The Seattle Fund supports nonprofit youth programs in the King County metro area that provide teens from disinvested communities access to tech skills and career training.
Donor Name: Best Buy Foundation
State: Washington
County: King County (WA)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/01/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The Best Buy Foundation Seattle Fund provides grant funding to organizations serving teens through technical education and career training outside of school time. Funding is available in two areas of focus:
- Career Pathways grants support programming focused on career development, including and especially in fields related to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics).
- Teens & Tech grants encourage technological exploration for teens and young people.
Programs of Interest
Career Pathways programs of interest will have some of the following components:
- Program serves youth ages 16-21 with tech-related curriculum, mentorship and soft-/hard- skills training.
- Align training with labor market needs to ensure youth gain relevant skills.
- Engage youth in work-based learning opportunities e.g., internships, apprenticeships.
- Pathways from high school to post-secondary/tech-related credentialing programs.
- Opportunities for dual enrollment/high school and/or college credits, paid education opportunities, etc. for teens from underserved communities completing high school.
- General career-readiness training such as resume prep, mock interviews, job shadows, etc.
- Wraparound supports such as food access, housing, transportation, mental health services, etc.
- Success metrics include developing skills for tech-reliant jobs, achieving a degree or credential with real value in the current labor market, gaining employment with self-supporting wages and/or having opportunities for further education and career advancement.
Types of Grants
- Career Pathways Grant
- The Career Pathways Grant supports organizations with programs that offer outside of school time programming for teens ages 13-21 from underserved communities that generates interest and awareness in tech-related careers, improves access to training, credentialing and employment and supports tech career progression. The goal of the Career Pathways Grant is to support teens from underserved communities in obtaining tech skills training and career development needed to be prepared for a successful career.
- Programs should incorporate technology and/or tech-related curriculum to support teens in developing skills and interest in a wide range of areas including, but not limited to:
- Audio production (including music mixing & recording)
- Website development
- Computer maintenance and repair
- UX/UI (user experience/user interface)
- Digital arts, such as graphic design and photography
- Cybersecurity
- Mobile & game app development
- 3D animation and design
- Multi-media production
- Programing & coding
- Video/film production
- Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality
- Robotics
- Green technology
- Teens & Tech Grant
- The Teens & Tech program grant supports organizations with programs that encourage teens ages 13-18 to learn, experiment and collaborate with the latest technologies and develop skills and experiences to help them succeed in future careers. The goal of the Seattle Fund Teens & Tech grant program is to expose underserved teens to hands-on learning opportunities that encourage technological exploration.
- Programs should support teens build tech skills by utilizing cutting-edge technology such as computers, digital cameras, video cameras and professional software in a wide range of areas including, but not limited to:
- Audio production (including music mixing & recording)
- Website development
- Computer maintenance and repair
- UX/UI (user experience/user interface)
- Digital arts, such as graphic design and photography
- Cybersecurity
- Mobile & game app development
- 3D Animation
- Programing & coding
- Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality
- Robotics
- Green technology.
Funding Information
Program grants (no general operating) typically range from $5,000 to $15,000.
Grant Period
Up to one year of funding.
Eligibility Criteria
- Teens & Tech program
- Organizations must meet the following criteria to be eligible for Teens & Tech program support:
- Qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit or tax-exempt public charity with a valid IRS Tax ID.
- Organization provides programming within King County, Washington.
- Program requested serves underserved teens ages 13-18.
- Program requested must be delivered outside of school time.
- Organization has a demonstrated track record of engaging youth at the local level who have been disconnected from education and careers.
- Organization has conducted programming for at least two years.
- Request amount must not exceed 49% of the program budge
- Organizations must meet the following criteria to be eligible for Teens & Tech program support:
- Career Pathways Program
- Organizations must meet the following criteria to be eligible for Career Pathways program support:
- Qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit or tax-exempt public charity with a valid IRS Tax ID.
- Program requested serves teens ages 13-21 from underserved communities within the King County metro area.
- Organization has a demonstrated track record of engaging youth at the local level who have been disconnected from education and careers.
- Request amount must not exceed 49% of the program budget.
- Organizations must meet the following criteria to be eligible for Career Pathways program support:
For more information, visit Best Buy Foundation.
