Say that you are the director of a large and respected learning institution, offering the kind of top-quality educational experience that people invested in creating a bright future for themselves are hoping for. You want to help people who might not be able to afford your fees to attend classes, so you need a way to reward those potential students who would otherwise qualify for your programs if it wasn’t for the financial burden they would face. There is a time-honoured method to accomplish that worthy goal called the grant.
Many thousands of people over the decades have benefited from the grant system, it is a great way to bring in excellent students who will help keep your learning institution top-notch due to their drive to learn, and the chance you have given them to excel. If this sounds like a great idea to you, be sure to invest in some excellent grant management software that will help your institution succeed in its noble mission of generosity and inclusion.
There are several different types of grants that you might offer, depending on what kind of learning institution you are operating. The following are some of the basic types that may fit your situation and goals.
Educational Grants– These are the most common type of grant that typical learning institutions offer, they are intended to give underprivileged students access to a better education and assist them in paying for various levels and necessities of that education, including:
Graduate school
Vocational training
Continuing education
These grants are offered by governments and universities, as well as private foundations and corporations, and usually cover financial aid, scholarships, and various forms of additional support like housing and learning materials.
Research Grants – If your learning institution is a science and technology-oriented program, then you may want to offer research grants. These are typically awarded by nonprofit organisations, government agencies, corporations, universities, and foundations. They can also be awarded to research institutes and labs, as well as to gifted individual researchers to support scientific research and discovery across a wide variety of fields.
An example of a research grant would be your science-oriented institute providing a grant to students who wish to do research aimed at addressing climate change. A research grant isn’t limited to scientific pursuits, one might be awarded to art history students studying art preservation and restoration techniques.
Culture and Arts Grants – These kinds of grants might be provided by related foundations, governments, corporations, non-profit organisations, and learning institutions like colleges and universities. Their purpose is to provide added support to worthy pursuits such as museums, the arts, humanities, public broadcasting, cultural heritage, and libraries. The focus is on enabling groups and individuals to express their creativity in ways that will help shape society in positive directions and foster a shared heritage of creativity, inspiration, and beauty.
The grant is an excellent way to improve your learning institution’s reputation and standing by inviting highly talented individuals to participate who would otherwise be left behind due to a lack of finance, they make a big difference for all involved. Grants are a gift your learning institution can give that really gives back!