Application for Funding
The Jacksonville Public Education Fund is an independent think-and-do tank that believes in the potential of all students. We work tirelessly to close the opportunity gap for low-income students and students of color. We convene educators, system leaders, and the community to pilot and help scale evidence-based solutions that advance education equity in Duval County.
JPEF’s mission is to spark innovation, relationships and resources to power the potential within and around our public schools to achieve excellent outcomes for all students. Students who live in low-income communities and students of color need more support to achieve excellent education and outcomes.
JPEF leverages three key strategies to close the opportunity gap in Duval County: research and advocacy, convening partners, and strategic initiatives. And we conduct our work within six priority areas: empowering effective teachers and principals, closing the literacy gap, teacher compensation, the whole child, developing student skills for the future, and teacher diversity.
1000 by 2025 Initiative Overview
The 1,000 by 2025 is a unique community-wide initiative tackling the shortage of diverse male teachers in Duval County with a collective goal of recruiting and retaining 1,000 Latino and Black male teachers by 2025.
The foundation of this initiative began with a yearlong study conducted by the Jacksonville Public Education Fund on teacher recruitment and retention. The findings not only validated the need to strengthen and increase the teacher pipeline in Duval County, but it also revealed significant disparities with only 6% of teachers representing Latino or Black males.
JPEF is collaborating with organizations including Duval County Public Schools, the University of North Florida College of Education and Human Services, Teach for America, City Year and dozens of other local organizations who have made formal commitments to implement a recruitment or retention strategy
This endeavor included focus groups, publishing a study on teacher recruitment and retention, and looking at similar efforts in communities across the country.
Duval County has pioneered this work in the state of Florida with impactful work already happening for our community to build upon. Through collective efforts three strategies have been developed to address the challenge.
- Increasing the teacher pipeline with recruitment tactics beginning with high school students to career changers
- Targeted marketing and communications to inspire and cultivate an increased interest in teaching
- Research, evaluation and tracking our progress
The Jacksonville Public Education Fund is providing an opportunity for organizations, including grassroots ventures to partner to identify innovative solutions or scale evidence-based best practices focused on addressing the teacher recruitment and retention crisis and increasing the number of Latino and Black male teachers by 2025. All proposals are welcome, but we encourage proposals with a particular focus on retention strategies.
Grant proposals should not exceed $10,000. Grant period- November 1, 2022-June 30, 2025.
JPEF and members of the 1000 by 2025 Steering Committee will partner with you to foster effective, shared and long-term investment in the work. Steering committee members will serve as coaches, to help guide towards the goals, connect to additional resources, and provide overall support.
Eligibility Requirements
- Proposal must directly impact the diverse male teacher recruitment and retention goals of the 1000 by 2025 Initiative
- Applicant must be a nonprofit, community or faith-based organizations with an interest and demonstrated commitment to strengthening Black and Latino communities in Duval County
- Applicant must be an organization whose mission aligns with JPEF’s mission to close the opportunity gap for students of color and students from low-income communities
- Priority provided to:
- Organizations in or serving predominantly black and brown and high-poverty communities
- Organizations engaged in capacity-building for small non-profit organizations with the opportunity to scale current work they are doing
- Sororities and fraternities as an opportunity to advance special projects or work related to priority areas
- Grassroots organizations (1-3 years) with the opportunity to scale current work they are doing
Funding Criteria
- Innovation and creativity- The idea is unique, creative, and challenges the status quo. Demonstrates a new way of thinking, and meets current or emerging needs within the community the organization supports.
- Project description and plan- The description of the project is clear with compelling evidence of careful planning, thought, research and aligned with teacher diversity goals. The project plan has a clear timeline of activities and detailed plans for conveying the impact of the investment over the course of the grant period.
- Impact- The idea has profound potential to impact students, teachers, and the community, accelerating collective teacher diversity goals.
- Evaluation- There is a detailed and clearly defined plan for documenting and measuring impact and success.
- Budget- The budget outlines in detail how the money will be spent, including where funds are going and how it is a good financial investment.
- Collaborative- Project works to reduce duplication or overlap of services. Networks have been formed and there is a commitment to engage in consistent dialogue with other partners and service providers, such that efforts promote problem solving with communities to improve outcomes. As appropriate, the project itself represents collaboration between two or more organizations and the role of each organization is clear and logical. There is also strategic involvement and feedback from the people who would benefit from the project.
By applying, you are acknowledging you have reviewed and agree to the expectations and criteria listed above.