Youth Grantmakers Request for Proposals (RFP):

A Promise II BMORE: BMORE On Purpose

THIS RFP IS NOW CLOSED

RFP Application period: Dec. 4, 2023, to Jan. 5, 2024

Virtual RFP Information Session: View Recording Here

Deadline for Questions: December 15, 2023 by 5:00 PM ET

Questions & Answers: Read Q&A Here

 
 

Overview

The Youth Grantmakers (YG) Initiative endeavors to establish a permanent, youth-led grantmaking body through which public and private youth-serving resources can flow. This grantmaking structure has been developed by older youth from Baltimore City ages 16-24 serving as the inaugural cohort of YGs. In this second cycle of grantmaking, YGs will be allocating $500,000 in resources to support Baltimore City’s older youth ages 16-24 connect to workforce and post-secondary employment opportunities.

The $500,000 will be used to support efforts increasing access to opportunities that put youth and young adults on track to employment through programming such as career exposure, job shadowing, job readiness, credentialing, internships, apprenticeships, and certification programs. While there is one specific grantmaking area for this round, Youth Grantmakers expect that all proposals will reflect a holistic approach to service delivery, incorporating the following elements in the proposals:

  • Career Opportunities to Test, Do, Get Certified, and Become Employed (must be included in all proposals)

  • Should be included in all proposals:

    • Mental Health Resources

    • Safe Spaces

    • Mentoring and Positive Intergenerational Relationship Building

    • Individualized Academic Support

In addition to developing this Request for Proposals (RFP) and being the decision-makers for these resources, YGs will also serve as the program and grant officers over the course of the one-year grant period, March 2024 to February 2025. In these roles, YGs will determine the grant criteria and expectations. They will also work with grantees (funded partners) to identify and provide capacity building efforts that improve funded partners’ abilities to serve Baltimore City’s 16-24-year-olds as well as address other areas of growth.

Eligibility

To apply, organizations must:

  • Provide support and services in the funding area(s) for which they are applying. For the purposes of this RFP, “experience” includes lived and professional experiences of staff and leadership in addition to organizational experience serving older youth.

  • Have their headquarters and/or program sites based in Baltimore City or within five miles of the city’s perimeter.

    • Provide programming, supports, and services within Baltimore City limits

  • Not charge any fees to youth participants accessing programming or services.

    • If necessary, grant dollars may be used to subsidize programming fees

  • Provide programming that is accessible to its 16-24-year-old participants supported by this grant, inclusive of a transportation and accommodations plan as a contingency of receiving funding. Proposals to this RFP can include resources used for food access purposes if your organization is not currently equipped to provide this.

  • Provide healthy meals or snacks to youth participants in their programs as a contingency of receiving funding. Proposals to this RFP can include resources used for food access purposes if your organization is not currently equipped to provide this.

  • Show why you believe your program is high-quality and provide data that supports the effectiveness of your approach if your are requesting funding for a new program or have less than 2 years of experience providing programming for youth ages 16-24.

Focus Populations

YGs will only fund opportunities for Baltimore youth 16-24 AND will prioritize proposals that focus on any or all of the following subpopulations of older youth and demonstrate evidence of doing so:

  • young peo­ple of col­or from low-income fam­i­lies;

  • youth in high-pover­ty com­mu­ni­ties or low-resourced schools;

  • young par­ents;

  • young people involved in the child wel­fare or jus­tice sys­tem;

  • immigrant and newcomer youth;

  • first generation college students; and

  • young people not currently in college or working

  • homeless or housing-insecure.

View the full list of funding priorities and their descriptions in the complete RFP, A Promise II BMORE.

How to Apply

You can view and download a list of application questions for reference only by clicking here.

Submit your proposal and required materials at the application linked here. If you are having issues submitting your application due to file size, please keep in mind that each application is capped at a maximum of 25MB per submission. Please use this link to upload any additional relevant application, clearly labeled with both your organization name AND program name.

If you have questions about the RFP, a Q&A document can be found here.

Applicants may also submit technical questions about the online application platform to yg@baltimorespromise.org. Please allow at least one business day for a reply to your email, and please note that Baltimore’s Promise is unable to recover your application password should you choose to save and resume your work and misplace your password.

Important Dates

  • December 4, 2023: RFP is released at 9:00 AM ET.

  • December 14, 2023: A Promise II BMORE RFP Virtual Information Session, 6-7 PM, on Zoom. View recording here.

  • December 15, 2023: Substantive questions about the RFP can be submitted by email to yg@baltimorespromise.org until 5:00 PM ET.

  • December 20, 2023: All questions and their responses will be posted.

  • January 5, 2024: RFP closes at 5:00 PM ET.

  • January 26 & 27, 2024: During this time, for applications advancing in the review process, YGs may request a site visit and interview inclusive of organizational leadership, staff, former/current older youth participants, and key partners. Please hold these dates.

  • Week of February 10, 2024: Final decisions are made, and award letters are issued.

  • March 2024 to February 2025: Grant Period.

Helpful Links