YOUTHPRISE

Contact information:
c/o McKnight Foundation

710 South Second Street, Suite 400

Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: 612-564-4858

Website: http://www.youthprise.org/

Type of foundation: Youthprise is an independent grantmaking organization created by the McKnight Foundation.

Types of grants: General operating, program, capacity-building.

Description: Youthprise was founded in 2010 by the McKnight Foundation as a way to sustain the Foundation’s long-time involvement in the field of learning beyond the classroom. Youthprise works to increase the quality, accessibility, sustainability and innovation of opportunities for learning beyond the classroom. The organization works toward this goal through direct grantmaking; partnering with other organizations to engage young people in policymaking and program design; commissioning research related to out-of-school learning; coordinating Minnesota’s Statewide Afterschool Alliance; working with cities, tribes and youth providers to develop community action plans for and with youth; and advocating with state and local policy makers to develop champions for learning beyond the classroom. The organization is funded by: McKnight Foundation ($10 million investment in 2011); Mardag Foundation; Otto Bremer Foundation; The Minneapolis Foundation; The Saint Paul Foundation; The Sheltering Arms Foundation; Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi Foundation for Children; Charles Stewart Mott Foundation; F.R. Bigelow Foundation; and the National League of Cities.

Youthprise has been staffing up during 2011 and will make its first round of grants in 2012. It will make grants in two areas:

• Expand Access to Quality Learning Experiences: Youthprise will accept applications for grants to expand access to and participation in high quality opportunities for learning beyond the classroom or to pilot innovative approaches to close the opportunity gap for youth during their out-of-school time. Youthprise expects to make 50 grants ranging from $25,000 – $40,000 each. Grants will provide general support and will build organizations’ capacity to provide quality programs.
• Advance Integrated Community-Based Systems: These grants are by invitation only and will go to community-based networks in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area that are committed to building a comprehensive learning system for youth during their out-of-school time. Grants will range from $100,000 - $500,000 and will require a one-to-one match. Youthprise plans to offer informational sessions in the spring and invite proposals in May 2012.

Sample grants: The first round of grants will be made in 2012.

Fit for public broadcasting: This grant program is a potential fit for media organizations that are involved in youth media training and production, whether alone or in partnership with other organizations.

Eligibility: Grant applicants must be non-profit organizations primarily serving middle and high school age youth in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area. Youthprise will not make grants for scholarships, endowments, capital, activities that have a specific religious purpose or lobbying prohibited by the Internal Revenue Code.

Deadline: The deadline to submit an online letter of inquiry for grants to Expand Access to Quality Learning Experiences is February 10, 2012.

How to apply: Applicants for grants to Expand Access to Quality Learning Experiences should complete an online letter of inquiry. If invited, the next step is to submit a full proposal.

Giving range: Grants to Expand Access to Quality Learning Experiences will range from $25,000 – $40,000.

Total giving: Youthprise will make its initial round of grants in 2012.