2025:  Application Opens.
March 6, 2026:  Application Closes at 4 p.m. Final day to submit applications.
March 9-12, 2026:  MISD Administrative Review.
April 2, 2026:  Applicants Present to Grants Committee.
April 6-10 2026:  Grant Recipients Announced.
May 1, 2026: Deadline to complete purchase of funded items for the 2025-2026 school year.
September 15, 2026: Deadline to complete purchase of funded items for the 2026-2027 school year.
November 1, 2026:  Grant Recap Reports Due

Download Grant Recap Worksheet

Grant Guidelines

  • Projects must align with the mission, vision, and values of the District and Foundation.
  • Applicants must be Marion Independent School District staff. MISD students or groups outside MISD must have a staff sponsor on the application in order to apply.
  • Eligible requests include those that enhance curriculum, bring innovation to the classroom, provide summer or after-school enrichment, guest speakers and more. If you are uncertain whether or not your request is eligible please contact the Foundation.
  • Requests for capital projects (i.e. permanent physical structures) and the funding of salaries will not be considered. These requests must go through MISD administration and/or the Board of Education.
  • Collaborations between buildings and among staff are encouraged and preferred. Applicants apply for grants on behalf of their classroom, grade, department or school. Grants are awarded based on the belief that items will be shared within the District as deemed appropriate by MISD leadership. Items purchased with grant funds are under the direction and ownership of MISD.
  • If requesting any technology, visit with Peggy Murphy, District Technology Director at least one week prior to submitting your application in order to secure a quote for items. All technology purchases will be made by the Technology Department. Technology purchases will take place after July 1, 2026.
  • For Grants that are to be completed in the current (2025-2026) school year – Purchases must be completed on or before May 1, 2026.  To be considered completed, all materials must be received, and all purchase orders and invoices submitted to the District Business Office on or before May 1, 2026.
  • For Grants that are to be completed in the following (2026-2027) school year – Purchases will take place after July 1, 2026.  Purchase orders may be submitted to building secretaries prior to the end of the current school year, but should include notation that the order is for the following school year.
  • Grant recipients will receive instructions, which will include appropriate accounting codes, for ordering materials. Contact the District Business Office with specific questions.

Grant Application

 If you have questions, please contact the Foundation at 319-377-4691 x1110 or by email.

Please describe the purpose of your project and how the funds will be used.
Include the number of students and staff impacted and how. Consider the timeline of the project and the lifespan of the requested items.
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Provide a quote from your preferred vendor. If a quote is not available, provide a screen shot of the exact item(s) being requested. The quotes attached here should match the Amount Requested. If there are multiple pages, please combine them into one document before uploading here. (10 MB max. file size, .docx file type not accepted)
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Provide a letter of support from each principal whose building may be impacted by this project. Please combine all letters into one document before uploading here. (10 MB max. file size, .docx file type not accepted)
Examples include but are not limited to social media, labeling the items (stickers provided) and displaying your certificate at your school.
Grant Presentations: Applicants are required to make a 5 to 10-minute presentation to the Grant Committee on April 2, 2026. A form will be sent out to sign up for a specific timeslot. Presentations will be conducted in the MISD Board Room.

Payment Policy: All expenses must be processed through Marion Independent School District. The Foundation does not reimburse individuals.

Recap Report: Grant recipients must complete a one-page Grant Recap Report if funding is received. The report should include a written summary, photos and at least one student testimonial (quote). Recipients who do not meet this requirement may not be eligible for future funding.