Publications

Guide to Starting a Youth Program

Table of Contents
Introduction
Idea
Organization
Funding
Best practices
Evaluation
General resources

FUNDING

Every nonprofit organization needs diverse sources of funding to keep its programs going. Many government or foundation grants pay for some things but not others: start-up costs but not facilities costs, programming costs but not operating costs.

In addition to the Federal government and national foundations, funding sources can include individuals in your community, local businesses and corporations, State or local government agencies, and community foundations. Often, gifts from individual community members provide the most versatile funding, allowing you to pay for many things that institutional grantors won't cover.

Proposal writing and fundraising

The following resources will help you apply for Federal and private funds, research funders, write a successful grant proposal, and learn about successful fundraising methods. 

Maximizing Program Services Through Private Sector Partnerships and Relationships (PDF, 2500KB) (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)

Donor Development and Fundraising (Community-Based Abstinence Education Technical Assistance and Capacity-Building Contract at Pal-Tech)

Effective Fundraising (FASTEN)

Funding and Sustainability: Be in the Know (Afterschool Alliance)

GrantProposal.com

Grassroots Fundraising Journal

Guide to Funding Research (Foundation Center)

Proposal Writing Short Course (Foundation Center)

Sustainability Planning and Resource Development for Youth Mentoring Programs (Hamilton Fish Institute on School and Community Violence and National Mentoring Center at Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory)

Sources of funding

Look to these links for lists or databases of funders and grant programs, both government and private.

Grants.gov (U.S. Government)

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Federal Funding Sources (Afterschool.gov)

GrantsNet (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

Find Funders (Foundation Center)

Afterschool Funding Database (Afterschool Alliance)

Funding Resources (The Grantsmanship Center)

Guide to Federal Resources for Youth Development (PDF, 1300KB) (Civic Enterprises)

Tribal Funding Opportunities (National Tribal Justice Resource Center)

News and Funding Announcements (NCFY)

Obtaining Federal Grants for Mentoring (MENTOR/ National Mentoring Partnership)

Philanthropy News Digest's RFP Bulletin (Foundation Center)

Youth Funders Database (The After-School Corporation)

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