Brookline Teen Grantmakers Request for Proposals

Background

The Brookline Community Foundation (BCF) is a charitable foundation for the Town of Brookline. With roots in the community that go back to the 19th century, BCF shines a spotlight on community needs, inspires philanthropy, and awards strategic grants to build a more vibrant, engaged and equitable Brookline.

Summary

This winter, BCF selected a team of 18 student leaders to participate in the Brookline Teen Grantmakers Program (BTG). The program, which is in its fifth year, aims to educate and engage the next generation of Brookline’s philanthropic leaders. It provides teens, which live or go to school in Brookline, a hands-on learning experience that teaches them about philanthropy and the fundamentals of grantmaking. Participants learn more about their community, explore their own values, and work together to address issues in Brookline through strategic grantmaking. Each participant gains valuable leadership, critical thinking, and teambuilding skills and makes a positive impact in the community. Since the program’s beginning in 2011, Brookline teens have given $34,000 in grants to local non-profits working on a range of issues.

For the past two months, this diverse group of Brookline teens have met to better understand the importance of philanthropy and to discuss problems and opportunities in the community. This request for proposals reflects the group’s interest in creating strong support systems for youth through out-of-school time programming. The Brookline Teen Grantmakers will distribute $10,000 to support high quality programs that serve this need.

Out-of School Activities

Brookline Teen Grantmakers believe that all young people in Brookline should be afforded the support they need to thrive as they become contributing adults, community members, and citizens, and see out-of-school time programming as a vital strategy to engage youth and build the skills and confidence needed to be successful in school and beyond. BTG also understands the importance of positive role models in a young person’s life. Through out-of-school programming BTG seeks to address the needs and interests of Brookline’s underserved populations and create positive, lasting change for individuals and for the community as a whole.

Goal

The Brookline Teen Grantmakers hope that through these grants, youth development organizations will be able to provide new or expanded out-of-school opportunities for Brookline’s underserved populations and strengthen our community.

Funding Priorities

Grants are intended to strengthen and enhance existing programming or to pilot new approaches and ideas. General support proposals will not be considered. Proposals should be in the range of $1,000-$7,000. Applicants who address the following priorities are strongly encouraged to apply:

• Access to and expanded out-of-school programming for Brookline’s low-income youth
• Out-of-school programming for youth in kindergarten through eighth grade
• Out-of-school programming that has a positive impact on educational outcomes
• Out-of-school programming that strengthens positive youth-adult relationships

Eligibility

Grants shall be made to or through tax-exempt organizations that meet the requirements of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code, as well as to governmental bodies and agencies serving the Town. If an organization or project is new and not yet tax-exempt, an application may be submitted through an organization that has agreed to serve as a fiscal sponsor.

An eligible organization must be operated and organized so that it does not discriminate in the hiring of staff or provision of services on the basis of race, religion, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin or disability.

Organizations that are currently funded through other funding streams of the Brookline Community Foundation are eligible to apply.

Application Process

Applications are due on Wednesday, April 22, 2015, by 5 p.m. Funding decisions will be made by the end of May.

Application materials are available online at:http://www.brooklinecommunity.org/grants/apply. Application materials should be submitted electronically to: grants@brooklinecommunity.org. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Please note: If your organization received a grant from the Brookline Teen Grantmakers in 2014 and is applying again for 2015, you must submit a grant report including a budget report as part of your application. The forms are available on BCF’s website athttp://www.brooklinecommunity.org/grants/grant-reporting. If the 2014 program work will not be complete by the 2015 application deadline, please contact Jennifer Lemire, Associate Director of Programs and Grants, to arrange to submit an interim report.

Please direct all questions to:

Jennifer Lemire
Associate Director of Programs and Grants
617.566.4442
grants@brooklinecommunity.org