The Nellie Mae Education Foundation is offering a Request for Proposals (RFP) that seeks to support projects that center joy and provide space for LGBTQIA+ youth; space to take a deep breath, to celebrate, to rejuvenate, to connect with allies, to experience solace and community, to belong and be affirmed in their full humanity, and to build a vision for the future.
Donor Name: Nellie Mae Education Foundation
States: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 07/21/2022
Size of the Grant: $20,000
Details:
Funding Priorities and Examples
The Foundation will support projects that focus on uplifting LGBTQIA+ youth and their allies. The following are some examples of projects that will be considered for funding. This is not an exhaustive list but is meant to provide a picture of the types of projects the Foundation seeks to support.
- Planning and executing joyful events, retreats, or short-term programs
- Building relationships and solidarity with other organizations and/or communities of youth
- Cross-identity (racial, cultural, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, etc.) dialogues
- Short-term peer support and/or healing groups
- Space for students to learn self-agency
- Space for youth to learn where they can get help/assistance, i.e.: a resource center, wraparound supports
- Youth-led community service or change projects
Grant Amount
Requests should not exceed $20,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- This RFP is limited to community-based organizations and public schools. Districts and higher education institutions are not eligible.
- The project takes place within New England (MA, RI, NH, VT, ME, or CT).
- Organizations must be directly serving youth enrolled in K-12 public schools.
- The Foundation funds 501(c)3 educational organizations that fall under the tax designation 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) and have an education focus, as evidenced in their articles of incorporation. Due to the Foundation’s tax status, private foundations (described in section 509 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code) and supporting organizations (described in section 509 (a)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code) are NOT eligible grantees.
- Organizations that received a previous Rapid Response Fund grant are eligible if the project that was funded has been completed and, per the grant agreement, a brief final report has been received by the Foundation.
Criteria for Selection
- Proposal aligns with the priorities of the Fund.
- Grant request must respond to a time-sensitive need, unanticipated event, or urgent challenge in communities. This grant is not intended to support ongoing programs and projects.
- Organizations have an established focus on providing support for LGTBQIA+ and/or BIPOC youth and/or resources for educational success.
- Organizations serving LGBTQIA+, BIPOC youth will be prioritized.
- Organizations serving low-income communities will be prioritized.
- Youth serving in leadership roles of the project development and implementation will be compensated for their time.
- Projects should be completed by March 31, 2023.
Rapid response funding will not support the following requests:
- Requests from school districts (individual public schools, including public charter schools are eligible), institutions of higher education, individuals, or religious groups
- Capital campaigns
- Scholarships or fellowship programs
- Debt reduction or cash reserves
- Building construction or renovation
- Operating support or on-going programs. However, staff time to manage a short-term project is an allowable expense if the project is outside the staff person’s established responsibilities.
For more information, visit Rapid Response Fund.
