Aim High: Supporting OST Programs for Middle School Youth Grant

On behalf of the New York Life Foundation, the Afterschool Alliance invites out-of-school time programs to apply for a competitive grant opportunity to support and bolster the ability of afterschool and summer learning programs to help prepare middle school students for success in high school, college, and life.

Donor Name: Afterschool Alliance

State: All States

County: All Counties

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 02/06/2026

Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000

Grant Duration: 1 Year

Details:

Priorities

While Aim High awardees vary in terms of their operations, program approaches, communities, and number of youth served, all grantees must illustrate components of a quality program. Research shows that elements of a quality program include: consistent and strong dosage, using data for continuous improvement, tracking outcomes for youth, well-trained and prepared staff, and meaningful and relevant experiential learning opportunities.

Funding Information

Forty general operating grants of $20,000 will be awarded.

Grant Period

Grants will be made in mid-July 2026 and end on September 1, 2027.

Uses of Funds

Aim High general support grants are intended to provide flexible funding that organizations may use in whatever way best supports their efforts to prepare middle school youth for success. Grantees may choose to allocate funds toward direct services, professional development, capacity building, technical assistance, or program expansion. Funds may not be used for capital projects. No specific timeline or project outcomes are required.

Eligibility Criteria

501(c)(3) status
- Organizations must be 501(c)(3) organizations and will be required to submit their Employer Identification Number (EIN) to verify their status. See the list of documents that must be submitted with each grant application in Appendix A. List of Attachments (page 16).
Middle school youth (6th, 7th, 8th graders) served
- Programs must serve participants in middle school. For the purposes of this grant program, middle school youth are defined as students in grades 6, 7, and 8. Applicants for this grant program may serve students outside of this grade range, but grant funds, if awarded, are for supporting middle school youth.
80% or more of population served is low income
- Applicants for this grant program must serve a high percentage—at least 80%—of low-income youth. For the purposes of this grant program, “low-income” is defined as students who qualify for the Federal Free or Reduced-Price Lunch Program (FRPL). Serving a high-need population is a priority. This requirement applies to the aggregate population served by the program(s) that would receive Aim High grant funds.
Afterschool and summer programming
- Applicants must currently provide afterschool and summer programming for middle school- aged youth.
School year program dosage
- Applicants must offer at least 9 hours of programming per week for a minimum of 20 weeks during the school year. Summer programming length and hours may vary, but all applicants must be currently offering summer programming.
Geographic scope
- Applicants will be accepted from anywhere within the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Applicants from US Territories, such as Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, are ineligible to apply.
Organizations that are ineligible to apply
- The following organizations are not eligible to apply for Aim High grants:
  - Colleges, universities, and university foundations
  - Schools and school districts
  - Organizations that plan to sub-grant or regrant all of the Aim High grant funds
  - Intermediaries that do not directly provide afterschool or summer programming
  - Local governments
  - Houses of worship/religious organizations that are not registered as 501(c)(3) organizations
  - Organizations currently receiving direct or indirect funding from the New York Life Foundation are ineligible to apply. This includes:
  - National or regional organizations that currently receive New York Life Foundation funding directly.
  - Local affiliate organizations or programs that receive any financial support from their national headquarters that originates from New York Life Foundation grants. If you are an affiliate of a national organization receiving Foundation dollars and are unsure if you are supported by the grant, check with your national office before applying.