10 Steps to Finding a Competitive Grant to Fund Your MTSS

Your district needs a strong Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), but the question is, how will you pay for it?

Finding the funding for MTSS software, resources, staffing, and professional development isn’t always straightforward. Sometimes, your usual federal formula funds aren’t enough, and you need to pursue competitive grants.

Here’s the good news: no matter who the funder is—whether it's the federal government, a state agency, or a private foundation—the grant process follows a similar path. With the right steps, you can quickly determine if a funding opportunity is a good fit and move through the application process more efficiently.

Here are ten steps for pursuing MTSS funding beyond your federal formula funds to get the MTSS program your district deserves.

Step 1: Check your eligibility for the grant

First, always determine if the grantor will make an award to your type of institution. Some sample keywords to look for: 

Federal and State agencies:

• LEAs
• Schools
• Charter Schools/Networks
• Educational Service Centers/IUs
• Private Schools
• Faith-Based Schools 

Private groups:

• Public Education/Public Schools
• Private Schools
• Faith-Based Schools
• 501(c)(3) nonprofits*

*Many private grants will give only to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations; public schools are by their nature nonprofits, and many have taken the extra step to create a 501(c)(3) through an affiliated organization so that they can receive donations. Check with your school or district: does it have its own “XYZ District Foundation?” If so, that foundation may be willing to process the application through them.

➡️ TIP: With private grantors, you will want to understand their history of giving to school districts. Often, even though “education” is their focus, or “nonprofits w/501(c)(3)” status are eligible, the grantor hasn’t given directly to a school district. You can check their grant history on the grantor's website or look up their public report of giving on a Federal tax filing, the 990 or 990-PF, and find who they’ve given money to and how much. See here for the lookup. If they haven’t given to a school entity that resembles yours, despite eligibility, it might not be the best fit for you.

STEP 2: Evaluate the school grant due date and award date

Successful grant writers need time to prepare a plan, identify collaborators, write a budget, and complete the application. Be honest about your readiness and capacity to complete the application. A week before the deadline is likely too short; 1-2 months would be ideal. Also, pay attention to when the award will be made, as it may not align with the school year and may require working with your vendor to pro-rate or braid other funds to cover the gap. 

STEP 3: Review the award duration/activity period

MTSS is a systemic practice that needs ongoing support. Due to legislative funding cycles, many state grants last less than a year, many federal grants last three years, and private grants vary. Look for the activity period or duration of the grant to determine how long it will fund your practice:

This way, whichever investments your school or district chooses to make using the stimulus funds, you can know that the tools are being used with fidelity - and helping to support all students after a very challenging school year.

➡️ TIP: Have a clear idea of your goal in searching for grants—is it to fund MTSS for the foreseeable future or to get it started and give yourself time to find sustainability funds?

STEP 4: Align the grant’s funding focus with MTSS goals

Read what the grant notice or grant website says about their overall goal for the grant. With private grants, read their mission to confirm alignment. If the grant focus/mission and your goals do not clearly connect, drop it and look for another grant. If so, keep assessing.

STEP 5: Examine allowable activities

Most grants will say what the money MUST be used for, MAY be used for, or MAY NOT be used for. If MTSS activities are not on the list, this is not a good fit; activities that may align in a grant could include:

• Improved academic outcomes/achievement
• Literacy achievement
• Student wellness and mental health
• School climate
• Student safety
• At-risk students (graduation, attendance, behavior) / early warning systems
• Behavioral Health Screening
• Intervention and student support
• AI-enabled teaching or learning
• MTSS
• Training/Professional Development
• Capacity Building
• Specific grade-bands

➡️ Curious to discover the potential grants tied to these options? Click here to schedule a demo!

Since grants rarely explicitly allow purchasing an MTSS software platform as an allowable expense, you will have to review the allowable activities to determine the scope of your proposal. Pay close attention to language about community partnerships. Many federal grants and some private grants want to see that the applicant has a broad base of support to carry out the activities and is engaging community groups to help fulfill the work.

STEP 6: Understand the grant requirements

Some grants, especially state and federal, have strict requirements for how to use the money. For example, you might have to use state-run professional development or technical advisory services. Therefore, while the allowable activities meet your goals, the requirements tie your hands for how to spend the money.

➡️ TIP: If the grant requires you to involve community partners or outside parties, you’ll need time to get a memorandum of understanding (MOU) or other agreement stating their commitment to the grant.

STEP 7: Assess the amount of the award

1. ✅ When assessing a grant amount, there are three main questions:✅
   

1. Is it enough?
2. Is it too much?
3. Is it worth the work?

To make this assessment, you will need to have identified the costs associated with the MTSS activities you want covered by the grant. Costs could include:

• MTSS platform
• Mental and behavioral health screeners
• AI-enabled tools
• MTSS professional learning
• FTE for MTSS educators
• Substitute expenses for PD sessions

It will then be easier to know if the grant value aligns with your needs. If the potential award is smaller than your need, consider all the lift, the allowable activities, and the post-award requirements to determine if pursuing a grant to defray some but not all costs makes sense. Is some money greater than none? Don’t forget you may braid funding sources together to pay for MTSS.   If the grant award is for significantly more money than you need, there are two scenarios to consider: one, expand the scope of MTSS across to fit, or two, recognize your plans are not in line with the grant. 

➡️ TIP: Large dollars are usually more competitive to win and more complex to manage.

➡️ TIP: For private grants, check the grantor’s grant-giving history using their website or their federal 990 form. first time applicants often are awarded smaller amounts.

STEP 8: Evaluate the grant application process

How big a lift will this grant be? Look for:

• Grant application
• Application Instructions
• Grant guidance / webinars

Federal and State Grants

Federal and state grants are typically a one-step process with a due date and an award date. Still, applications can be very complex – with many required prequalification steps and required attachments. For example, you may need to register with SAM.gov or JustGrants to submit your application. Those websites can be challenging to navigate on their own, and it can take a long time to authorize your account if you are setting one up for the first time. Take advantage of any grant guidance offered, even in the evaluation phase, as it will continue to inform your decision to pursue the grant.

➡️ TIP: The Greenlight Grants Initiative has great resources for how to complete a federal grant application

Private Grants
Private grant processes run the gamut: a simple letter of interest to the foundation to a grants portal login behind a firewall. The grant website will explain the grant application process. Some grantors use the Letter of Interest to prescreen your application – to save you both from spending time on a full proposal when your concept doesn’t align. Most grantors now have a portal through which you will upload the grant. Some private grants are made available by invitation; these are much harder to obtain.

➡️ TIP: Reach out to the grant contact before writing a letter of interest or sending in an application, even if it’s not required. This outreach is to start a relationship, ask what they want to see in an application, discuss what you want to do, and ask what you would need to include to be considered and measure their interest/enthusiasm. It may save you time and effort.

STEP 9: Review post-award requirements - grant management

Maximize Federal Funds to Drive Student Success Wherever you are in your MTSS journey, Branching Minds is here to help you make your MTSS vision a reality. For more information on how you can find funding for MTSS and Branching Minds, email us at: funding@branchingminds.com