How to Find Funding for MST Programs

How to find funding for MST programs

The MST approach to putting juvenile offenders on the right path has been shown to be extremely effective in terms of its success rate, decrease in crime and keeping down costs. The question becomes how can communities and organizations pay for MST programs? This information page will give you guidance on where the funding streams might be and who the key stakeholders are that you should contact. It is important to note that to sustain an MST over time, you must secure more than one source of funding.

To begin, download the following resources:

Stakeholders

Stakeholders are those that have access to the funding for MST programs in your community or they may have a strong influence on those that can fund juvenile justice programs. Some stakeholders will take an active part in promoting and monitoring the MST program while others may take a less active role. Below are lists of individuals that you should attempt to contact when looking for MST funding.

Governor and Staff
Legislators
Community Leaders
Philanthropists

The contact information for these stakeholders can be found online.

When speaking or corresponding with these individuals, we suggest you use the following materials:

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State Agency Contacts

There are several state agencies that are involved in juvenile justice in varying degrees. Some of these agencies will have budgets and funding opportunities to support MST programs. If there is no funding path in the agency, the Chief or Director will be able to point you to where there may be funding in other agencies. Below is a list of these agencies.

Mental Health
Juvenile Justice
Child Welfare
Probation

The contact information for these stakeholders can be found online.

When speaking or corresponding with these individuals, we suggest you use the following materials:

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Judicial Contacts

Juvenile Justice Judges and lawyers will play an important role not only in being an advocate for funding MST programs but also in referring at-risk juveniles to MST teams. There are also organizations and firms specializing in juvenile justice.

Juvenile Justice Judges
Law firms specializing in Juvenile Justice

The contact information for these stakeholders can be found by searching online.

When speaking or corresponding with these individuals, we suggest you use the following materials:

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Juvenile Therapy Providers and Advocacy Groups

Many times there will be groups within the state that promote Juvenile Justice Reform. These groups can be very instrumental in helping you find funding or by introducing you to their contacts within the state. Partnering with these groups helps in finding funding sources within the state.

When speaking or corresponding with these individuals and/or organizations, we suggest you use the following materials:

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Grants and RFPs

A part of juvenile justice reform is finding new ways to fund programs like MST. Many times funding can come from philanthropic organizations. This may be in the form of grants or requests for proposals (RFPs). State agencies will also have grants and RFPs based on current budgets. A quick internet search will help you find these funding options. Many of the contacts that you will make will also be able to alert you to these funding sources. Be aware that this is a deadline-driven activity and some of these will and may have expired.

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How to Find Funding for MST Programs

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