Instruction

Gratitude Grants

Our annual Gratitude Grants program offers individual West Contra Costa public school teachers $300 grants to help them add classroom supplies that create a vibrant and inclusive learning environment for students.

We celebrate the grantees at our annual happy hour

Get updates!

Sign up for updates about Gratitude Grants and other educator opportunities! 

Initiatives Pages

Overview

Since 2015, our team has awarded more than 7,500 teacher Gratitude Grants totaling $1.9M to help teachers diversify classroom libraries, purchase math manipulatives, download digital learning tools, refresh art supplies, and more.

1,242
2024 teacher grants
68
Participating schools
$370,000+
direct teacher support, 2024
Gratitude Grants 1

Eligibility

Related Stories

Gratitude Grants FAQ

You must be a currently-employed, full-time West Contra Costa public school employee in one of the following roles to be eligible for a Gratitude Grant:

TK-12 Classroom Teacher, SPED Teacher, Resource Specialist, Education Specialist, Occupational Therapist, Speech Language Pathologist, Employment/Vocation Specialist (for Transition Program only), College Counselor, Librarian, School Psychologist, Literacy Coach, Instructional Coach, and School Counselor

Please review the Official Guidelines (below) for additional eligibility requirements.

When it is available, eligible teachers can access the 2024 Gratitude Grant Application online to apply. Applicants must create a Temelio (application platform) account using their full name and an authorized school email address only.

Applicants will receive a submission confirmation at the email address provided upon submission of the grant application form. Our team will review applications and approve grant awards on an ongoing basis. Successful applicants will typically receive an email notification within two weeks once approved.

If you don’t receive a notification, please check all inboxes (filtered, promotional, spam, etc.) to confirm before contacting us. If you have questions or concerns about your application status, or haven’t received a status notification by April 30, 2024, please contact us for more information.

The 2024 Gratitude Grant application period begins Wednesday, March 6, and continues through Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at 11:59pm, unless a change is announced. Please bookmark this page to return for updates as the Application Period nears.

Temelio is CEF’s third-party online grant application platform. It is a secure website used by foundations to gather grant applications. The platform will only ask for your basic information such as full name and email address, not Social Security number or other personal details. Learn more about Temelio’s privacy policy.

  1. Eligibility. Subject to the additional restrictions below, Gratitude Grants (the “Grant Program”) is only open to teachers working full-time at a West Contra Costa public school at the time of applying and receiving the grant award. West Contra Costa is an area in Contra Costa County that incorporates the cities of El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Hercules, Kensington, North Richmond, Pinole, San Pablo, Richmond. For the purposes of these Official Guidelines, Chamberlin Education Foundation (“Sponsor”) is defining “Teacher” as an individual who holds the role of TK-12 Classroom Teacher, SPED Teacher, Resource Specialist, Education Specialist, Occupational Therapist, Speech Language Pathologist, Employment/Vocation Specialist (for Transition Program only), College Counselor, Librarian, School Psychologist, Literacy Coach, Instructional Coach, and School Counselor. Any individuals holding roles in a WCC school outside of these 13 designated roles are not eligible for a grant.
  2. Application Period. The Application Period will begin at 12:00 AM Pacific Time (“P.T.”) on March 6, 2024 and end at 11:59PM P.T. on March 20, 2024 (the “Application Period”) unless otherwise indicated. The Application Period consists of a submission period for grant applications. The Application Period is subject to change without notice at the sole discretion of the Chamberlin Education Foundation.
  3. How to Apply. To apply, during the Application Period, complete an official application. Applicant’s response should describe how the funds will benefit the applicant’s classroom and students. Designated uses can include supplies needed for school reopening. Use of funds for the applicant’s own professional development, travel, study or similar purposes will not be considered. The official application form is available online at https://app.trytemelio.com/form/4d1caea3-7e77-4b1b-a586-956fda7acc3f or elsewhere as indicated on the chamberlinfoundation.org website. Complete the application form with all required information including general details about you as a teacher and your school site, then submit the entry by clicking on the “SUBMIT” button. Only the person whose name is on the application can apply on behalf of themself. Sponsors reserve the right to require substantiation of the claims and stated facts contained in any application, and to disqualify an applicant if such claims cannot be substantiated. Sponsors also reserve the right to require evidence of employment verification at any time. Sponsors will not be responsible for incomplete, lost, late, misdirected or illegible applications. All applications become property of Sponsors and none will be returned. Your computer must accept cookies, or any successor or similar technology, which may be used for the purpose of application tracking. Ad blocking software on your computer needs to be disabled so that it doesn’t interfere with processing your entry. By entering, applicants agree to the terms of these Official Guidelines and to receive emails from Sponsors or those directed by Sponsors regarding Sponsors’ products and services as well as Chamberlin Education Foundation’s digital newsletter.
  4. Grant Recipient Selection. The criteria for getting approved for a grant award will be (i) the applicant’s eligibility, and (ii) an explanation of how funds will be used in furtherance of the applicant’s students and classroom. Decisions of Sponsors shall be final and binding in all respects. Each Grant Recipient will receive:

    (i) $300 to support efforts related to their classroom resourcing, including supplies used to facilitate the safe reopening of schools or classrooms, and / or to support student learning, engagement or wellbeing during instruction.

