The COVID-19 pandemic has affected schools in many ways, most notably financially. In March 2020, the Education Stabilization Fund (ESF) was established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The ESF is an investment of over $263 billion into state and institutional COVID-19 recovery and rebuilding efforts. Managed by the U.S. Department of Education, it is used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the impacts COVID-19 has had on American education.
There are four primary emergency relief funds:
- the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund
- the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund
- the Emergency Assistance to non-Public Schools (EANS) Fund
- the Higher Education Emergency Relief (HEER) Fund
As Covid-19 funding progresses, it varies greatly from state to state. Some states have only given out a small portion of the allocated funds while others have stopped the application phase and have not even started to send out funding. It’s important to check your status with the state and district based on when your initial request was made.
State requirements vary from an entire application to a letter of intent to even just a message that you are thinking about funding. Check deadlines, as many areas are not extending them. Keep in mind that while the window to apply may close, but you may still be able to use the funding opportunities in upcoming years if approved.
The amount of information available regarding grant funding is extensive and may be challenging to sort through, but we are here to assist you so that you are prepared for your call. Together, we can research available resources to maximize your outcome. For more information and guidance, please contact CrisisGo’s grant expert, Don Gemeinhardt at don@crisisgo.com.
Dr. Don Gemeinhardt, EdD and retired AF Colonel, has been involved in proposal and grant development for over 20 years. He has worked for non-profit and for-profit organizations ranging from education to law enforcement and has been active with DHS, DOD, FBI and DOE efforts. Don is a subject matter expert in intelligence areas of several government agencies and in the field of law enforcement. He is also a senior fellow with the FBI, a member of several DHS centers of excellence, a certified law enforcement instructor specializing in DHS processes and school resource officers, and an adjunct professor teaching law enforcement, business and education. 
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