Youth Grants

Youth Grants typically fall under two categories: grants for the youth, including scholarship grants, as well as various projects led, organized and led by the youth, and, secondly, grants for rehabilitation and similar programs that work with the youth. There are several grants available for both categories.

Private trusts and organizations usually offer programs for youth development, such as the Frank Stanley Beveridge Foundation, http://www.beveridge.org/aboutFSB.aspx, which includes scholarships in their supported list of grants. Scholarship grants are usually held in high priority by these private family foundations, as well as foundations of successful companies and corporations. Grants given by these foundations are counted as tax expenditures, though the visions and missions of each foundation will definitely vary.

Eligibility of grant candidates will also vary according to the different foundations' preferences. Some foundations will give grants to youth under certain lower income tax brackets, others will prioritize brilliant achievers, based on a series of examinations and other requirements. Some will value both criteria and offer scholarships to promising individuals needing financial aid. Company-created foundations will usually prioritize the children and family of current regular employees. These private foundations will usually offer these scholarships to particular schools directly instead of to individuals; a list of beneficiary schools is usually available, either by request or online. Most candidates will have to be accepted into the selected schools to qualify for scholarship. These procedures and criteria will also vary according to the different foundations.

Finger Lakes Library System, http://www.flls.org/youth/grants.htm, offers grants for youth and family that will benefit or be channeled through the local public library. The system lists several grants that will fund new books for the libraries, as well as literacy and reading advocacies.

Youth grants specific for recreation and service are available to children and teenagers directly. Youth Service America, http://ysa.org/AwardsGrants/tabid/58/Default.aspx, regularly offer various grants, including the Disney Minnie Grants, which funds projects of youth ranging from 5 to 14 years of age, directed towards issues dealing with environmental and community service, disaster relief, hunger, and literacy, among others.

Do Something, http://www.dosomething.org/grants, is an organization servicing the United States and Canada, geared towards youth-initiated projects, not only for environmental and community-geared projects, but also for so-called social entrepreneurs with sustainable projects. Grantees are usually 25 years and younger. In Australia, the Office of Youth Affairs has a Youth Engagement Grant Program, http://www.nt.gov.au/dcm/youth_affairs/recreation/youth_grants.shtml, to encourage the participation of the youth in various projects. These projects can be as involved as leadership training, and as whimsical as cultural entertainment shows. These projects must always be alcohol and drug free, of course.

These grants, and similar organizations which keep the youth engaged, also have programs for youth rehabilitation. Organizations that are geared towards rehabilitation specifically should be active in different regions; one such example is the Justice and Youth Program of the State of Connecticut's Office of Policy and Management, http://www.opm.state.ct.us/pdpd1/justice/index.htm. The Office offers grants to cities, towns, and independent agencies focused on the prevention of crime, gang activity, and other youth-oriented problems that are particularly drug and violence related.

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