To:	Local Presidents

From:	Mary Alice Conkey, Executive Director

Date:	September 2026

Subject:	Local Participation Grant

NEOEA’s budget (line 502) provides for a Local Participation Grant to help local affiliates send delegates to the OEA Representative Assemblies.  With this grant, NEOEA makes available up to $450 per local affiliate to reimburse the expenses of delegates to the OEA Representative Assemblies.

Any local affiliate may apply.  All applications will be considered, but grants are not approved simply to free up local funds for activities that locals typically conduct without assistance.  The purpose of the grant is to assist local affiliates for whom the expense of sending delegates to the OEA Representative Assemblies in Columbus is an obstacle.

Once approved, a local may receive disbursements for either or both RAs.  To receive each disbursement, the local must meet the following conditions:
•	The local must attend the OEA delegate caucus held at the NEOEA Representative Assembly prior to each OEA RA and sign in with Past President Sue Messinger.
•	At least one delegate from the recipient local must attend the OEA RA.
•	All registered delegates attending from the recipient local must vote in any elections held.

Subject to approval of the funding request and fulfillment of the requirements, NEOEA will reimburse locals the following amounts:
•	$150 of the expense of sending delegates to the fall OEA RA on Saturday, December 5, 2026; and
•	$300 of the expense of sending delegates to the spring OEA RA on Friday and Saturday, May 14-15, 2027.

The amount provided for these grants in NEOEA’s budget is not unlimited.  In the event that demand exceeds the budgeted amount, NEOEA does not guarantee that all grant requests will be approved.

To apply for this grant, please fill out the application form found on the back of this memo.  Grant winners will be selected by the NEOEA Board of Directors.  The deadline for applications is Friday, October 9, 2026.

Local Participation Grant Application
In order to increase local participation in the governance process, NEOEA’s budget enables local affiliates to apply for local participation grants to help cover the expense of sending delegates to the OEA Representative Assemblies.
To receive this grant, a local affiliate must submit this completed application to the NEOEA office by Friday, October 9.  Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
Date of application:		
Local association
(full name, please):		
President’s name:		
Non-work email address:		
Mailing address:		
		
Daytime phone
(include area code):		
Evening phone
(include area code):		
Reason for request (identify local need; attach additional sheets if necessary):		

		

Funds will be disbursed after each applicable Representative Assembly.  In order to receive the grant, 1) the local must be represented at the OEA delegate caucus held at the NEOEA Representative Assembly prior to the OEA RA; 2) at the OEA Representative Assembly, at least one delegate from the recipient local must attend; and 3) all delegates attending from the recipient local must vote in any elections held.
Email to desk@neoea.org. Receipt of application will be acknowledged. For a Word-fillable form, go to neoea.org/files/ParticipationGrant.rtf.
Questions: Please email us at desk@neoea.org.
The NEOEA Board of Directors decision on approval is final.