Read the Grant Application Guidelines here
In our Grant Application Guidelines you can read about eligibility, timeline and the application questions. Click here to view.
Youth Fund
Students from public, private and home-school high schools throughout greater Grand Rapids make up Grand Rapids Community Foundation's Youth Grant Committee. During the school year, Youth Grant Committee members meet and assess youth issues, develop a request for proposals process to address those needs, follow up with previous grantees, conduct interviews and site visits and award grants.
2024 Grant Application
Youth Grant Committee is now accepting applications for funding from community organizations with proposals that benefit youth in Greater Grand Rapids. Click here to apply before the January 10, 2025 deadline.
In our Grant Application Guidelines you can read about eligibility, timeline and the application questions. Click here to view.
Our grantmaking process and priorities were informed by feedback gathered from Kent County students through a 2024 Needs Assessment Survey. View the results of the survey.
501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, government entities (including schools), or community groups with fiduciaries may apply for grants for programs that benefit youth in the greater Grand Rapids area.
Your grant application must be completed online through our grant portal. All applicants need to create a new organization account. Grand Rapids Community Foundation has created tutorials about how to navigate our updated grant portal, including how to create an account, how to review your organization profile, and how to apply for a grant. Head to GRFoundation.org/GrantPortalSupport for a comprehensive instruction manual.
Youth Grant Committee
Youth Grant Committee presents an awesome opportunity for local high school students to gain leadership experience while working as part of a diverse team to make decisions that make a real impact.
informed by students
The Youth Grant Committee at Grand Rapids Community Foundation conducts a Needs Assessment Survey of high schoolers in Kent County to inform grantmaking priorities and processes. Click on the images to make them bigger.
Meet the Committee Members
We are thrilled to have this great group of teens as part of our Community Foundation!
Grants Awarded March 2024
Amount
Date
Purpose
$2,000
Mar. 2024
The Youth Internship Program emphasizes the importance of education and increases college entrance and completion rates for area African students.
$2,000
Mar. 2024
Baxter Community Center’s Out of School program aims to impact youth employees with meaningful, transformative work experience that implements participant feedback and provides teens with new resume building skills.
$4,900
Mar. 2024
Providing job training and community support for youth involved in the juvenile justice system.
$1,600
Mar. 2024
Supporting Chosen Academy’s summer basketball camp, which provides a safe space for youth athletes of color to learn about mental health through guest speakers and interactive programming.
$2,500
Mar. 2024
This grant supports 5 monthly student enrollments in Code on Wheels’ programming course, using GDevelop as a low-code tool for game creation at the YMCA.
$2,500
Mar. 2024
FitKids360’s On the Move program encourages establishing physical activity habits. This grant will help develop and incorporate mindfulness techniques and formalize the youth mentorship component of the program.
$1,000
Mar. 2024
Sisterhood in Schools Thriving Everyday II Reach Success program brings youth together to learn life skills, focus on mental health, develop relationships, and build self-esteem, all in an environment that promotes creative freedom.
$3,000
Mar. 2024
This grant supports the Teen Leaders program, including teen internships for work experience and an “Adulting 101” series of workshops.
$3,500
Mar. 2024
Supporting immersive arts and cultural experiences for refugee and special-resident status youth that fosters a sense of belonging.
$1,500
Mar. 2024
This grant will be used for youth academic support and to provide learning opportunities for entire families.
$1,950
Mar. 2024
Supporting Freestyle Fridays, a 4-week youth art initiative providing high school students in Grand Rapids with creative social experiences.
$3,000
Mar. 2024
To provide teen girls who are facing traumatic life challenges with resources and experiences to support their physical and mental health needs, as well as providing career path support and learning valuable life skills like financial literacy.
$1,775
Mar. 2024
No Surrender Running Club's Youth Board aims to use social media to promote their programming to engage youth of color, to support mental health and wellness through running.
$2,500
Mar. 2024
Abundant Life Academy provides wholistic culturally competent and equitable empowerment programming for Black, African American, and/or African youth in the 49507 area.
$5,000
Mar. 2024
Supporting the Summer of Success tutoring program, which utilizes teen mentors for 1st – 8th grade students. The program combines academic tutoring with mental health resources and social-emotional development opportunities.
$3,500
Mar. 2024
The Girls Taking Action program provides education and mental health support to promote success by building self-esteem and healing from generational trauma.
$2,225
Mar. 2024
Supporting the Healing Through Play foster care programming, which teaches play-based therapy strategies.
Youth Grant Committee FAQ
Here's everything you need to know about youth grants from Grand Rapids Community Foundation and how to apply for funds.
501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, government entities (including schools), or community groups with fiduciaries may apply for grants for programs that 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. A project budget and plans for program evaluation should be included as well. Call the Grand Rapids Community Foundation at 616.454.1751 if you have questions.
Grant applications are available online each year. Past applicants will receive an email notification when future grant application timelines have been established. Please contact Chantal Pasag, YGC advisor, at CPasag@GRFoundation.org if you wish to be notified when the application opens.
The money available for grants comes from income generated by a $1.8 million Youth Fund, which is held in permanent endowment by the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. The Youth Fund was established in 1994 with $1 million in matching funds from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Approximately $45,000 in grants is available annually.
In the last two decades, we have awarded more than one million dollars to local nonprofits. We particularly like to support programs that are unique, address racial, social and economic justice, and incorporate youth leadership.
Membership in YGC is open to any Grand Rapids area high school student interested in serving their community and willing to volunteer their time. Hundreds of area students have served on the Committee since YGC began, with many of them serving through all four years of high school. Membership applications are available each March and new members are selected in May. For more information, click here, or contact Chantal Pasag, YGC advisor, at CPasag@GRFoundation.org.
Youth across the state of Michigan are active serving their communities and addressing issues of concern. Learn more about Michigan's many Youth Advisory Committees by visiting the Michigan Community Foundation Youth Project's website.
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