Mini Grants
How Mini-Grants Work
- Each October, trustees meet to consider the return on investments and based on that information, determine what funds, if any, will be dedicated to mini-grants.
- Superintendents in member school systems will receive an announcement about the mini-grant program and the maximum amount Utrust has set aside for the school system.
Both forms below must be completed before mini-grants are considered for funding.
• Utrust Mini-Grant Option Selection Form
The superintendent must complete the Utrust mini-grant option selection form by December 31, 2023 before any Mini-Grant applications from this system will be accepted.
• Utrust Mini Grant Application Form
After the superintendent has completed the Mini-Grant Selection Form, the Utrust Mini-Grant Application Form must be completed by principals, teachers or school system employees by March 31, 2024.
Mini-grants are funded by Utrust investments, not by tax dollars, nor a return of unused premiums. Premiums are based on the average unemployment claims of each system’s own claims over the past 4.5 years. So, there are no unused premiums. Mini-grants are not designed to replace local funds. Rather, they are designed to fund one-time projects that otherwise would not be funded. They are made available to member school districts as determined by the trustees according to the guidelines below.
Mini-Grant Guidelines
- The superintendent must complete the Utrust Mini-Grant Option Selection Form and may designate funds for teacher grants and/or school and/or system-wide projects.
- School districts may elect for all or a part of their dedicated mini-grant funds to be designated for competitive school or teacher projects. In such cases, a local evaluation team will select which applications are to be funded and submit the list to Utrust. Utrust will issue checks to individual schools and upon request return them to the district for distribution.
- All applications for Utrust mini-grants must be filed on-line Utrust Mini-Grant Application Form on the Utrust website. Requests not submitted on these forms will not be considered.
- Mini-grants for Five Star boards will include a 25% bonus if an online form is completed on the Utrust website by October 1 of the prior year certifying that the standards have been met.
- All mini-grant funds must be spent on or before June 30 of the year of the mini-grant.
