HSLDA is excited to announce a continuing partnership with the VELA Education Fund to give grants to homeschool organizations, groups, and co-ops who have a vision for providing the best home education experience for their families.

Since August 2020, we have partnered with VELA to give out $750,000 to homeschool groups launching or expanding programs to respond to the needs of the growing homeschool community.

This round of grants is reserved for groups who have NOT received a Meet the Moment Grant (VELA) in the past.

If your group has previously received a Meet the Moment Grant either through HSLDA or from VELA directly, watch your email for a notice from VELA about an upcoming "next step" funding opportunity for prior grantees. These will be offered by VELA directly and will not involve HSLDA.

Grant Purpose

Grants must be used to fund new or expanding programs that increase access to homeschooling for struggling families and/or improve the quality of their students' educational experiences.

Funding requests for the projects outside the scope of the grant purpose will not be funded.

Grant Size: $500–$10,000

Grant amounts will vary based on the number of families in the group, the scope of the project, the anticipated impact, and the number of groups applying for funding.

Application Due Date: January 15

Funds are limited, so please apply early.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants must be representatives of a US homeschool organization, group, or co-op which:

  • Has NOT received a Meet the Moment Grant before.
  • Is NOT a for-profit business.
  • Serves families who are privately homeschooling at least one child (as opposed to virtual public school).
  • Can provide articles of incorporation, bylaws, or alternative description of organization promptly upon request.
  • Agrees to complete a future survey requirement describing the group and accounting for how the funds were used.
  • Can deposit a grant check made payable to the group name (grant checks will NOT be made payable to an individual on behalf of a group).

Groups who have received other grants from HSLDA must have submitted the required grant usage documentation.

To apply, you must be set up as a Company Manager of your group on HSLDA.org. Company Managers may access the Meet the Moment Grant application on our website:

  1. Click the button below.
  2. If you are not already logged in to HSLDA.org, you will be prompted to log in and will then land on the Compassion Grants page of your account. (Please keep in mind that you are logging into your personal account, and from there you will be able to access your group's information.)
  3. Scroll down and click the Apply for a Meet the Moment Grant button to begin the application.

If you are unable to access the application by following these steps, you may not be set up as a Company Manager for your group. Please reach out to our Group Services department at groupservices@hslda.org to set up your Company Manager status. Include the following in your email to Group Services:

  1. Your first and last name
  2. The email address that you would like to use for your login
  3. The name of your group

We strongly recommend using Chrome as your browser to avoid encountering technical issues on the application.

Click Here to Apply Online

Contact our Group Grant Coordinator at groupgrants@hslda.org if you have any questions about these grants or encounter any issues with the application.

About VELA

VELA Education Fund is a national, nonprofit fund dedicated to accelerating education innovation and opportunity for every learner. The fund supports everyday entrepreneurs—parents, teachers, community members, and students—who are building nontraditional learning models to meet families’ and learners’ needs. VELA connects its grantees to a national network and provides them with a platform to elevate their work and learning.

VELA believes that learning happens anywhere and everywhere, both inside and outside of traditional classrooms. The fund envisions a world where every family and young person has agency over their education and access to rich, meaningful learning opportunities that create pathways to a life of purpose.

About Fall 2021 Microgrants

VELA awards microgrants to support nontraditional learning models and approaches that redefine how, when, and where learning takes place. Microgrants are meant to support very early-stage ideas and enable everyday entrepreneurs to test custom solutions that better meet their own needs. Grantees receive funding and access to a learning community of other like-minded innovators across the country.

Grants are awarded directly by VELA as well as through partner organizations, including HSLDA. Students, families, teachers, and community groups are all encouraged to apply; VELA is looking to support individuals and local organizations who use their talents and resourcefulness to create their own learning ventures. Applicants who have received funding from VELA in the past are ineligible for this round so more people have access to the opportunity. To learn about past grantees, visit velaedfund.org/videos.