Afterschool Programming: How to Make Grant Funds Go Further

You Planned Ahead—Now Stick to the Plan

If you applied for a grant, you likely spent hours creating a clear and concise proposal. To gain funding for afterschool programming, grantees must list out their goals, target audience, activities, services, and how the program aligns with their school’s curriculum. It’s no easy feat, to say the least.

And if you landed a grant from your application, then you created a compelling case worth backing. Don’t make the mistake of switching up the plan you built around your afterschool programming—even if you have a great new idea or discovered another compelling activity provider. Getting distracted by a new inspiration is one of the easiest ways to waste funds that don’t align with your enrichment program’s needs.

Weigh Your Options

It’s essential to prioritize spending grant funds on the activities or services that will have the greatest impact on the students. In other words, you need to find activities and providers that will go the distance. At the moment, academically geared courses are popular for afterschool programming.

According to an article in The New York Times, researchers found that afterschool programming that focuses on improving academic performance is more effective than those that only offer recreational activities. While recreation shouldn’t be left by the wayside, it also makes sense to prioritize activities that support academic growth, such as tutoring, homework help, and academic enrichment programs.

Collaborate With the Right Providers & Organizations

Consider partnering with other organizations to stretch grant funding. While partnering with an experienced activity provider is a great option for any school, you don’t have to use grant funds only from traditional providers.

Collaborating with other organizations can help grant funding go further—and broaden the scope of your afterschool programming. For instance, partnerships with local libraries, museums, and universities can provide additional resources and expertise to the enrichment program, enabling it to offer a wider range of activities and services without increasing the cost.

Build an A-Team

PTO and PTA volunteers, as well as front office staff, are responsible for handling afterschool programming at public schools. To make your school’s grant funding go further, you can tap into everyone’s talents and expertise. While this might seem obvious, building an A-Team can make an immediate impact.

According to an EdSource article about afterschool programs in California, parent and community involvement can enhance the effectiveness of afterschool programming, increasing student engagement and attendance. By building an A-Team of PTO and PTA volunteers, you can more efficiently use grant funds by tapping into each volunteer’s background and talents.

Organize & Manage like a Pro with Enrichment Software

One last piece of advice on grant funding is to pull out all the stops when it comes to daily operations. In other words, let enrichment software handle some of the workload in your afterschool programming. For example, software like Homeroom can help simplify registering, processing payments, communicating with parents, and setting schedules for afterschool care.

This allows volunteers to focus their time and energy where it’s needed most. It can also relieve any headaches related to finances. Along with processing payments quickly and efficiently, Homeroom’s enrichment software is also able to handle changes like refunds or adjustments with a few simple clicks.