Best Starts for Kids (Best Starts) and King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) are pleased to release this Request for Proposals (RFP) to support Youth Development programs within King County.
Donor Name: Best Starts for Kids
State: Washington
County: King County (WA)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/15/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
For the purposes of this RFP, the term “Youth Development” encompasses programs that provide opportunities for youth to participate in the following strategies,
- Mentoring;
- Youth leadership and engagement opportunities;
- Activities that promote positive identity development; and
- Healthy and safe relationships, including resources for mental health, domestic/intimate partner violence Prevention, and peer to peer support.
Youth Development Strategies
After each Youth Development strategy description below, examples are provided of programs that may address each strategy. They are solely provided as examples of activities that could be supported by this funding opportunity. Best Starts supports and encourages innovative, creative, Community-driven programs to support the youth in King County.
- Mentoring
- Mentoring supports youth as they go through challenging life situations, including dealing with stressful circumstances at home or any major changes and transitions that come their way. A mentor is a trusted, experienced advisor with a long-term commitment to provide consistent guidance and support to a youth. Successful mentoring includes professional support for the mentor/mentee relationship such as training, problem solving support, and organized mentor/mentee activities. The supportive, healthy relationships formed between mentors and mentees are both immediate and sometimes life-long and contribute to a host of benefits for both sides of the relationship. Research shows that mentoring relationships lasting more than a year in duration have longer lasting positive Outcomes for youth. Mentoring programs for youth of color are particularly important to address ever-growing opportunity gaps for these groups as well as intergenerational mentoring for Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) youth and youth with disabilities.
- Youth Leadership and Engagement Opportunities
- When youth have a sense of Agency, a voice in their lives, and are able to make decisions for themselves and contribute to the health and success of their Community, they are more likely to have positive Outcomes in school and life. Engaging youth in leadership opportunities in various ways in the Community is essential. Programs within this strategy will effectively engage all youth, but especially youth from refugee and immigrant communities, youth who identify as LGBTQIA+, youth of color, youth in the foster care system, youth with developmental delays and other disabilities, and youth who have been harmed by various systems. Community Engagement will encourage these youths to assume leadership roles that capitalize on their unique identities and strengths.
- Positive Identity Development
- When youth have pride in who they are as a whole person and a feeling of belonging of being a valued part of their Community – their self-confidence, mental health, and wellbeing are positively impacted. Programs that focus on that kind of positive identity development will create the Environments for youth to explore and strengthen their connections. This includes connections to racial, ethnic, linguistic, and/or cultural heritage as well as the many other factors that contribute to identity including gender, sexual orientation, and ability. This connection is fundamental for youth to better understand who they are and establish a stronger sense of self-worth, voice, acceptance, and belonging. These building blocks create a foundation for their aspirations, care for others, confidence to follow and lead, and engagement with Community resources.
- Healthy and Safe Relationships
- Adolescence is a critical period for shaping lifelong norms for relationships. Learning how to identify, form, and build healthy and safe relationships with peers provides youth with the tools they need to surround themselves with people who will be positive influences on their life choices. This is also a critical time in development for youth to learn how to recognize unhealthy relationships and build skills to avoid them. Unhealthy relationships are marked by characteristics such as disrespect and control. It is important for youth to be able to recognize signs of unhealthy relationships before they escalate. Programs in this strategy will help youth build and maintain healthy relationships and be responsive to the diversity of families and communities in King County including racial, ethnic, cultural, LGBTQIA+, immigrant, and youth with disabilities.
Funding Information
- Approximately $12,000,000 is available through Best Starts to support the work described in this RFP.
- The maximum award amount proposers may request is up to $400,000 per contract. Funds should be aligned with proposed strategies outlined in the proposal.
Grant Period
28-month contract.
Eligibility Criteria
Proposers must have a federal tax identification number and serve communities in King County. Organizations may partner to submit one proposal as a partnership, but one organization must be designated as the lead for the proposer.
The following are encouraged to apply:
- Not-for-profit organizations (or fiscally sponsored by an organization) with 501(c)3 status (including community-based or faith-based organizations);
- For-profit entities;
- Tribes and tribal organizations;
- Schools and school districts;
- Public or governmental entities; and/or
- Women of color-led organizations, small non-profit organizations, community-based organizations, or young people-led organizations serving in the South King County region.
For more information, visit Best Starts for Kids.
