Deadline: 11-Mar-21
William T. Grant Foundation is seeking applications for the Youth Service Improvement Grants Program that supports activities to improve the quality of direct services for young people ages 5 to 25 in the five boroughs of New York City.
The goal is to strengthen existing services by helping youth-serving nonprofit organizations address challenges or remedy problems at the point of service, where staff and youth interact.
The YSIG program is aligned with the Foundation’s broader focus on reducing inequality in youth outcomes. Inequality in New York City is multifaceted, reflected in racial and economic segregation across boroughs and neighborhoods, inadequate services for Mexican-descent youth and LGBTQ youth, and in a lack of racial, ethnic, gender identity, and sexual-orientation diversity among executive directors and CEOs of youth-serving organizations.
Funding Information
- Awards are $25,000 each and support projects lasting one year, starting on September 1, 2021. Although the Foundation is prepared to fully fund projects of $25,000, they are also willing to co-fund larger improvement efforts with other funders.
- The Foundation will award up to six new Youth Service Improvement Grants annually.
They Do Not Support
The YSIG program only supports improvement activities at the point of service for youth. They would not support:
- General operations.
- Planning needs assessment and evaluation proposals.
- Organizational improvement activities not focused on changes at the point-of-service, such as board development or financial system updates.
- Capital fund projects, scholarships, endowments, lobbying, real estate purchases, or awards to individuals.
- Expansions or additions to programming, including changes that simply increase the number of slots in a program or result in new programming. As such, all proposed budgetary items must be directly related to the proposed improvement.
- Public and private schools.
- Organizations that utilize fiscal sponsors/conduits.
- Organizations that are based outside the five boroughs of New York City.
Eligibility Criteria
- All YSIG applicants must be youth-serving nonprofit organizations based in any of the five boroughs of New York City whose staff have direct programmatic contact with youth at the point of service. Applicants must meet all organizational criteria to be eligible.
- Organizations previously funded under the YSIG program cannot apply again for at least 18 months after the end of their award.
Organizational Criteria
- Serve youth ages 5 to 25. At least 80 percent of youth participating in the services targeted for improvement must be in this age range. The applicant’s staff must have direct contact with youth at the point of service.
- Have their own 501(c)(3) tax-exemption. If an applying organization is separately incorporated but tax-exempt through a group ruling (religious institutions), the applicant should supply the 501(c)(3) letter of the parent organization and documentation that it is part of the group.
- Have an operating budget between $250,000 and $5 million, if the organization serves youth only. If the applying organization serves youth and other populations, its operating budget must be less than $20 million and its youth services budget must be between $250,000 and $5 million.
- Have most recent financial statements reviewed by an auditor, per New York State law requirement. If the organization’s annual budget is under $750,000, then certified public accountants reviewed financial statements are required.
- Have filed IRS Form 990.
For more information, visit http://wtgrantfoundation.org/grants/youth-services-improvement-grants
