Grant Related- What is the educational focus of the grant?
We are interested in funding projects where hands-on student learning can be demonstrated. For examples, on this website, go to the gallery.
- I’ve never written a grant before. How can I receive help?
1. See samples of model applications at the gallery on this website.
Be sure that your grant request meets our requirements. Read the guidelines to learn what we fund and the process to follow.
2. Visit other grant websites (see links).
3. Ask previous winning teachers to mentor you.
4. To find winning teachers who you may want to contact, go to winners button.
- Who judges the grants?
The judges are a group of current and retired CPS teachers who assist Mr. Oppenheimer and who specialize in the areas listed in the Subject Area drop down list on the grant application.
- When can I apply for the 2012 Teacher Incentive Grant?
The 2012 TIG application will be available on-line as soon as CPS provides us with an updated schools' database. Check the News and Events for when we will go on-line in August, 2011.
- I have a unique question about the educational content of the grant. Who do I contact?
Contacting us at grantinfo@offtig.org is the fastest, most efficient way to reach us. (For security reasons, this email address is not an active link. Please copy the address).
For emergencies, contact 312-943-9472. Be sure to give us the school name, project name, your name and number. Please speak slowly,loudly and clearly.
Do NOT email AND call us; it will slow us down.
- Will there be an extension of the deadline?
No.
We are an organization of volunteers. When we set a deadline, we organize our volunteers to help us on specific dates. We ask you to respect our deadlines.
The 2012 deadline is midnight, Tuesday, October 11.
On October 12th judges will receive your grants.
- Why do applications need to be signed?
This is a legal requirement of the Board of Trustees. By signing, teachers and the Principal agree to use the funds and follow the guidelines of the grant. You are also agreeing to update personal profile if any data changes during the life of the grant.
- Do I have to submit both on-line and hard copies?
Yes. There are two reasons. One is the legal requirement for signed copies. Also, Mr. Oppenheimer reads the hard copies and the specialty judges read on-line. Be sure that the application you SUBMIT on-line is the same as the hard copies that are signed and sent.
- What is the best way to mail the hard copies?
Two signed hard copies are due by midnight, October 11.
October 11 is the deadline for the on-line submission, as well.
So you must plan your timing for sending in the hard copies.
Here are your choices.
USE THE CPS MAIL RUN. Give yourself a few extra days. Mail to:
CPS/Oppenheimer Family Foundation
MR# 125
125 S. Clark St.
DO NOT HAND DELIVER TO CPS.
ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY METHODS
Certified US Mail which must ARRIVE by midnight October 11th. Use FEDEX, UPS or
HAND DELIVER to:
Oppenheimer Family Foundation
1501 N State Parkway
Chicago, IL 60610
- Who is the contact teacher?
One teacher must take responsibility for being the contact for each project. This teacher will receive the grant check and correspondence for the team and has the responsibility to coordinate communication between the Foundation and the teacher team.
Please do not list the contact teacher as an additional teacher on the application.
- Where do I receive permission forms for students pictures to be posted on the website?
Go to your school's main office to request permission forms. We cannot post pictures on the web without the contact teacher's word that parents have completed the forms.
- How are pictures of winning projects selected for the GALLERY?
Our preference is to show students working on the projects. See the gallery for examples. Pictures should be of high quality with good light.
- Why can't I enter updated information directly into the Contact Teacher and Schools sections?
You cannot edit your profile or school information directly within your application.
Teacher Profile: To update your profile, go to Edit Profile in the upper right hand corner of any page.
School Info: To update school information, you must send us the updates at grantinfo@offtig.org
- Why is the Subject Area question in the application?
We use this info to assign judges who specialize in your Subject Area. Judges look at your budget request to determine if money you are requesting is required to achieve your project goals.
Select a second Subject Area only if your project involves more than one academic area.
- What is the offtig database used for?
The computer database contains all of the data that you enter and that we provide through our annual updated CPS schools information. It also includes current and past winning applications and all of the associated information.
The accuracy of our database depends upon you.
- Why don't the "Additional Teachers" appear on my printed application? Do we need their signatures?
We removed the "Additional Teachers"from the printed version of the application. This saves paper and time for you. If you completed the cells for "Additional Teachers," the data is saved and will appear in the program booklet, on name badges, etc.
Technical - How do I get started if I am a new user?
Click onto Create Account in the upper right hand corner of the Home Page.
Complete your personal profile.
You must complete each field and agree to the terms and conditions of the Teacher Incentive Grant.
Use your home and cell number. We frequently have to reach you quickly. Your school phone number appears in the School Information section of the application.
Your log-in information is: your username (which automatically is your email address) and the password you have selected.
Now click onto Teachers Area which serves as your Home Page.
Save your email and password.
Look for your automated account confirmation.
- Who is eligible to apply for a grant?
