Brian Kelly Fund

Brian Kelly Fund is sponsored by New Haven Schools Foundation. Supports literacy and tutoring programs in the New Haven Unified School District, California.

Project Funding - New Haven Schools Foundation Project Funding for Teachers and Schools Teachers, administrators, program advisors, and coaches may submit grant applications to the New Haven Schools Foundation in February of each year. Decisions are announced in May, and projects must be planned and completed in the following school year. The application period for 2026 grants has closed.

 Total of grant applications in 2026: 106, totaling $218,644  Total grants funded 2026: 59, totaling a record $93,517  Cumulative total of grants funded since 2009: $759,611  Average amount of 2026 grant: $1,585 Grants are awarded for classroom innovations, enrichment activities, special programs, literacy, the arts, athletics and other programs.

If you have an idea to enhance learning and your project is not covered by the usual school budget, we encourage you to submit a grant request next year and we’ll consider it for funding. We fund as many projects as our annual budget allows, and often seek outside funding when possible. We offer several types of grants for classrooms and school programs.

 Innovations in Education – Classroom grants for teachers.  Project: Enrichment – Funding for co-curricular or extra-curricular programs.  STEM – Funding for innovative programs in science, technology, engineering and math.

 Brian Kelly Fund – Support for literacy and tutoring programs in the New Haven Unified School District.  Virginia Swihart New Teacher Support – Grants to new teachers for classroom needs. Supporting New Haven schools and students since 1981.

Innovations in Education Grants The New Haven Schools Foundation puts money directly into classrooms by providing grants to teachers with innovative ideas for learning that may not be covered by normal classroom and school budgets. Money for these classroom grants comes from primarily from the Foundation, fundraising events, with occasional donations from indviduals and corporate and government partners.

Winning projects are often those that make learning these often-difficult subjects fun. The Innovations in Education program makes grants available to all grade levels in varied academic areas. Each year, the Foundation provides guidelines for grant proposals, along with instructions for submitting a request.

Grant proposals are generally due by the end of February of each school year. A committee made up of Foundation Board members reviews the applications in the early spring and the winners are selected. The final step of the process is to deliver the funds to the classrooms, as winning a grant is a very exciting event for the student beneficiaries.

The New Haven Schools Foundation was originally formed for the main purpose of providing funds to extra-curricular activities in our schools. This has been an important part of our mission since 1981, and it continues through this program. A subcommittee made up of Foundation Board members reviews the applications in the early spring and the winners are selected.

The final step of the process is to deliver the funds to the classrooms, as winning a grant is a very exciting event for the students who are the ultimate beneficiaries. STEM grants can be provided for classroom or enrichment programs that are focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math, including creative applications of technology.

We’ve helped get after-school robotics programs to get off the ground, and provided multimedia equipment for school libraries. Our goal is to support projects that help students develop skills in new technology platforms enabling them to prepare for college and the careers of tomorrow. Apply in February during our open application period.

Projects are funded as budget allows. Brian Kelly was a Logan High School student who passed away at a very young age, and this fund was created by the Kelly family to honor his memory. The Brian Kelly Memorial Fund is a unique program that initially focused exclusively on supporting tutoring for high school students.

In recent award cycles, the focus has expanded to include literacy programs, especially in elementary school. The Program provides funds that may be used to supporting tutoring initiatives at our schools, encouraging students to help their peers succeed. One such project is the Math Mentors program at Logan High School.

Applications may be submitted during February of each year for suitable projects. Virginia Swihart Beginning Teacher Fund Virginia Swihart was a beloved teacher and administrator in the New Haven Unified School District who nurtured and supported new teachers. She established the Virginia Swihart Fund to help beginning teachers with their classroom needs.

Today, monies in the fund come from donations made by NHUSD staff, some of whom also direct disbursements. (This fund is not open for applications.) New teachers face the challenge of turning their first empty classroom into a warm and inviting place where students will enjoy learning.

Essential elements are provided, but established teachers have accumulated their own collections of educational displays, organizational tools, art supplies, and other items that personalize the space for their teaching style. Each year, small grants from this fund provide gift cards that enable new teachers to purchase supplies needed to get started.

During the 2011 – 2012 and 2012 – 2013 school years, budget cuts by the State of California forced us to suspend awarding “Project: Enrichment” grants in order to focus on the greater need. This huge annual funding shortfall meant that many co- and extra-curricular programs in our schools would be drastically cut or discontinued altogether.

These cuts affected programs such as athletics and music, as well as any other program outside normal classroom hours. The Foundation got to work to bridge the gap. Working in partnership with the New Haven Boosters Association, we pledged to raise $100,000 to keep these wonderful programs going during the recession.

It has been one of our proudest accomplishments that we were able to meet this pledge in BOTH 2012 – 2012 and 2012 – 2013! The impact of this pledge can be seen with this great example: in the first year of the pledge, 48 coaching and assistant coaching positions were saved. Students at all levels were able to continue their after-school activities.

You can conveniently contribute to scholarships, grants and other Foundation programs by payroll deduction. Donations are tax-deductible and may be directed to one or more of the specific programs. Even small donations add up and make a difference for our students!

 Current list of scholarships and programs for payroll deduction  Payroll deduction enrollment form Send the completed form to the Payroll Department at the ESC.