About the Grant Program
Grants under the program are offered to support Land Surveying education within the state of Oregon. Grants will generally range from $500 to $2500, depending on the amount of the annual budget and the proposals submitted.
Who Is Eligible For Grants?
Grants are awarded to institutions of post secondary education offering programs or classes in Land Surveying or Geomatics. These will include community colleges, technological institutions, and universities offering studies in Land Surveying or Geomatics within the State of Oregon.
Kinds Of Projects Funded
PLSO offers grants in support of program administration, but gives preference to proposals that support PLSO student chapter activities or for program development. PLSO has defined program development to include technological improvements (eg. computers, software, digital equipment, etc.), program growth (new or expanded courses).
It is necessary for an organization to submit a formal proposal in order for PLSO to determine if a project is within its grant making interests. See the “How to Apply” section below for detailed instructions.
Note: Separate applications should be submitted for each project or stand-alone piece of equipment for which your school is seeking support. If there are multiple items all devoted to the same purpose or goal, then these can be grouped into one request.
Projects That Are Not Eligible For Grants
- PLSO generally will not favor proposals seeking funds for:
- Direct grants, scholarships, or loans to individuals .Endowments
- General fund drives or annual appeals
- Indirect or overhead costs, except as specifically and essentially related to the grant project
- Debt retirement or operational deficits
- Projects of sectarian or religious organizations whose principal benefit is for their own members or a adherents
- Direct replacement funding for activities or materials previously supported by federal, state, or local public funds
PLSO will not accept proposals seeking funds for propagandizing or influencing elections or legislation.
If PLSO has declined a proposal, it should not be resubmitted for at least 12 months. PLSO may run short of funds during any given year, but may encourage resubmission of a proposal of interest the following year. Applicants are free to submit entirely different proposals at any time.
How Proposals Are Reviewed and Decided
There are two stages in the consideration of Grant proposals, and the process may take several weeks. The PLSO grant committee first makes an initial screening. The committee then notifies applicants whether their requests have been declined at this stage or approved for further study. Next, the committee investigates proposals that pass this initial stage of review, requesting updated or additional information, a presentation to the Committee, and/or conducting site visits. Such proposals are resubmitted to the committee for final action. This investigation stage may take two to three months. Applicants are notified of the final decision as soon as possible. In some instances, the period of consideration may be longer because of the time needed for investigation by the committee.
PLSO must be selective in making grants since there will likely be more requests than can be funded. Applicants should understand that a decision by PLSO to decline funding does not necessarily mean that PLSO disapproves of the proposed project or fails to appreciate its merits. Because the grant making policies of PLSO continue to evolve, grants made during previous stages of development should not necessarily be taken as precedents for subsequent decisions.
How to Apply for a Grant
Before submitting a request to PLSO, an applicant should determine that the organization and type of project envisioned is eligible for consideration. Only written proposals will be considered. Proposals sent electronically or by fax will not be accepted.
Application Form
Please use the enclosed application form to organize your submittal. The application may also be accessed and delivered via the PLSO web site. Go to http://www.plso.org. Additional pages (if any) may be attached for the narrative section.
About the Applicant Organization
- Legal name and address.
- Name, title, address, and telephone number of the person charged with responsibility for the project.
- Department head.
- Description of the organization (e.g. school and/or department) including a summary of its background and its qualifications in
- the area for which funds are sought.
- Tax status
About the Project-Narrative Section
Please limit additional pages to three (3)
- Description of the project, its objectives, and why it is important.
- Explanation of why the applicant organization is the appropriate one to conduct this project.
- Description of how the project accomplishes its goals and how this is evaluated.
- Qualifications and experience of people involved in implementing the project, together with the amount of time each person will spend on project activities.
- Project period.
- Geographic area to be served.
- Client group and/or beneficiaries.
- Client number to be served.
Financial Background and Budget for the Proposed Project
- Fiscal year of the organization.
- Project budget for current fiscal year.
- Descriptions of previous budgets, if the project is already in operation.
- Total proposed project cost.
- Explanation of how the project could be sustained, if appropriate, after the period for which support has been requested.
- If grant is awarded, what is the organization to which checks should be paid, if different from above.
Materials listed above should be included each time a proposal is submitted to the PLSO. All materials become the property of PLSO and cannot be returned to the applicant.
Submit proposals to: PLSO Bert Mason Jr. Educational Grant, P.O. Box 18728, Salem, OR 97305, tel: 503-585-4551 voice & fax.