  5. Grant Recipient Notification and Acceptance. Selected grant recipient will be notified on an on-going basis; if not, by Tuesday, April 30, 2024 at the latest. Sponsors will notify selected grant recipients through their Temelio account and email notifications sent through their Temelio account. Grant Recipients may waive their right to receive the grant award. Grant awards are nonassignable and nontransferable. No substitutions allowed by Grant Recipients. Each Grant Recipient may be required to complete an affidavit of eligibility/liability and publicity release (except where prohibited by law), which must be returned as directed by Sponsors. Failure to sign and return the affidavit or release, or to comply with any term or condition of these Official Guidelines, may result in a Grant Recipient’s disqualification, and the forfeiture of his or her interest in the grant award. Except where prohibited, acceptance of any award constitutes a Grant Recipient’s consent to the Sponsor’s publication of his or her name, biographical information and likeness in any media for any promotional purpose, without limitation, or further compensation. Any Grant Award not redeemed and claimed by eligible Grant Recipients in accordance with these Official Guidelines will not be awarded and will remain the property of Sponsors.
  6. Participation. By participating, each applicant agrees to be bound by these Official Guidelines and the decisions of Sponsors. Sponsors reserve the right to disqualify persons found tampering with or otherwise abusing any aspect of this Grant Program as solely determined by Sponsors. In the event the Grant Program is compromised by a virus, non-authorized human intervention, tampering or other causes beyond the reasonable control of Sponsors, which corrupts or impairs the administration, security, fairness or proper operation of the Grant Program, Sponsors reserve the right in their sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the Grant Program. Should the Grant Program be terminated prior to the stated expiration date, Sponsors reserve the right to award grants based on the applications received before and/or after the termination date, or in such manner as deemed fair and appropriate by Sponsors. Sponsors will not be responsible for incomplete, lost, late, misdirected or illegible applications, or for failure to receive applications or other electronic communications due to transmission failures or technical failures of any kind, including, without limitation, malfunctioning of any network, hardware or software, whether originating with sender or Sponsors. The authorized account holder of the email address submitted at time of applying will be considered the entrant. An “authorized account holder” shall mean the natural person assigned to such email account by the Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with such email account.
  7. Release. By applying to the Grant Program (and, if applicable, by receipt of grant), each entrant agrees to release and hold harmless Sponsors and each of their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, suppliers, distributors, advertising/promotion agencies, and prize suppliers, and each of their respective officers, directors, members, employees and agents (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from and against any claim or cause of action, including, but not limited to, personal injury, death, or damage to or loss of property, arising out of participation in the Grant Program or, for each Grant Recipient, receipt or use or misuse of any grant award.
  8. Limitations of Liability. The Released Parties are not responsible for: (1) any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by entrants, printing errors or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Grant Program; (2) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines or network hardware or software; (3) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the application process or the Grant Program; (4) technical or human error which may occur in the administration of the Grant Program or the processing of applications; (5) late, lost, undeliverable, damaged or stolen grant awards; or (6) any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrant’s participation in the Grant Program or receipt or use or misuse of any grant award. If for any reason an entrant’s application is confirmed to have been erroneously deleted, lost, or otherwise destroyed or corrupted, entrant’s sole remedy is another application in the Grant Program unless it is not possible to award another application due to discontinuance or completion of the Grant Program.
  9. Disputes: Except where prohibited, entrant agrees that: (1) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Grant Program or any grant awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the United States District Court for California or the appropriate California State Court located in Richmond, CA U.S.A.; (2) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Grant Program, but in no event attorneys’ fees; and (3) under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, indirect, punitive, incidental and consequential damages and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Guidelines, or the rights and obligations of the Grant Recipients and Sponsors in connection with the Grant Program shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of California or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of California.
  10. Construction. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these guidelines shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision. In the event that any such provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable, these guidelines shall be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or unenforceable provision was not contained therein.
  11. Sponsors, Grant Recipient List and Official Guidelines. Gratitude Grants Program is sponsored by the Chamberlin Education Foundation located at 855 Marina Bay Richmond, CA 94804 (collectively, “Sponsors”). The decisions of Sponsors regarding the selection of Grant Recipients and all other aspects of the Grant Program shall be final and binding in all respects. Sponsors will not be responsible for typographical, printing or other inadvertent errors in these Official Guidelines or in other materials relating to the Grant Program. For a copy of these Official Guidelines, visit https://www.chamberlinfoundation.org/gratitude-grants/. If you have any questions regarding this Grant Program, please contact Chamberlin Education Foundation at [email protected].