Deadline: 15-Jan-2025
The Hawaii Community Foundation is accepting grant applications to provide support to Hawaiʻi’s transitioning foster youth through projects that are aligned with the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative and the Hawaii Youth Opportunities Initiative.
The Foundation supports the Hawaii Youth Opportunities Initiative, a Co-Investment site with the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative.
Priorities
- Successful projects and programs will demonstrate youth engagement in development and be designed to result in improved youth outcomes in one or more of the following areas:
- Permanence – Every young person has an adult to rely on for a lifetime and a supportive family network.
- Education – Young people acquire education and training that enable them to obtain and retain steady employment.
- Employment – Young people support themselves by obtaining and retaining steady employment.
- Housing – Young people have safe, stable and affordable housing and have access to transportation for work and school.
- Physical and Mental Health – Young people have health insurance and access to services for both physical and mental health.
- Social Capital – Young people have supportive relationships in the community that help them achieve their personal goals.
- Financial Capability – Young people manage their budgets and achieve their financial goals.
Funding Information
- Grants usually range from $10,000 to $75,000 per year.
Eligibility Criteria
- Tax-exempt Hawaii organizations are eligible to apply. This includes nonprofit organizations, 501(c)(3) organizations, religious organizations that are exempt from taxation, and units of government.
- Programs must preferentially and primarily (more than 50%) serve current or former foster youth, age 14-24, who were in state child welfare or mental health systems after their 14th birthday, even if they were adopted or legally reunited with their birth families prior to the age of majority.
Application Requirements
- The application consists of 4 tabs. Information needed to complete your application includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Program Overview:
- Provide general information and characteristics about the program including program title, duration, area of interest, program location(s), ages and genders served, and the change sector(s) your program most closely aligns with.
- If you have a fiscal sponsor, you will be asked to identify your fiscal sponsor. Please note, your fiscal sponsor must first be registered in the Grants Portal prior to submitting your application.
- Program Information:
- Organization Description: Describe the organization or program. What is the organization’s mission and history, geographic reach, and volunteer and/or paid staff size? What is the organization’s experience implementing this program and staff capabilities to conduct the proposed work? Briefly describe the organization’s place in the child welfare or mental health field and in this community. (Maximum 2,500 characters = ¾ page).
- Executive Summary: Provide a brief but concise summary of the applicant’s proposed program. This executive summary may be used for different purposes, including external communications, to describe the program should a grant be awarded. (Maximum 2,500 characters = ¾ page).
- Problem or Opportunity: Describe the need or opportunity you are trying to address and why this is critical. (Maximum 3,000 characters = ¾ page).
- Program Activities: Describe the activities that will be completed to address the need/opportunity. What key activities will occur? Provide a program timeline. Why is this program design expected to be effective? Describe any research and best practices that influenced this program design and any modifications that have been made. (Maximum 3,500 characters = 1 page).
- If this is a multi-year request, please describe your expectations for how the program will develop, including specific activities for each year. What is the outcome area(s) your program is intended to address: permanence, education, employment, housing, physical and mental health, or social capital? Within the identified outcome area(s), what specific outcomes or results are you trying to achieve?
- Expected Results: Describe how you will evaluate the outcomes of the program. Clearly articulate the impact and outputs expected from this project by using the attached Project Tracking Matrix to submit proposed results for this program year. (Maximum 3,500 characters = 1 page).
- What are the indicators of progress towards the specific outcome identified in Question 3?
- What targets and measures will you use to demonstrate progress? (Include estimated numbers.)
- How will you track participation and changed outcomes?
- How will you obtain feedback, make improvements, and determine effectiveness?
- Community Partnerships: Describe the community partnerships required to implement this program or project. (Maximum 3,000 character count single spaced)
- What other organizations do you intend to partner with to achieve impact?
- If you’ve worked together prior to this application, please describe those partnerships
- What discussions or commitments have you had with these organizations?
- What level of commitment have these partners made? What roles will each organization perform in this project?
- Budget: Provide your total program budget and the amount requested through this application, and upload a copy of your program’s budget, showing income and expenses, indicating sources of income that are pending and secured. Explain the project budget, include adjustments to be made if not all anticipated funding is received. For what duration of time will funding be requested from the Foundation? For multi-year requests, provide a cumulative budget and budgets for each year.
- Support Documents & Certification: Upload any additional required documents as listed in the application guidelines.
- Project Tracking Matrix: Clearly articulate the impact and outputs expected from this project by using the Project Tracking Matrix to submit proposed results for the program year. Organizations selected for awards will use the same document to track actual results and related measurement methods. See online application to download a template.
- Program Overview:
For more information, visit Hawaii Community Foundation.