You must be a Chicago Public School educator or recognized charter school educator to apply for the Teacher Incentive Grant. Grants are open to teachers, librarians and counselors, etc.
- What is the grant process?
Learn as much as you can before you begin your application. Go to www.offtig.org and search for the following:
The offtig Guidelines
The FAQs
Gallery - see model applications and pictures from past winning grants
Winners - see descriptions of past winning projects.
You are now ready to begin your application.
Read more detail in Technical Question #5.
- What are the HELP functions that appear on the Application?
Most sections have a HELP function that gives specific requirements for the section where they appear.
Click onto the blue words or blue question mark at the top of each section.
- CANCEL, SAVE, PRINT, DELETE, SUBMIT and what each command does.
Look at the bottom of your application on screen. The commands appear at the bottom of the application page and are the ONLY ones you are to use.
DO NOT USE YOUR COMPUTER TOOLBAR TO PRINT OR SAVE.
Your printed copy will not be pretty.
Worse, you will NOT be saving your application to our site. Most likely, you WILL NOT BE BE ABLE TO FIND YOUR APPLICATION AGAIN. You may have saved it to your computer but NOT to our website system.
Here are the website commands and what they do.
CANCEL - Closes the application without saving latest entries; sends you to the MAIN MENU
SAVE - Saves your last changes; sends you to the Main Menu
PRINT - You must SAVE before you PRINT.
DELETE - Serious. Deletes your application from the system forever.
SUBMIT - Submits your application for judging; you will have READ ONLY access.
You will click SUBMIT two times.
The first time to SUBMIT; the second to confirm that you are ready to submit.
- Why must I use Firefox for my browser? And, where can I get the link for downloading Firefox?
1. Printing specifications and other functions do not work properly when using Internet Explorer or Safari for this site. We have successfully tested all functions using Firefox.
2. If you are having any problems with parameters, in Firefox, please go to TOOLS, CLEAR PRIVATE DATA. This should clear the problem.
3. The CPS computer system does not use Firefox. We strongly recommend that you use a computer where you can download Firefox to create, print and submit your application.
4. To download Firefox, 
- My school is not listed on the drop down. What do I do?
1. The schools' list was provided by CPS in August 2011.
2. Note that schools are listed by the key last name only. Example: Walter Payton is listed as Payton.
3. If your school is a small school within a large school, list main school name first. Example: Bowen Environmental.
4. If you have difficulty finding your school or want to add your school or update information, contact us at grantinfo@offtig.org
It is your responsibility to give all of the information requested in the School Information section of the Application.
- Where do I find my application, archives, school visit requests and final report forms?
Go to the TEACHERS AREA. This is your working home page.
- How can I access my previous winning application(s)?
Go to the Teachers Area.
Using the Archive, you may now access any submitted application from TIG2010 on.
We are sorry that we are unable to provide applications from years prior to 2010. Because of the very poor work of Atlas Software, all previous data was lost.
- I sent in my School Visit Request. How can I update, change info or check status?
Go to the Teachers Area/Visit Request/Archive.
If you wish to change your request, you may do so IF the request is listed as 'requested.'
If it reads, 'assigned' please call 312-943-9472.
Speak slowly, loudly, clearly and leave your name, school, project name and new request information. Be sure to leave a contact phone number.
- I sent my final report, how can I print it?
To review or print your Final Report, please go to TEACHERS AREA/FINAL REPORT/ARCHIVE
- How can I ensure that I will receive emails from the Oppenheimer Family Foundation?
An easy way to ensure that our emails to you do not go to spam is to set up an account for the Foundation in your Address Book.
We may contact you through our automated email to inform you if you are a grant winner (the one most likely to go to spam) or our web-based email where we correspond.
We suggest the following.
1. Set up a new contact: Oppenheimer Family Foundation
2. Add two email addresses:
Our mass email: automated@offtig.org
To Correspond: grantinfo@offtig.org
3. Phone/Fax: 312-943-9472
This would be a great place to store your username and password.
- How can I get more space to explain my budget item in the Budget Area?
You cannot.
The budget item field is character limited. If you want to explain more about the budget, please work that into another part of your application. Your budget line simply should say something like:
"100 yards of silk fabric."
- Why is the character count not the same on the website and in WORD?
Computer software such as WORD and web-based programs, such as offtig, have different character counts.
If you cut and paste from WORD to offtig, be sure that your entire copy shows up in the space provided. If it has not, you must edit to fit into the alloted space.
In any case, if you cannot see copy on your page, please edit to fit into the visual field.
If you cannot see it, we will not see it. The one exception for this is the email address for additional teachers.
- How do we include attachments to support our grant?
Do not include attachments.
All attachments to the grant are tossed prior to judging.
The specialty judges judge on-line and will only see what is on-line.
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