ANNUAL EDUCATOR GRANTS
Teachers, educators, staff members, para-educators - MFEE wants you to apply for a grant!
Each year, MFEE’s board allocates between $50-75,000 for your big ideas.
2024 Grants
Calendar
August 26 Application window opens.
October 25 Applications due.
December 9 Award notifications emailed.
February 14 All grant awards must be accepted and ordered.
MFEE offers three grantmaking programs annually for staff members:
Educational Excellence Grants are awarded to Montclair Public School faculty for innovative and sustainable projects that will have a direct impact in the classroom.
Minimum Criteria
Proposals evaluated on:
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Quality of the application,
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Demonstrated need for the project
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Sustainability
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Extent to which it presents a creative way to enhance curricula
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Staff encouraged to collaborate
Award Amounts
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Range from $90 - $1,000.
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Average grant size is approximately $600.
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MFEE awards partial funding in many cases.
Technology Guidelines
Technology-related items are reviewed with the District Technology Coordinator. Technology requests must be directly tied to curricular objectives.
Items MFEE Does Not Fund
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Class trips or school-wide assemblies.
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Snacks or food to be served during the project.
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Substitute teachers.
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Traditional classroom furniture like rugs, tables, chairs, and bookshelves.
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Teacher stipends to enable participation in the project unless the program requires a significant time commitment outside of normal school hours.
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Consumable, one-time-use items, such as tshirts, pens, pencils.
Download for review only a blank application here:
Social and Emotional Learning Grants are awarded to Montclair Public School faculty for projects that enhance students' social and emotional competencies, including their ability to manage emotions, develop positive relationships, and show empathy for others.
Minimum Criteria
SEL Grant Proposals will be evaluated on:
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Quality of the application,
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Demonstrated need for the project
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Sustainability
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The application squarely addresses one of the 5 SEL core competencies: self- awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, responsible decision-making. The proposal clearly articulates how the project will directly impact one of these areas.
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The application conveys a new idea that may not have been tried at all or in this way before, and/or addresses a specific, compelling SEL need.
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The application clearly articulates the potential to impact student learning in a significant way. The potential benefits are clearly conveyed.
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Staff are encouraged to collaborate.
Award Amounts
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Range from $90 - $1,000.
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Average grant size is approximately $700.
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MFEE awards partial funding in many cases.
Technology Guidelines
Technology-related items are reviewed with the District Technology Coordinator. Technology requests must be directly tied to curricular objectives.
Items MFEE Does Not Usually Fund
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Class trips or school-wide assemblies.
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Snacks or food to be served during the project.
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Consumable, one-time-use items, such as tshirts, pens, pencils.
Download for review only a blank application here:
Greenwald Professional Development Grants are awarded to Montclair Public School faculty for professional development that strengthens their skills to improve student achievement. These grants are awarded in memory of beloved educator Marcia Greenwald.
Minimum Criteria
Greenwald PD Grant Proposals will be evaluated on:
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Quality of the application
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Demonstrated need for the project
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Sustainability
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The PD experience requested represents a new idea that may not have been tried at all or in this way before, and/or addresses a specific, compelling need. It clearly articulates the potential to impact student learning in a significant way. Applicants are required to check with the building principal that this PD does not qualify for district funding.
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Clear articulation of how the applicant will share lessons learned with colleagues either through grade-level, school-wide or department meetings or district-wide PD days.
Award Amounts
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Awards range from $75 to $400.
Items MFEE Does Not Fund
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Teacher stipends to enable participation in the project unless the program requires a significant time commitment outside of normal school hours.
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Travel, lodging, materials, and other expenses.
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Courses required in order to obtain an advanced degree.
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Programs occurring during the school day and/or that require the hiring of a substitute teacher.
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Renewal grants for annually occurring workshops/conferences are not encouraged.
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Membership fees for professional associations.
Download a blank application for review only:
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How many people can I honor at my Toast?You choose! Toasts can honor a particular classroom team of teachers and paraprofessionals or honor all teachers in the same grade level, Middle School House, or small learning community (MHS).
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What if I want to host a Toast, but can only host a certain number of people?You tell us how many tickets to sell. We can turn off ticketing whenever we reach the requested number.
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Can Toasts include anyone who wants to participate, regardless of their ability to pay for a ticket?Yes! MFEE waives the fee for any family who cannot afford to purchase a ticket. Also, when tickets are available for the party, there is a confidential “pay what you can” option.
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How do Toasts differ from year-end class parties?Toasts differ from class parties, because they are fundraisers to support the MFEE Educational Excellence Grant Program, which nurtures a culture of innovation in classrooms and district-wide. Toasts also build community by bringing us together to celebrate and honor amazing educators in our entire district.
