Funding & purchasing
The money is probably already there
Most districts don't need new money to add a language program. They need to know which pot it comes out of. Here's which federal programs cover digital language learning, how Mango Classroom qualifies under each, and the other routes districts and families use.
Start with ESSA
Most of the money that pays for language-learning software already exists, under the Every Student Succeeds Act (formerly the Elementary and Secondary Education Act). World language and English learner leads draw on the same handful of programs, and Mango Classroom has a case under every one of them. The work is picking the right program and writing the justification.
Whether a purchase counts as supplementing or supplanting depends on your state's rules and how your program is structured, so we won't guess at it here. Tell us which program you're targeting and we'll walk through it with your business office.
Dollar figures are deliberately left out. Appropriations move every year, and a number that's wrong is worse than no number. Check the current allocation for your state and program before you build a budget on it.
Federal programs
Which programs cover language learning
Where Mango Classroom fits under each of the 7 programs districts draw on most.
What it is. For schools with high levels of poverty, earmarked for supplemental programs that give at-risk students a well-rounded education. Districts use it to hire teachers, launch interventions, and buy supplemental resources.
How Mango qualifies. Mango counts as a supplemental resource: it gets English learner newcomers speaking confidently in class, and broadens what at-risk students get out of the school day.
What it is. Funding to establish and improve programs for migrant children whose education has been disrupted.
How Mango qualifies. Migrant students pick up English in conversation-based lessons delivered in one of 20+ languages they already read, so a disrupted year doesn't start with a language barrier.
What it is. Evidence-based training and support for teachers and principals, so they can deliver effective instruction.
How Mango qualifies. You get live teacher training and professional development, plus Course Guides for every language, 101 best-practice lesson plans, and an admin dashboard that shows who's actually using it.
What it is. Language instruction programs for English learners and immigrant students, including work that engages parents and newcomer families.
How Mango qualifies. Newcomers learn English in a conversation-first course delivered in one of 20+ languages they already read. And because every student profile carries five additional family profiles, the same subscription reaches the parents Title III asks you to engage.
What it is. Supports a well-rounded education, with an emphasis on safe and healthy students and the effective use of technology.
How Mango qualifies. A well-rounded program needs the technology to earn its place. Mango's lessons are self-paced, interactive, and adaptive, and they keep the stakes low enough that students will actually try speaking out loud.
What it is. Lets communities establish or expand centers offering learning outside the school day: before and after school, and over the summer.
How Mango qualifies. Works for enrichment in summer and after-school programs, and in a flipped classroom. Lessons can be pre-downloaded, so it reaches students with no internet at home.
What it is. Supports programs helping adults acquire basic skills, including reading, writing, and English language proficiency.
How Mango qualifies. Adult EL programs and Newcomer Centers can put Mango in front of whole families, so parents and children build English together.
Grants
DoDEA World Language Advancement and Readiness Program
The Department of Defense Education Activity funds districts that serve military families, where students change schools often and a language program has to survive the moves. The grant pays to establish, improve, or expand world language instruction from elementary through high school, and it asks for evidence behind whatever you propose.
Award size
$500,000 to $2,000,000, for a period of up to five years.
Who qualifies
Military-connected students make up 10% or more of your district's enrollment.
At least one high school in your district has a JROTC unit.
Everything above comes from the 2024 round, the most recent one published. Award sizes, eligibility and the application template can all change between cycles, which is also why no dates are printed here. Email proposals@mangolanguages.com: we'll tell you where the current round stands and help you build the application.
DoDEA applications
How the application works
The sequence districts follow, from eligibility check to submission.
- 1
Confirm you're eligible
Check the military-connected enrollment threshold and the JROTC requirement before anything else.
Ask us to check your eligibility - 2
Register in SAM.gov and Grants.gov
You'll need a Unique Entity ID from SAM.gov before you can apply. Applications are submitted through Grants.gov.
Register in SAM.gov - 3
Gather what the application needs
Organizational details, a needs assessment, a project plan with SMART goals, a budget, and a sustainability plan.
- 4
Write to the template
Keep it to no more than three goals, with no more than three strategies each. That constraint shapes everything else. The template runs from cover page and abstract through needs assessment, project goals, professional learning plan, key personnel, evaluation plan, budget, and sustainability plan, with appendices at the end.
- 5
Check the formatting before you submit
Formatting is prescribed down to the font, and the page limits count appendices. Ask us for the current round's spec before you start writing.
Education savings accounts
Buying through ClassWallet
Families in Alabama can buy Mango with their child's education savings account funds through ClassWallet. These three steps are the whole route, whether your child is in a school or learning at home. For questions about an order or an invoice, email finance@mangolanguages.com.
- 1
Request an invoice
Fill in the request form and tell us you're purchasing through ClassWallet.
- 2
We email your invoice and logins
Expect both within about two business days. If you don't see them, search your spam and promotions folders for mail from Mango Languages.
Chase an order or invoice - 3
Upload the invoice to ClassWallet
Submit it through your ClassWallet account for approval.
See homeschool plans
Other routes
Not a grant, but often faster
Purchasing cooperatives
If your district belongs to PCA or Choice Partners, you can buy against an existing contract and skip the RFP entirely.
See the contractsStandards alignment
Most funding cases need evidence the program meets your state's standards. Here's the alignment data.
See alignmentEfficacy evidence
Several programs require evidence-based interventions. The independent study is the place to start.
Read the researchWant help making the case?
Tell us which program you're targeting and which languages you want to teach, and our K-12 team will help you build the justification and the quote that has to sit beside it.