Who we partner with
Our partners are schools in Virginia and Washington D.C. that have demonstrated a high need for funding assistance. Because there are different ways to measure “high need,” each school that contacts us is evaluated on its own circumstances. We take a wide range of factors into account, including but not limited to:
- Title I status
- The share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch
- The school’s existing field trip budget
- How many students the school has
- When the school last took a field trip
- Whether the school has a PTA or other parent fundraising that can cover trips
- Other grants or donations the school already receives for trips
What a partnership means
A partnership is an ongoing relationship between MBF and a school. It lets us give consistently to schools that match our goals, and it lets those schools count on the funding in advance instead of hoping for it. We only fund Expeditions at partner schools, so the application process below is for partners, not Expeditions themselves.
Once we’ve partnered with a school, they receive access to an application portal where they can apply for an Expedition Grant during our two grant application periods in August and January. The application tells us about the five Ws: who is going, what they are doing, when and where they want to go, and how they will get there. Each plan is reviewed to make sure the trip is educational and meets our standards.
Our commitment
We commit to funding one Expedition a year for an entire grade at each partner school, the same grade every year, so the trip becomes something students look forward to and teachers can plan around. Once a school is a partner, it does not have to compete with other schools for funding each year. The grant application is about the trip itself, not about proving need again. Other options for grants are available to our partners.
What we cover
We pay for the two biggest costs of a trip: the buses and admission, up to limits agreed on in the grant. We pay the bus company and the venue directly, so the school never has to front the money or wait on a reimbursement. Other costs, such as lunch or substitute teachers, are not covered right now. As we grow, we hope to add them.
What we ask of our partners
The school plans the trip, handles permission slips and chaperones, and gets every student in the grade on the bus. We ask for one or two administrators to be our points of contact and to hold the school’s logins for the application portal. After the trip, we invite teachers to share photos and notes about the day, along with signed photo releases for any child who appears in a picture, so we can show our donors what their support made possible.
The application process
- 1
Tell us about your school
Fill out the short request form below. It asks for some basic information about your school.
- 2
Evaluation
We read every request and reply within 10 business days. If your school looks like a fit, we set up a call with the principal or a lead teacher and go over the factors above.
- 3
Partnering
We agree on the yearly commitment, the school’s responsibilities, and the grant limits. Administrators get access to the application portal.
- 4
Application
In August and January, the school can submit a plan for a trip.
- 5
Review and approval
We check that the trip is educational, within the agreed limits, and doable on the dates.
- 6
Take the trip!
We pay the bus company and the venue directly. You get the kids there and back. Afterward, teachers are invited to share photos and notes about the day.
We are currently at capacity. New applications join a waitlist to become a Partner.