The MPAPA’s Community Grants Initiative provides grant-based funding for projects and programs, existing or new. The funds are available for use by student clubs and organizations, as well as for staff and/or adult-led initiatives that support the mission of the PA. To access community grants, interested groups must fill out an application, must have an adult advisor assigned (parent or teacher/staff) and must have Division Director approval. The application will be reviewed by the PA Board. If funds are granted, groups must complete a follow-up report on how the funds were used. This program is supported by the MPAPA dues, which are paid yearly by MPA families.

We look forward to supporting the MPA community for many years to come. Please fully review the procedure and application forms before submitting.

Purpose
The purpose of the Community Grants Initiative is to give all MPA community members an equal opportunity to create a new student organization, enhance the activities of a current student organization, or to fund a staff and/or adult-led project that benefits the MPA community. 

Goals
This initiative exists to support the dreams of the MPA community (LS, MS and US students, teachers and staff).

Goals for students are to:

• foster creativity by allowing students to pursue an interest or passion outside of the mainstream school activities
• strengthen the MPA student community by coming together around a shared goal or interest
• build life skills by giving students real world experience in developing an idea, applying for funding, managing details such as a budget and a project plan
• encourage independence by allowing the student to create, plan and lead an organization
• promote equality by allowing all students, regardless of their financial background, to have the ability to implement programming

Goals for teachers/staff are to:

• provide funding for unexpected opportunities (i.e.: field trips, guest speakers, projects)
• make enrichment opportunities possible without requiring parent or teacher financial responsibility

Eligibility
The Community Grants Initiative provides funding for all students, teachers/staff and adults of the MPA community.

Application Process
The available academic year funding is predetermined by the PA Board yearly budget and is adjusted based upon availability of funding.

Priority will be given to applications received September 1 through October 31. Applications received outside of that window will be reviewed and approved on a rolling basis.

Applicants will take the following steps:

1. All student organizations must have an adult advisor.
2. Fill out the application here.
3. Get signature from adult advisor.
4. Get signature from the division director.
5. Submit application to Community Grants chair, Seema Anwar, sanwarPA@moundsparkacademy.org.
6. Community grants chair will review application, communicate with applicant if there are necessary clarifications and then present application to the PA board.
7. The PA board will consider all applications, request further information, and make recommendations, which the Community Grants Initiative chair will bring back to the applicant, or, the PA board will approve applications as written.
8. Once the board has approved a grant request, funding will be issued in the form of a Visa card.

Responsibilities of the grant recipient:

1. Grant funds must be used only for stated expenses, as written in the grant application.
2. Upon completion (i.e.: funding has been spent), grant recipient will fill out an after-action report here.
3. Attach receipts for expenses to the after action report.

The Community Grants Initiative is run by the MPA PA board who reserves the right to use their discretion as needed and make changes accordingly per a majority vote. The Community Grants Initiative encourages everyone to dream big!