The Rural Education Fund (REF) provides traditional public schools, charter schools, and school districts located in counties with 35,000 or fewer residents up to $10,000 to use however they wish to drive student outcomes. The Rural Education Fund is made possible through the purchase of the “Educator” and “Support Education” license plates by Georgia residents, along with other donated funds. 

(Currently closed)

The Innovative Education Fund provides funding to Georgia schools and district developing and implementing innovative programs at various stages. The Fund is designed to provide a safe space for schools and districts to design, test, iterate, and scale innovative programs that have the potential to transform education in their context.

Design & Development Grant
--Six-month grant designed to plan a yearlong innovative pilot program
--The Design & Development Grant bakes into it innovative programming in which the ideate grant team will engage
--The Design & Development Grant bakes into it planned small pilots and opportunities for redevelopment and iteration
--The GFPE will provide coaching throughout the grant period
--Up to $10,000

Prototype Grant
--Yearlong grant designed to allow Design & Development grantees and others to launch the program prototype that they have designed and developed
--May or may not be Design & Development Grantees
--Up to $75,000

Expansion & Networking Grant
--Yearlong grant designed to let schools/districts fully implement and/or expand an innovative program to additional grades, schools, and districts. Districts must partner with another district in one of the following ways: (1) Serve as a mentor to a Design & Development Grantee
(2) Serve as an advisor for another district as it implements a similar innovative program during the Expansion & Networking Grant
--Up to $200,000

(Currently closed)