Lilly Endowment is pleased to announce Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana (SYPI), a competitive initiative to help advance the academic, physical and social development of Indiana youth.
Donor Name: Lilly Endowment
State: Indiana
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/01/2023
Size of the Grant: $60,000 up to $1 million
Grant Duration: 3 years
Details:
Through SYPI, the Endowment seeks to support and strengthen eligible youth-serving organizations that provide programs and services to youth (ages five through 18) in communities throughout Indiana.
Priorities & Special Focus
Given the urgent need to advance the academic, physical and social development of Indiana youth, the Endowment through SYPI is offering grant funding on a competitive basis to youth-serving organizations whose programs further one or more of the following purposes that are priorities of this initiative:
- Enhancing the welfare and safety of youth.
- Identifying and addressing the social and emotional needs of youth.
- Delivering educational experiences for youth that supplement classroom learning.
- Developing character traits and leadership skills in youth.
- Providing safe and enriching out-of-school time learning environments for youth.
Through SYPI, the Endowment expects to support organizations that serve a wide range of youth. However, the initiative has a special focus on youth who are in low-income households, are members of communities of color, or are from immigrant families and youth who lack adult supervision and protection, or are or have been exposed to trauma or other adverse childhood experiences. The Endowment will view more favorably applications from organizations that serve a significant number of these youth.
Funding Information
- The Endowment expects grant amounts to range from $60,000 up to $1 million.
- Organizations may request grants for program, capacity building and/or capital support for activities to be implemented during a period of up to three years.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for funding under SYPI, an organization must meet the following criteria:
- It must be an established youth-serving organization that currently provides programs directly for youth (ages five through 18) in Indiana; it must have provided these programs for at least three full years as of December 31, 2022; and it must be a public charity described in Internal Revenue Code (Code) sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1), (2) or (3) (other than Type III supporting organizations described in clause (i) or (ii) of Code section 4942(g)(4)(A)).
- It must offer programs that serve one or more of the purposes indicated as priorities for this initiative as described above.
- It must offer programs that solely serve youth ages five to 18 or, if it offers programs for individuals in other age groups, it must demonstrate that its youth programs address an unmet need for youth in its local community (county, city or town) that no other organization solely serving youth addresses.
The following organizations are ineligible for SYPI funding, regardless of whether they meet the above criteria: K-12 schools, school foundations, higher education institutions, youth sports leagues and government agencies. Although the Endowment recognizes the important role these organizations play in fostering positive youth development, they are not within the scope of this initiative.
Funding Considerations
The Endowment recognizes that youth-serving organizations have many different needs and therefore intends through SYPI to provide three different funding opportunities. Accordingly, the Endowment will consider applications from Indiana youth-serving organizations seeking SYPI funding in one or more of the following categories:
- Program grants that help to expand or enhance existing programs for Indiana youth or initiate new programs to serve their emerging needs. Examples include but are not limited to a pilot program to address an emerging need, expanded programming to serve more youth or add new locations to increase access, a new high-quality curriculum, new materials and supplies to enhance a program and new staff or contract support to ensure programs are fully implemented.
- Capacity-building grants that strengthen youth-serving organizations’ operations. Examples include but are not limited to sustainable staff retention and attraction efforts, consultant support for fundraising, strategic planning, program evaluation, marketing and communications, data collection and evaluation, health records systems, a new financial management system, software and subscription purchases, board development and staff professional development.
- Capital grants that help youth-serving organizations renovate their physical plants to provide safe and stimulating environments for youth or help the organization purchase needed equipment. Examples include but are not limited to playground or safety equipment, computer equipment, a bus or van to transport youth, wiring for internet access, musical instruments, minor building and grounds improvements (kitchen and room renovations including fixtures and furnishings), security fences for cooling equipment and updates to the property to ensure health, safety and ADA compliance.
For more information, visit Youth Programs.
