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The National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth is a free information service of the HHS/ACF Family and Youth Services Bureau. Contact NCFY at |
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June 2009
In This Issue:
Know youth workers or other professionals who might enjoy receiving a copy of the monthly Youth Initiatives Update in their inboxes? PASS IT ON! Subscribing is easy. Simply send an email with "Subscribe YIU" in the subject line to ncfy@acf.hhs.gov. |
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New and Improved News for Youth Workers Visit NCFY’s revamped News and Funding page for the latest updates on legislation, funding, and events of interest to Family and Youth Services Bureau grantees and other youth workers. Prepping Youth to Speak in Public and to the Media Since 2004, the FosterClub All-Stars have proved an important point: When former foster youth speak about the child welfare system, people listen. The All-Stars are a group of 18- to 24-year-olds who serve a year-long internship for FosterClub, the national network for youth in foster care. All-Stars receive intense training and opportunities to speak to the public, the media, and legislators. “You have an obligation to train and support youth if you give them speaking opportunities,” says Celeste Bodner, executive director of FosterClub. Bodner and several All-Star alumni spoke at the National Pathways to Adulthood 2009 Conference, held in San Diego this month. They had the following advice for youth workers interested in preparing youth to speak out: Turn experience into expertise. For instance, young people who have lived on the streets might become “experts” on homelessness—not only telling their own stories, but also doing research on the problem, arming themselves with statistics, and becoming well-versed in possible solutions. Help youth shape their stories. Teach that they don’t have to tell their whole story—only what is relevant to the particular occasion or article. Ensure that every story has an “ask.” Public speaking engagements can, in a way, exploit youth if there’s no goal behind them. Ensure that youth’s public and media appearance have a goal, such as garnering support for the building of a new drop-in center or recruiting mentors for children of prisoners. That way, “Our past is part of helping to make things better,” says Anthony Reeves, a 2006 FosterClub All Star. Teach youth to “plead the Fifth.” Let youth know they don’t have to answer every question or talk about things that make them feel uncomfortable or that might negatively affect their relationships with family and friends. Manage youth’s expectations. Make sure they understand that reporters are doing a job, that sudden attention from a media appearance will eventually go away, that not every offer (say of a job or friendship) that results from their moment of fame is one they should accept. Don’t let youth “play injured.” If a young person is going through a bad time or just having a bad day, keep them on the sidelines. Don’t put youth in the spotlight during a crisis. If the media is contacting you because of something bad that has happened in your program, the appropriate spokespeople are your executive director or a trained public relations professional. Debrief. “Don’t just put kids in front of the media and you’re done. Help them process the experience,” Bodner says. Talk about how the appearance went—what went well, what they’d do differently next time, how they felt afterwards. Got a bright idea that you’ve put into practice? Send it to ncfy@acf.hhs.gov and we may feature it in Youth Initiatives Update. Thousands of Ways to Serve Find local volunteer opportunities for young people at Serve.gov, a new Web site from the Corporation for National and Community Service. Search by ZIP Code and keyword. Results list how far away opportunities are and whether they are suitable for teens. For more advice on locating volunteer opportunities, see NCFY's Lend A Hand brochure. Homeless Shelter Makeover Opportunity Give your shelter a face-lift, Oprah style! Oprah.com and Benjamin Moore (http://sweepsform.com/benjaminmoore/) have teamed up to provide a community homeless shelter with a fresh makeover. Please submit your entries by June 19, 2009. Ten Ways to Find Foundation Funding Last month, we addressed how to write a better grant proposal. But before youth-serving organizations apply for funding, they have to pinpoint likely donors. How to do that with no fund raising staff and barely enough time to get your to-do list done each day? We turned to Helen Brown, president of The Helen Brown Group, a Boston-area consulting company specializing in fund-raising research, and to NCFY’s own youth policy researchers. They had the following tips for readers setting out to identify promising foundations: 1. Be focused. Be clear about your specific financial needs and identify programs that are most likely to be fundable (based on their success rates, the unique populations they serve, and so forth). Don’t chase after funds that take you away from your core mission (for instance, providing emergency shelter when your mission is to teach nutrition). But do think outside the box a bit—if you run a basketball program, could you use a grant for computers or for training volunteers? 2. Consult your board. Talk to your board and find out if they have any connections with foundation funders, even if that foundation’s guidelines don’t match the type of program you seek to fund. “You may discover hidden funding sources or a chance to speak with a foundation officer,” Brown says. 3. Check out your “competition.” Which foundations have funded them? You may be able to develop a good list of foundation candidates by noticing the funders that support similar organizations in your geographic and program area. 4. Go to the library. Besides offering libraries at its five locations, the Foundation Center cooperates with local libraries and nonprofit resource centers nationwide to provide reference materials, training courses and networking opportunities. 5. Hop on the Internet. Many foundation directories can be accessed online. The Foundation Center and GuideStar both have free and paid searching options. 6. Get training. Look for free or low cost training in your community or online. The Foundation Center offers a wide variety of free and low-cost Web seminars including Grantseeking Basics for Nonprofit Organizations and Getting Ready for Foundation Fundraising. 