Opportunity Overview
The McKinley Education Foundation is accepting applications for its GMCS 2026-2027 School Year Teacher Mini-Grant, Fall 2026 cycle. The program supports new, innovative classroom projects that educationally benefit students in Gallup-McKinley County Schools.
Funding and Eligibility
Grants are open to GMCS teachers, librarians, and counselors, applying individually or jointly. The maximum award is $400 per grant. Applicants may submit more than one application, but an individual may receive no more than one grant in a given year. The public guidelines do not state a mandatory match or cost-share requirement.
Allowable and Prohibited Uses
Grant funds may support hands-on student project materials such as manipulatives, science materials, craft materials, and similar items. The Foundation does not fund field trips or bus transportation, uniforms or costumes, teacher pay or stipends, substitute pay, staff development, conference fees, travel, televisions, LCD projectors, tape recorders, CD players, boom boxes, computers, tablets, printers, or continuations of existing projects. Food, films, video materials, software, monetary awards, and prizes are considered only when they are a small but integral part of the overall proposal. Expenses already included in a school operating budget are not eligible.
Facilities changes and curriculum supplements or changes require written approval from the appropriate District Administrator. Applicants must notify their Principal or District Administrator before applying. Equipment purchased with grant funds becomes property of Gallup-McKinley County Schools.
Submission and Reporting
Applications must be submitted through the Foundation’s online application form; proposals submitted in another format are not considered. All application questions must be answered and required school or district approvals must be included. The Foundation does not publish a separate mandatory attachment package on the current public guidelines page.
Recipients must submit a short final project report no later than 30 days after the end of the school year. Failure to report can disqualify the applicant from future participation and require repayment. Unused grant funds must be returned.
Deadline
The Foundation’s current home page for the 2026-2027 Fall school session states that the application deadline is midnight on October 4, 2026. The official page does not publish a time zone, so Atlas does not infer one. The general guidelines page contains an older 2025 deadline line; Atlas treats the current cycle-specific home-page announcement as controlling for the 2026 Fall cycle.
Atlas Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 54/100. The opportunity is verified and open, with clear educational eligibility and rules, but the maximum award is only $400 and the deadline time zone is unpublished.
N9+ Fit Score: 0/100. Computers, tablets, projectors, and other listed technology are expressly excluded, and this is not a healthcare, telehealth, or clinical-device program. The Nonagon N9+ device and platform should not be force-fit.
Dr. Miltie/QC direct-applicant status: No Bid. Eligibility is restricted to qualifying Gallup-McKinley County Schools educators.
Official source: McKinley Education Foundation current cycle page and Teacher Grant Guidelines.