2027 GRANTS PROGRAM SCHEDULE & POLICY UPDATES

NKSF's autumn grant cycle opens tomorrow, August 1st. We’re facilitating funding, primping policy, and strategizing success.

If you ask us what the North Kitsap Schools Foundation does, the honest answer is: we facilitate connections to support education in North Kitsap schools. Donors, partners, and neighbors across North Kitsap put their trust and their dollars into NKSF, and our Grants Program is what converts that trust into something a teacher can use: a classroom set of tablets, a makerspace, a set of books that finally lets every kid in a class read a story at their own level. It's the clearest, most direct link between community support and what happens in our schools.

The 2027 NKSF Grants Program opens for applications again on August 1st. Here's the full schedule:

• Application Submissions: August 1 – September 18, 2026

• District Review: September 21 – October 2, 2026

• Foundation Review: October 5 – October 12, 2026

• District Accounting: October 13 – October 30, 2026

• Awards Announced: November 2, 2026

Behind the scenes, the board spent part of this year refining the policy that governs how the program runs. Not to make things harder, but to close gaps that left a little too open to guesswork for applicants, reviewers, and the board alike. A few of the updates worth knowing about:

Post-award adjustments now have real guidance. In the past, what happened after an award landed wasn't clearly spelled out: if costs crept up, or a project came in short, applicants had few firm answers. Now it is spelled out. 

While no new items can be added to an approved grant once it's awarded, increased costs on already-approved items can be covered with additional funding if you submit an updated budget. If a project still falls short after the full award amount is spent and good faith fundraising efforts elsewhere have been exhausted, up to $2,000 in additional support may be available on a case-by-case basis. This adjustment is intended to help teachers get their larger programs across the finish line without having to turn to parents.

Co-applicant grants are more clearly defined. This minor update clarifies our co-applicant policy to help alleviate confusion. A grant application can now formally include a primary applicant plus up to six additional applicants, with the combined award capped at $10,000.

Additionally, while the primary applicant must be a certificated staff member, classified staff can now appear on a grant application as a co-applicant, allowing para-educators to build a grant application alongside a sponsoring teacher, opening greater support options for staffed resource rooms and extracurricular activities.

Unspent funds get a clearer path forward. If, due to some unexpected circumstances, a grant can't be spent in the year it's awarded, resubmitting the following year, with any necessary budget updates, is not just allowed: it now receives priority decision. 

We know that things come up, and grant award recipients sometimes may not be able to initiate their program in the year that they apply. If we approved your funding request but you didn’t spend any of the money, you can resubmit your grant application next year with any necessary budget adjustments due to increased cost and receive priority determination. 

Partial use of award funding does not apply, and an expanded application (such as additional materials or services) beyond what was originally approved the preceding year will not receive priority. If that field trip didn’t work out this year due to a transportation issue, just resubmit the application next year, and we’ll get you there.

One new category of ineligible expense. School spirit or pride programs, and associated promotional or branded items like t-shirts and hats that aren't part of an applicant's direct instructional content, are not funded. Everything else in the eligibility guidelines (enrichment, STEM/CTE/STEAM, and direct support for underperforming or special-needs students) stays the same.

None of this changes what the Grants Program is for: implementing innovative education programs where the district budget line isn't there. The updates simply mean that we’re listening to your feedback, paying attention to what you’re applying for, and working to provide the best possible support for education opportunities for your classroom.

NKSF’s full FY2027 Grants Program Policy document can be downloaded here. If you're an NKSD teacher with an idea sitting in a drawer, reach out and let us know. We built this program to say yes to good ideas, so submit your application here!

This is Kernels of Effect: How NKSF’s Grants Program operates and evolves to support North Kitsap education.