7. Consider asking for help. An experienced volunteer or research consultant can save you a lot of time. “While paying someone to do the work may seem expensive, their experience can hone in on the right funders, eliminate ones that just aren’t right, and eloquently make your case in a proposal in language the funders need to hear,” Brown says. Make sure you hire someone who has a proven track record of success and knows your particular funding market. 8. Start local. Local funders are more likely than, say, the Gates Foundation, to make grants to groups that serve a specific community. Once nonprofit groups have local individual, company and foundation support, then they can make a much stronger case to national funders, Brown says. “Of course, the national funders will want to see how the program or service can have an impact or be replicated nationally.” 9. Go corporate. Look for corporate foundations that might be interested in reaching the populations you serve, and pitch your funding ideas as “cause-related marketing.” For instance, you might ask a soft-drink manufacturer or a local grocery store to sponsor a talent show or fund-raising gala in return for advertising at the event. 10. Network. Once you’ve identified potential foundations to which to apply for funding, ask for informational interviews or attend attending public forums hosted by foundations in your area. Meeting grant officers in person will help you gather information about what foundations look for in organizations that they fund. Brown notes an added bonus: “As with any profession, foundation officers network, too, and tell each other about interesting programs.” For the grant maker’s perspective, see our interview with a former foundation officer. For additional guidance on finding foundation funding for a youth program, contact NCFY. Right on the Money is an ongoing series about how to keep the doors of nonprofit organizations open in good times and bad. If there's a topic you'd like us to address here, please e-mail us. Ensuring That Learning Goes On When School’s Out Research shows that providing expanded learning opportunities, or ELOs, for older youth in the out-of-school hours may make adolescents more likely to go to school, finish their homework, do well on standardized test scores, and have good study habits and high motivation. Such opportunities may also make youth less likely to drop out of school. A trio of articles demonstrates that these benefits are most often achieved when the programs are of high quality and collaborate with the local community and schools. (Publications discussed here do not necessarily reflect the views of NCFY, the Family and Youth Services Bureau, or the Administration for Children and Families.) The authors of Learning Around the Clock: Expanded Learning Opportunities for Older Youth (American Youth Policy Forum, March 2009) state that high quality ELO programs occur 24/7, draw upon the resources of the community, and blur the lines between schools and other valuable teaching institutions, such as colleges, community organizations, museums, and employers. The authors present 22 evaluations of effective programs, highlighting what makes each a quality program in four main areas: academic performance, career preparation, social and emotional development, and health and wellness. In After School Grows Up: Helping Teens Prepare for the Future (Forum for Youth Investment, April 2009) the authors take a look at several ELOs in California, Chicago, New York, and New Hampshire. In particular, California’s BlairLEARNS boasts strong connections between Blair High School and seven-day–a-week programming. The program mandates tutoring for sports teams, facilitates peer-to-peer mentoring, and provides students with opportunities to recover academic credit, learn English, and prepare for the SAT. BlairLEARNS also offers activities such as digital media, drama, and culinary arts. The authors of this report include an interview with leaders of a New Hampshire ELO, who discuss how strong links between extracurricular programming and school have led to widespread high school reform in their state. The authors of Afterschool: The Challenges of Recruiting and Retaining Older Youth (Afterschool Alliance, April 2009) remind us that students are more likely to benefit from ELOs if they participate consistently. Some youth drop out of after-school programs because they have jobs after school, feel disinterested with the activities, wish to relax after school, or have family responsibilities and transportation limitations, the authors explain. They highlight a few successful afterschool programs that have been able to address these barriers by promoting strong relationships among youth, schools, families and the community. Examples of the programs’ innovative strategies include providing leadership and real world experience (not to mention the opportunity for youth to earn income) through internships, responding to youth’s specific needs (i.e. homework help, exploration of a variety of interests), and offering flexible attendance policies, accessible locations and free or low-cost transportation support. Go to the NCFY literature database for abstracts of these and other publications. Primary Sources is a summary of recent research on youth and families. Got a research topic you want to learn more about? E-mail us and we may feature it in Youth Initiatives Update. Making IT Work for Children Access to D.C. Government Resources for Adolescents and Young Adults Find more conferences for youth workers in NCFY’s calendar of conferences and trainings. Funding Opportunities & Recent Awards Tribal Title IV-E Mentoring Children of Prisoners Family Connections Basic Center Program Child Welfare Support Systems for Rural Homeless Youth
Skate Parks in Low-Income Communities Social Change Projects Campaign for Black Male Achievement Youth Executive Training Program $500 Disaster Grants $500 Do Something Grants The Youth Initiatives Update comprises links to Web sites with information on programs, organizations, resources, and publications relevant to children, youth, and family issues. Inclusion of this information does not imply endorsement by the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth (NCFY). Moreover, the points of view or opinions expressed on these Web sites do not necessarily represent the official position, policies, or views of FYSB, HHS, or NCFY. To subscribe or unsubscribe to Youth Initiatives Update, please send your request to ncfy@acf.hhs.gov. |
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Bright Idea