Alabama Audubon provides financial support up to $1,000 for educators and educational nonprofits working to connect students with birds, their habitats, and the next generation of responsible stewardship. To find out more about our Education MiniGrant program, read the FAQ below. If your project is eligible, we’d love for you to apply.
New Education MiniGrant cycle opens 01 July 2022
We’ll now be accepting new applications beginning 01 July 2022, with applications due by 25 October 2022. New applicants will receive notification about whether or not their grant was awarded by early 2023.
Education MiniGrant FAQ
Who can apply? Educators throughout Alabama are eligible to apply. To be considered, your school or organization must be a nonprofit and tax-exempt with IRS public charity status, or be a public entity qualifying under Section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.
How large are the grants? We award up to $1,000 per grant.
What does the grant cover? Applicants may request funding for:
- physical improvements (e.g., native plantings, bird feeding stations, bird houses, outdoor classrooms, pollinator gardens) at school or community habitat sites—chimney swift towers are especially of interest! Check out our initiative to build more swift towers here.
- student birding equipment (e.g., classroom binocular sets, field guides, bird-song recording devices)
- innovative, student-led projects with community-science or habitat-monitoring components
- select field trips to visit significant public bird areas (Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Dauphin Island, &c.)
Please note that we cannot provide funds to cover stipends, salaries, interpretive programs, or indirect costs. Daring, creative, and innovative projects receive priority attention!
When is the application deadline? All applications must be received via email no later than 25 October 2022.
How do I apply? First, read Advice for Applicants (available below). Then download and complete the application, scan and save a signed copy in PDF format, and email it to the address listed on the application. Applicants are allowed to mail a hardcopy if that is their preferred method, and applications must be postmarked by the deadline to be considered.
When will I hear back from Alabama Audubon? Soon after the 25 October deadline, the Alabama Audubon Education Committee will meet to review applications and make awards. Applicants will receive an email notification with the results of that decision in the weeks to follow.
What do I need to do after I complete my project? All 2022/2023 school year successful applicants must complete the MiniGrant Report Form, available below, and return it via email to Alabama Audubon no later than 25 October 2022. If you include photographs of students in your report, you must attach a signed Photo Release form (also available below) to your final report. If you were a 2019 MiniGrant recipient (or earlier) and did not submit the MiniGrant Report Form along with supporting documentation, you will not be eligible to reapply.
I have additional questions—whom should I contact? Please email additional questions to info@alaudubon.org, subject line: “MiniGrant question.”
Forms:
Helpful Resources:
Alabama Audubon’s mission is to promote conservation and a greater knowledge of birds, their habitats, and the natural world.