Press Release: Alertus Technologies and the Illinois Digital Educators Alliance Partner to Offer Emergency Preparedness Grant During Severe Weather Preparedness Month
Member colleges and school districts can apply for the Alertus Grant beginning March 22nd
Beltsville, MD (March 22, 2021) – Alertus Technologies, a leader in emergency mass notification solutions, today announced a partnership with the Illinois Digital Educators Alliance (IDEA) for an emergency preparedness grant offering to schools across Illinois. Applications open today for the grant, valued up to $75,000, and will be offered to one qualified member of the IDEA.
“March is Severe Weather Preparedness Month in Illinois, and we believe all schools deserve access to the mass notification tools necessary for instantly spreading awareness in the event of severe storms or other crises,” said Ryan McGonigle, Director of Philanthropy at Alertus. “The safety of students and educators is paramount, and we are excited to partner with IDEA to increase emergency preparedness and enhance school safety through our Alertus Emergency Preparedness Grant Program.”
Alertus actively works to reach local and international communities that are insufficiently prepared for an emergency or disaster event. Through the Alertus Grants Program, organizations have the opportunity to improve their emergency preparedness strategies with free hardware and software solutions from Alertus. In 2020, Alertus partnered with six associations across the country to award grants totaling up to $250,000 to K-12 school districts and higher education institutions. This program is an extension of the Alertus Safe in Seconds initiative, which has provided over 700 non-profit organizations across the world with the Alertus Desktop Notification tool. Now in partnership with IDEA, Alertus will expand its grants program to support more K-12 Illinois schools and higher education institutions in need of safety and notification system support.
“We believe an educator’s focus should always be on the students. If there are opportunities we can provide to a district that removes a hurdle in keeping that focus on students, we want to make it happen,” said IDEA Executive Director Amber Heffner. “In partnering with Alertus, we believe we can support a district in need with a sense of safety in knowing they’ll be able to more effectively handle an emergency situation."
To apply for the grant, applicants must be a IDEA member and a registered non-profit organization or a government entity such as a school, library, or public agency. Priority will be given to high- risk and high-need organizations.
IDEA members can apply via the IDEA website at ideaillinois.org/alertus-grant. Grant applications will be accepted until April 30th, 2021.
Alertus Philanthropy Contact
Ryan McGonigle, Director of Philanthropy
202.253.7887 x789 | rmcgonigle@alertus.com
About Alertus Technologies
Since 2002, Alertus has pioneered the emergency mass notification space, helping organizations find innovative notification solutions for disaster risk reduction. Alertus believes that all organizations and communities vulnerable to risk, from potential violence or natural disaster, should have access to life-saving mass notification solutions, regardless of available resources. Through raising awareness, sharing technical expertise, and granting its solutions to at-need organizations, Alertus is committed to supporting the creation of disaster-resilient societies across the world. www.alertus.com/philanthropy
About IDEA
Illinois Digital Educators Alliance (IDEA) is a statewide 503(c) non-profit organization dedicated to leadership in education through technology. IDEA is the largest organization in the state devoted to the use of technology in education and is an organizational affiliate of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). For the past 33 years, the nonprofit member organization has played a vital role in supporting the integration of technology in education.