Request Grants, Funds, and Supplies

Funding Options

The Foundation provides funding to current educators and staff to support and serve Northshore students.

Funding for Grants: Funds for classroom or district-wide grants.

Basic Needs Aid: We provide short-term financial support to help restore stability during a crisis.

Opportunity Funds: We fund basic needs activity fees, clothing, field trips, transportation, ASB cards, college credits, and other necessary expenses that a family cannot afford for their student.

Supply Request Option

Backpacks and School Supplies: We provide backpacks and essential school supplies to help Northshore students succeed in the classroom.


Funding for Grants 

Do you have an innovative teaching idea, classroom need or a great student experience you would like to create, if only you had funding? We’re here to help! Since 1995, we’ve awarded grants in all 36 Northshore schools and programs. In our fall 2024 grant cycle, we proudly awarded $37,500 to 25 Northshore schools through 37 approved grants, empowering educators to make a lasting, positive educational impact on students.

We have two types of grants: classroom or district wide.

Classroom Grants

All current Northshore educators and staff are eligible to apply for classroom grants, which are intended to fund projects for individual classrooms, grade levels, or multiple grade levels combined.

Past grant examples are educational field trips, wobble chairs, sensory tools, language books, and musical instruments.

To check if your project meets the Foundation’s requirements, please read the grant funding guidelines.

We have 2 grant cycles throughout the 2024-2025 school year. Grant application deadlines are October 10, 2024 and March 13, 2025.  Your application will be decided on within 3-4 weeks of the grant cycle deadline.

Grant applications are currently limited to $1,000 for elementary schools and $2,000 for secondary schools. Contact Cara regarding requests for funds that exceed this limit: cara@nsdfoundation.org

To apply for a grant, please follow the grant application process.

If you have any questions about the application process, contact: info@nsdfoundation.org

District-Wide Grants

All current Northshore educators and staff are eligible to apply for district grants. These grants are intended to fund projects that involve collaboration between two or more schools, ensure the grant materials are accessible to all Northshore schools, and only district leadership staff are eligible to apply.

Past examples is the PEER Physics Program, Link Training, and Wake up and Read.

Like classroom grants, we have 2 district grant cycles for the 2024-2025 school year. Grant application deadlines are October 10, 2024 and March 13, 2025.

To check if your project meets the Foundation’s requirements, please read the grant funding guidelines.

District administrators, directors and their teams are welcome to apply for project funding. Funding decisions can be processed in approximately 3 – 4 weeks. Funding availability is limited by Foundation budget and resources.

To apply for a grant, follow the grant application process.

If you have any questions about the application process, contact: info@nsdfoundation.org


Grant Application Process

Please apply online for a Northshore Schools Foundation grant as follows: 

Step 1
Log in. If you don’t have an account, click on Create Account and follow the prompts.   

Step 2 
Complete your application 

Note: You can save your application at any time and work on it later. 

Here’s the information you will need to prepare your Grant application.   

  • Give your project a title. 
  • Provide an overview of the project.  
  • Short description of your project. 
  • How much of the student body will use this grant?
  • How long will this grant deliver impact to students?
  • Fully describe the proposed project. What are you requesting funds for? When and where will this project take place? List and explain the numbers and roles of all participants (teacher/s, parents, students, community members, etc.)   
  • What sparked your interest in offering this project to your students?    
  • How does your project align with the Mission, Vision and Values of the Northshore Schools Foundation
  • Describe how your project aligns with the Northshore School District’s Strategic Plan Goals? Strategic Plan – Northshore School District (nsd.org)    
  • How will students benefit and how will you measure success as a result of this grant?
  • Have you previously awarded a Foundation grant?
  • Describe your due diligence in determining the best value for your funding request.   
  • Provide budget details by completing this budget form and uploading it to the application.  (Note: please upload the document form, as links to OneDrive, GoogleDrive, etc., won’t work.) 

Step 3 
Get Approval

After the grant cycle deadline, your principal will receive a request to approve your application. Once approved by your principal, your application will be submitted to the Northshore Schools Foundation Grant Committee and be evaluated based on purpose, passion, best use of dollars, and writing clarity. Funding decisions will be made within 3-4 weeks of the grant cycle deadline. The Foundation will email communications to all applicants regarding their status. 

Step 4 
Receiving Funds

If funds are awarded, a check will be written to your school, via Inter-district mail to the person who submitted the grant. Please take funds directly to your office administrator for processing. 


2024-2025 Grant Funding Guidelines 

Listed below are the items we do not fund: 

  1. Curriculum/textbooks. This should go through the District Grant process.
  2. Food, catering, class parties, celebratory excursions, facility rental fees, and insurance.
  3. Transportation.
  4. Clubs.
  5. Magazines.
  6. Building safety equipment, such as floor mats, traffic cones, bike racks, and bike repair kits.
  7. Personal use items and required school supplies, such as fidgets, clothing and accessories, calculators, student planners, pencils, and disposable items.

Listed below are the items we do fund:

  1. Grants exceeding the maximum will be considered. Grant applications are currently limited to $1,000 for elementary schools and $2,000 for secondary schools.
  2. Online subscriptions, approved by CMAC, with confirmed no funding from the District, and used for at least one entire grade level (elementary) or subject area (secondary). Please note that we do not fund online subscriptions that have received grant funding within the last two school years.

If you have questions on grant funding, email: info@nsdfoundation.org


Other Funding Options

Basic Needs Aid

Basic Needs Aid offers short-term financial support to help restore stability during a crisis. When a family faces hardship, daily routines are disrupted, and Northshore students may struggle with attendance, coursework, and behavior. This monetary support helps families buy essentials like groceries or fuel, allowing them to focus on finding a long-term solution.

If you know of a student in need of Basic Needs Aid, email: info@nsdfoundation.org


Opportunity Fund

The Foundation’s Opportunity Fund covers services and fees students need to succeed in the classroom and reach their full potential. We provide financial support for activity fees, clothing, field trips, transportation, ASB cards, college credits, and more.

If you know of a student in need of the Opportunity Fund, email: info@nsdfoundation.org


Supply Request Option

Backpacks and School Supply Kits

Backpacks and School Supply Kits are offered to current Northshore students who are unable to afford the essential classroom supplies. These kits help ensure all students have the materials and supplies they need to succeed academically, regardless of their financial situation.

If you know of a student in need of a backpack or school supplies, email: info@nsdfoundation.org