Help Us Help Foundation Offers Tech Grants to Schools and Youth Organizations

April 2003

With financial support provided by database software giant Oracle Corporation, the nonprofit Help Us Help Foundation (http://www.helpushelp.org) assists K-12 public schools and youth organizations in economically challenged communities to obtain information technology tools.

Grants of computer equipment and software are available to schools and youth organizations in the U.S. that provide educational programs in low-income communities. The foundation will donate new Internet appliances and laser printers as well as all the ancillary equipment necessary to connect the devices, including network hubs, cables, and electrical surge protectors.

K-12 public and public charter schools are eligible for assistance through the program if a significant number of their students qualify for the subsidized lunch program (roughly 50 percent for elementary schools and 35 percent for middle and high schools) or can otherwise be documented as low-income. Community-based organizations are eligible if they have 501(c)(3) or 7871 tribal government status and provide educational services to youth who lack access to technology. In addition, low-income youth must comprise at least 50 percent of the total population served by the organization annually.

Applicants, who must submit a preliminary application online, are encouraged to submit their applications early. The foundation accepts a limited number of applications each cycle and will stop accepting applications once the maximum is reached. The deadlines are: August 31, 2003, and February 29, 2004.

For complete guidelines and online application forms, see the Help Us Help Foundation Web site. RFP Link: http://www.helpushelp.org