The Demopolis City Schools Foundation is now accepting applications for its annual classroom grant program.

Demopolis City Schools teachers and librarians should turn in applications by Monday, Aug. 25 at 5 p.m. Grant winners will be announced in late September.

Applications will be evaluated by a seven-member grants committee and approved by the Demopolis City Schools Foundation’s Board of Directors. Amanda Barnes, the executive director of the Foundation, oversees the process.

The committee uses the following set of standards in its evaluation process:

•Clarity of the grant request and its goals

•Objectives of the grant request to ensure they are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely

•Fulfillment of the mission of the Foundation

•Potential impact to fulfill a critical need or issue

“We look forward to reading grant applications every fall,” said Aliquippa Allen, grants committee chair. “The creativity of our educators is always exciting to see. The process is an interesting one. It is ‘blind,’ meaning we are evaluating the applications without ever knowing the teachers who have applied. This allows the committee to focus solely on the projects being proposed.”

Last year, the Foundation received requests in excess of $120,000 and were able to fund 22 grants totaling more than $50,000.

“The Committee is called on to make some difficult decisions about what to fund,” Barnes said. “It isn’t an easy task, but they are excellent stewards of the funds our donors entrust us with.”

Teachers should check their school email accounts for a link to the online grant application. If anyone did not receive an email about the application, or if anyone has questions, contact Barnes at (334) 289-2226 or dcsf@westal.net.