Get FUnding
First - Check to see if you already have Funding
Classroom Accounts (Y5-8)
Classroom funds can be spent at your discretion for any sort of field trip or enrichment for your students, as well as day-to-day expenses and supplies.
Classroom funds are distributed based on the number of students in your classroom. In 2022-2023, the allocated amount was $65/student.
Funds are available at the beginning of the year and will be reflected in your restricted account Google spreadsheet report. (See links below.)
Keep in mind:
Please remember to budget for your transportation. Bus bills often don’t arrive until several months after the trip has been taken.
Check requests (to reimburse you or to pay a vendor) should be submitted as far in advance as possible, with at least 2 weeks notice required.
Y5
K
1/2
3/4
5/6
7/8
Aina Bernier, Joe Tomassi, Tahani Othman, Cedric York
Project-specific, Restricted Accounts and the Authorized Signer
Art Deb Ennis
Athletics & Gym, including PE and Swim Jesse Deucher, Jodi Kinnard
Band Amanda Blackson-Pakela
Community Support & Emergency Fund Kate Funk-Carter, Krista Visser
Foreign Languages Marieta McGraw
Intramural Sports Cedric York
Library Christine Deucher
Orchestra Tim Wilkins
Outdoors/Gardening Aina Bernier, Sam Firke
Principal's Teacher Fund Krista Visser
Resource Rooms Anna Courage
Vocal Music Penny Kazmierski
Other projects, historically, budgeted for annually
8th Grade Graduation - Parent Committee Co-Chairs
Central health and wellbeing - Abby Dumes
Focus Studies - Christine Deucher
Grant Program - FiFun Committee
Peer2Peer - Chad Downs
Physical Education/Field Day - Jesse Deucher, Jodi Kinnard
Poet-in-Residence - Ko Shih/Jason DePasquale
Safe Routes to School - Jesse Deucher
Scholastic News
Science & Maker - Fair Pete Pasque, Vita Strumba, Heather Petteys
Science Olympiad - Erica Businski, Erica Dierkens
Snack Pantry - Anna Courage, Aleah Barker, Krista Visser
Staff Appreciation Week - Elisa Weber-Saintin, Jill Mortimer
Staff Professional Development Grants
Yearbook
Next - Get Access to Other Pockets of $$$
Professional Development Funds
Professional Development funds can be used for registration fees, transportation to/from the class/conference, including fuel, accommodations, and/or necessary materials.
All full-time teaching staff are eligible for $150 each year towards professional development
To obtain this grant, the teacher will discuss the specific class/program that they wish to attend with an AAO Principal for approval.
The teacher will then submit their check request form. Be sure to indicate the Principal's approval with that submission.
School-wide Grant Funds
About the Grant Program | Make a Grant Request
Any staff member, parent/guardian, or student of the Ann Arbor Open Community may apply for a grant by completing a Grant Request Form.
Grant requests will be reviewed at least 3 times per year at the October, January, and March meetings of the Finance and Fundraising Committee.
Requests should be submitted by the 1st of the month, respectively.
The schedule for all FiFun Committee meetings are posted on our homepage. Applicants are welcome but not required to attend.
Requested funds are not guaranteed. The FiFun Committee will review all requests, and decide whether to approve, deny, approve a modified version, or defer each request. The applicant will be notified of the funding decision in a timely manner.
Please submit requests as early as possible so that the committee may collect and review all relevant information. If approved, a separate check request will be required for distribution of funds.
For class specific requests, class funds should be used prior to a grant request.
Reimbursement requests for grant funds must be completed by the end of the fiscal year (July 31) as these accounts do not roll over to the next year.
Then - If you still need Funding, We Have a plan!
Additional classroom fundraising for trips or experiences should be discussed with families in advance at the beginning of the year. Teachers have historically done this on curriculum night.
Planning this in advance is important so that our families are able to anticipate what will be asked of them financially in any given year.
This is why we request the lump sum at the beginning of the year which is based on how much teachers have historically spent.
If you or parents you know are thinking of fundraising for anything during the year, contact the Fundraising co-chair first!
We can set up a DonorBox page to sell tickets, collect donations, and have those funds go directly into an account that will be accessible for you to spend from for that specific, intended purpose.
When you use DonorBox, families immediately get a receipt from our 501(c) 3 non-profit organization so they can keep records of their taxable donation.
Cash and Venmo fundraising is financially risky and not approved by the district or the AAOCC, and even illegal in some instances.
How does the AAOCC get these funds?
Ann Arbor Open Coordinating Council has the goal of providing each classroom with annual support of $65 per student to allow for field trips and educational enrichment activities and $8 per student for year books without individual classrooms being required to fundraise. We provide this support through parent contributions with the ultimate goal of supporting all students at Ann Arbor Open, regardless of their families ability to contribute.School wide fundraisers and passive fundraisers with community partners happen throughout the school year. These funds are allocated initially to classrooms should parent contributions fall short of our goal in any given year. Second, these funds are used to provide supplemental funding for specials, student support services, family emergency fund, and a principal's teacher fund among others. Third, these funds are dedicated to our grants fund to which any staff, student, or parent can apply as needs are identified during the school year.