The Pets in the Classroom Grants Program issues grants to teachers and supporting school staff in grades Pre-K to 12 to teach about responsible pet care while allowing students to bond with animals. Funding is intended to be used to offset costs of pet maintenance or to purchase new pets for the classroom and are not intended to cover costs over the lifetime of the pet. Eligible pets include small mammals, amphibians, birds, fish, reptiles and arachnids. Recipients may choose either a store coupon for up to 50% off or a rebate check up to $125. Applicants are notified of their approval/declination via email two to three weeks after submission.

DEADLINE: Ongoing through May 1, 2026
DETAILS: https://www.petsintheclassroom.org/choose-a-grant
 

LifeChanger of the Year is an annual program celebrating K–12 teachers and school staff members who make a significant difference in the lives of students and who exemplify excellence, positive influence and leadership. One grand prize winner will be awarded $20,000 to be split between the individual and their school. Other finalists will be awarded grants of between $1,500 and $5,000. Applicants must be nominated, and once approved, will be featured on the LifeChanger of the Year website. 

DEADLINE: Dec. 31.
DETAILS: https://www.lifechangeroftheyear.com/overview

The annual Sloan Public Service Awards honor six New York City civil servants who exhibit an extraordinary level of commitment to the public. They routinely step beyond the bounds of their job responsibilities to ensure New Yorkers’ needs are met. Members who are DOE employees are eligible. Award winners are thanked for their exemplary work through an official ceremony, a $10,000 prize and a commemorative video, portrait and brochure. You must be nominated to be considered. Nominations must include a description of the candidate, including significant career information, their particular achievements and the qualities the nominee embodies. If a nominee is not chosen in a particular year, names go into a reserve pool for future consideration.

DEADLINE: Ongoing.
DETAILS: https://www.fcny.org/sloan-public-service-awards

The Jan Stauber–Sherlock Holmes Literacy Grant provides grants of up to $1,000 for K–12 teachers and school librarians to encourage young people to read and to introduce them to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. Funding is given to design educational experiences and curricular materials related to Sherlock Holmes literature. While applications may be submitted at any time, once funds have been depleted for a particular school year, no additional grants will be considered until the following year.

DEADLINE: ongoing while funds are available.
DETAILS: https://www.beaconsociety.com/apply-for-a-grant.html

The Ascanius Grant for Professional Development is awarded to teachers of elementary and middle school students to support continuing education for teachers. Applicants must be teachers who primarily teach the ancient Greco-Roman world, Latin or classics, or who are seeking to increase their knowledge of these areas to integrate it into their students’ instruction. Grants of up to $1,000 are available to assist teachers with course registration, travel, books, and room and board for programs, conferences or courses. Funding may not be used directly toward tuition costs for credit-bearing courses. 

DEADLINE: March 30.
DETAILS: http://www.ascaniusyci.org/grants/pd.htm

Materials for the Arts (MFTA) is a city-operated creative reuse center supporting the arts and sustainability and is open to Department of Education employees. Staff members at city schools may make an appointment to visit MFTA’s warehouse in Long Island City to choose from a wide array of free, donated materials such as paper, office supplies, craft items, beads, fabric and movie props to bring back to their schools or classrooms. Currently, 93% of DOE schools have MFTA accounts — you can check its website to see if your school has one. To make an appointment to “shop” at MFTA, ask your administrator to add you to your school’s authorized contact list and then access the MFTA portal using your DOE email and password. 

DEADLINE: Ongoing
DETAILS: https://www.nyc.gov/content/mfta/pages/receive-receiving-materials

The Awesome Foundation is a global community awarding $1,000 micro grants to people and groups working on awesome projects. These grants are not exclusively for teachers, but they may apply. The application deadline is the last day of each month. Tips for submissions are to be brief, unique and specific about how you would use the grant funds. If your project is not selected in a given month, you are free to reapply.

DEADLINE: ongoing, on a monthly basis
DETAILS: https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/nyc