Youth Grant Committee (YGC) Grant

Grants of up to $7,000 to Michigan nonprofits, schools, government agencies, churches, and community groups for programs that benefit youth in eligible locations. Priority will be given to programs in the areas of career and college preparation, mental health resources, and racial justice. Programs must benefit youth in the greater Grand Rapids area.

Proposals should address one of the youth needs identified in the fund guidelines, be creative and well-defined, and demonstrate equitable community impact.

In the fall of 2020, YGC members conducted a needs assessment of students in Kent County. Data from this survey, in conjunction with Grand Rapids Community Foundation’s commitment to equity, informed a request for proposals that address:

• Racial justice via community organizing and youth advocacy
• Access to mental health services and resources, particularly in response to the stress and isolation youth are experiencing as a result of COVID-19
• College and/or career preparation

Priority will be given to proposals that come from organizations led by people of color (at all levels of staff, board, and volunteers), that serve youth of color, and that build leadership capacity in youth, allowing them to co-create and co implement programming focused on the issues listed above.

Youth indicated that the following types of programming and activities may be useful in addressing these issues. This should not be seen as an exhaustive list, but rather as a springboard for ideation and creative responses and solutions.

• Programs that teach youth how to plan community events, protests, read laws and policy, and/or speak to elected officials about issues important to them
• Programs where youth learn about the history of people of color and systems of oppression in the United States
• Programs promoting a climate of acceptance at youth-serving organizations, including nonprofits and schools, among students and teachers/staff (racial identity, gender identity, sexuality, body image, ability, etc.)
• Culturally competent programs that promote mental health including self-acceptance, coping skills for anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, creative outlets for stress, and building strong interpersonal relationships and networks of support (socially and within the family)
• Life skills training (ex/ managing time, financial literacy including making budgets, doing taxes, saving and investing money, building healthy habits, cooking, and other practical skills)
• College prep- SAT/ACT classes, financial aid workshops, college visits
• Employment skills trainings, job placements, internships

Historically, the Youth Grant Committee has looked more favorably on proposals for projects that:

• Have a clear-cut, organized goal with foreseeable long-term benefits for youth in the greater Grand Rapids area.
• Are original, unique, well-written, and creative
• Involve youth in program development and/or implementation.