Teacher Grants

MCEF awards thousands of dollars to PreK-12 public school teachers each year to support innovative classroom projects in all subject areas. Montgomery County, Indiana educators, including teachers, paraprofessionals, aides, counselors, and other school employees with a direct impact on educational programming are welcome to apply.

Grant funding is typically capped at $1000 per applicant, per grant cycle. Exceptions may be made when multiple educators are submitting a single proposal collaboratively. In such cases, please be sure that the proposal narrative provides details about all collaborators who will assist you with the execution of the project and all students the grant will benefit.

Grant recipients will present their projects at a Grant Breakfast at the end of the cycle, typically in March. Grant recipients are encouraged to include some of their students in their presentations! Recipients who do not attend the breakfast will not be considered for future grant cycles.

The 2025-2026 Grant Breakfast will be Thursday, March 19 at 6:45 AM at the Crawfordsville Public Library. Please RSVP - See email for details.

The 2026-2027 Grant Cycle is now open for applications! Please find important dates and information to help you plan your proposal below.

February 2026            Applications Open 

April 10, 2026              Applications Due Online; 

                                      Superintendents & Principals to Endorse Proposals

April 13, 2026              Superintendents & Principals' Endorsements Due to Committee

May 15, 2026               Grants Awarded; Applicants Notified of Decisions by Email

March 2027                 Present your work at MCEF Grant Breakfast!

This is the information you will want to have prepared when you begin your application:

Who - Teachers & Students Involved

• Your basic contact information
• Number of students, which grades, and schools participating in proposed project
• Names and contact info for teacher(s) requesting funds

What - Grant Details

• Title
• Subject area(s)
• Amount requested
• Itemized budget (download the Budget Worksheet below)

How & Why - Proposal Narrative

• Description of the project
• How will it be implemented
• What will students do and how will purchased items be utilized
• Specific outcome expected
• General benefits of the proposed project
• How you will evaluate the success of the project

When - Scope of Project

• Estimated date range of project, start to finish

• Enhance education through creativity and innovation
• Complement the regular academic program
• Are relevant and appropriate to curriculum goals  
• Tie technology, supplies, or materials requested to a specific project or activity

Teacher Grants will not be awarded for the following:

• Pay for public school personnel
• Purchasing rewards or refreshments
• Travel or transportation

If refreshments or rewards are part of your proposed project, consider creative alternatives to funding those components of the activity, like partnering with a sponsor or seeking donations, rather than including them in your budget proposal. 

Teacher Grants are intended to provide seed funds to start a classroom project or activity that can be completed by June 15, 2027. While many successful grant proposals include purchasing items that will be used in the classroom well beyond the end of the project and reach even more students, the proposal should be written for a specific project that can be completed by the deadline. Each grant is a one-time award, and proposals that require ongoing funding to be successful may not be feasible to award.