2024 Beyond Pencils and Beyond Crayons Grants

The Beyond Pencils & Crayons Grants are offered by the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin to support innovative educational activities in K–12 classrooms throughout Marathon County. These grants aim to foster creative, engaging, and motivational learning experiences across both public and private schools within the county. The foundation seeks projects that are fun, inspiring, demonstrate a sense of community, are cost-effective, and address a specific need within the classroom environment. The program funds classroom-based projects to be implemented during the current academic year. Materials and equipment purchased with grant funds become the property of the school. The foundation does not typically fund core curriculum items, staff salaries, transportation, refreshments, rewards, or incentive programs, as these are expected to be supported by the school district’s regular budget. The purpose of the grant is to support extracurricular educational innovation, not to replace basic budgetary provisions. Applications are submitted electronically through the foundation's online grant management system, accessible via their website. The foundation accepts grant applications through September 30 each year, and applicants are notified of their funding status by the end of October. Awards range from $250 to $5,000, offering educators a meaningful opportunity to launch projects that may otherwise lack funding. Successful applicants are required to recognize the Community Foundation in their project publicity materials, utilizing the foundation's logo where appropriate. Furthermore, grant recipients must document their project outcomes with photographs, which may be used in the foundation’s publications or marketing. A final report is required either within 60 days of project completion or by the end of the school year, whichever comes first. Eligibility is limited to organizations that do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, gender, disability, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, lawful income source, or any other category prohibited by law. Applicants may be required to submit their organizational nondiscrimination policy. The Community Foundation encourages educational entities to submit creative proposals that embody its mission of enriching the community through education. For inquiries prior to submission, applicants are encouraged to contact Sue Nelson, Program Officer, at (715) 845-9555 or via email at sue@cfoncw.org. Additional information, including the application portal, is available at https://cfoncw.org/grants-scholarships/community-grants/. The grant cycle recurs annually and the next anticipated application cycle is expected to open in late summer 2026.

Projects should demonstrate innovation and educational value while avoiding budget-covered items.