NEA Great Public Schools Fund Grants (Planning)

NEA Great Public Schools Fund Grants (Planning) is a program from the National Education Association that provides planning grants to NEA state and local affiliates to develop proposals for improving public education quality and student well-being.

This is the first stage of a two-stage process: Planning Grants are awarded by September 15 each year, and affiliates that receive Planning Grants are eligible to apply for full GPS Fund Grants the following February 1. Priority focus areas include Early Career Educators and Racial Justice in Education. Both grant stages are competitive, with no guarantee of award at either stage.

Only NEA state and local affiliate organizations are eligible to apply.

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience. Engaged Families & Communities Recruit & Retain Educators Engaged Families & Communities Recruit & Retain Educators Funding for Students & Schools Our Mission, Vision, & Values The NEA’s Great Public Schools Fund Grants (GPS Fund Grants) advance the goal of great public schools for every student.

GPS Fund Grants are intended to help NEA State and Local Affiliates enhance the quality of public education by developing, implementing and leading an agenda that engages members with an emphasis on student-centered success and well-being through union-led efforts.

The GPS Fund process starts with a Planning Grant application due on September 15th, which - if awarded - will make affiliates eligible to apply for a full GPS Fund Grant the following February 1st. Both the Planning Grant and GPS Fund Grant are competitive in nature, and there is no guarantee of award for either. Similarly, the award of a Planning Grant does not guarantee the award of a GPS Fund Grant.

The NEA Board of Directors approved new GPS Fund Grant Guidelines in February 2024, which can be found here . Click here for a snapshot of the process and important dates.

Stage 1 - Planning Grant Application Deadline: September 15, 2025 (notifications will be made by October 15, 2025) Stage 2 - GPS Fund Application Deadline: February 1, 2026 (only affiliates awarded a Planning Grant are invited/eligible to apply) For the next round of applications, the Priority Focus will include: Early Career Educators, and/or Racial Justice in Education By including one or both of the focus areas, your application will receive a small scoring bonus (depending on how robust and extensive that focus is).

Focusing on both early career educators and racial justice in education will increase your bonus opportunity (compared to focusing on just one). Learn more about other grants available to NEA affiliates. Planning Grant Application The deadline for submission of a Planning Grant application is no later than September 15th of each year, with awards communicated no later than October 15th.

Only affiliates that are awarded Planning Grants are eligible to continue the process and submit a full GPS Fund application by February 1st. After October 15th, those affiliates awarded Planning Grants will receive a small amount of funding and other technical assistance from NEA in order to workshop and flesh out their proposals in anticipation of the February 1st GPS Fund application deadline.

The next Planning Grant application deadline is September 15, 2025. To download the "Planning Grant Preparation & Support Packet," download the Scope of Work and Budget templates, or begin your application, please click here . The next GPS Fund application deadline is February 1, 2026.

Only affiliates that have been awarded a Planning Grant will be invited/eligible to apply. To review the grant guidelines, download a PDF copy of the application for offline review, or begin your application, please click here .

For questions, please email: [email protected] GPS Fund Grant Guidelines PDF NEA Financial and Operational Standards PDF GPS Fund Annual Report 2024-25 PDF GPS Fund Grant Process Timeline PDF GPS Fund Annual Report 2023-24 PDF NEA Grants 4 Great Public Schools Join us on edCommunities! Important grant information, including links to recorded webinars, will live here, and also feel free to ask questions of the larger grants community.

Great public schools for every student The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.

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