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What if hosting a Toast is too much for me, and I'd rather just write a check in honor of my teacher?Great! You can donate to the Educational Excellence Grant Fund and identify the name of the teacher or teachers that you'd like to honor. MFEE will send the teacher a special card that lets him/her know that you made a donation in their honor. Click here to send a Teacher Tribute.
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How do the Toasts raise funds?Our generous Toast Hosts cover the (tax-deductible) costs of the parties. MFEE works with the hosts to set ticket prices for the parties and creates online pages for purchasing tickets. When folks purchase tickets, they can also add any additional amount. All money raised funds MFEE's Educational Excellence Grants.
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When do Toasts take place?Toasts usually run in May & June to celebrate the end of the year. You can select a date that works for you and your honoree.
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What does MFEE not usually fund?MFEE does not traditionally fund furniture, classroom rugs, assemblies, or things like t-shirts. MFEE tries to stretch its dollars by investing in projects/materials that have a lasting impact, so we do not typically fund consumable items or materials that are costly to maintain.
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How do I start my grant application?To apply for a grant, you must first create an account in our grant management system. Click here to apply. If you were awarded a grant last year, you must fill out your final report before you can apply for a new grant.
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How do I fill out the budget section in the application?The easiest way is to organize your budget before you fill out the application. Please include links and be as accurate as possible. You must include shipping costs. If you want to make an Amazon wishlist to avoid individually pasting in all your links, you can just include that one single link in the application in the first section of the budget.
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I remember it used to take a long time to get grant award items. Is this still true?MFEE now does all the ordering for grant awards in-house, and our goal is to finalize all award orders by mid-February. If you get us your order right away, we will do our best to get it to you quickly. If you have specific deadlines in mind, you can always email us, and we will work with you.
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I missed the deadline for grant applications. Can I still apply?No. In an effort to be fair to all staff members, we have to stick to our deadlines. We try to be fair and ensure everyone has equal access to the grant funding.
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I have a great idea, but it might include some consumables. Should I still apply?Yes! Especially if the consumables are in service of a thoughtful initiative that will provide students with a deep learning experience. There are often exceptions made when the idea is truly innovative and exciting.
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Why do I have to order my grant items? I already included a budget in my application.Because prices fluctuate and you may have been awarded partial funding, we ask each grant recipient to submit the order.
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I have an idea, but I want to bounce it off someone before I work on the application. Who can help?Email your grant liaisons for your school. They will be happy to help you flesh out your ideas and answer your questions. bradfordliaisons@mfee.org buzzliaisons@mfee.org chbliaisons@mfee.org dlcpreschoolliaisons@mfee.org edgemontliaisons@mfee.org hillsideliaisons@mfee.org glenfieldliaisons@mfee.org mhsliaisons@mfee.org nishuaneliaisons@mfee.org northeastliaisons@mfee.org renaissanceliaisons@mfee.org watchungliaisons@mfee.org **New in 2024 - have a science idea? You can get guidance from our Science Grant Liaison at scienceliaison@mfee.org .
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Will MFEE grants pay for a speaker to come to our school?Traditionally, MFEE does not fund assemblies or one-off presentations. However, if the applicant can demonstrate how the presentation is embedded into a broader initiative that includes deeper engagement, several learning opportunities, and engages many students beyond the one-day assembly, it will be considered . The applicant would be encouraged to think BIG - including the principal, other staff and possibly even the PTA in such an application.
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I was awarded a grant, but I don’t remember how to order it.Grantees have a specified time to order materials related to their approved grant. If the time has elapsed, you will have to re-apply in the next grant cycle. If you are unsure whether your grant is still active, click here to go into our grants management system. You must “accept” the terms and conditions of your award, and within the document, there is a link to submit your order. Because MFEE is a tax exempt organization, we prefer to order your grant award materials, rather than reimburse you for ordering.
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What does MFEE usually fund?MFEE likes to fund innovative and sustainable ideas - especially those that can make a long-term impact. MFEE loves projects that impact a large group of students and may include collaboration between staff across a grade, across disciplines, or even across buildings.
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Does MFEE fund subscriptions?Traditionally, MFEE does not fund subscriptions to magazines or newspapers because they would be consumable, one-use items. If the subscription could be used more than once over time, it might be considered. For online resources, MFEE will consider funding a subscription as a pilot teaching tool for one-year only. In this one year, MFEE would ask the teacher to report back on the tool's usefulness, so we can bring it to the district’s attention as a potential district-funded resource.