Summer programs play a critical role in the lives of our children, adolescents, and teens. These programs provide structured time that serve as safety nets, reduce juvenile crime rates, and support working parents. But for many families these initiatives may be out of reach: They may not know how to access programs. Enrollment might be limited. Fees may be restrictive. Transportation could be lacking. Meals might be needed. There may even be fewer opportunities for tweens and teens.
The Community Foundation wants to focus a round of grantmaking on summer youth initiatives, especially those that reach families who would otherwise not have access to these programs.
There are pockets of poverty throughout the Greater Mercer County region, and we want to hear from nonprofits providing summer programming throughout the region, as well as from community advocates who can lift-up the voices of families struggling to find affordable and suitable summer programs for their children, adolescents, and teens.
The Community Foundation plans to hold a virtual gathering on May 24 to hear from nonprofits and community advocates about summer programming needs in our region and understand the factors that prevent vulnerable youth from accessing these programs.
After the virtual meeting, a brief grant application process will open. Nonprofits must have 501c3 status. Existing and new summer programs will be considered, but it is likely that programs identified as reaching vulnerable youth, particularly tweens and teens, will be prioritized.
Our funding is limited, so we hope we can collaborate with organizations and community advocates to determine the best way to fill gaps in summer services. Decisions will be made quickly and incorporate voices from the community. We’ll provide more details during the virtual meeting.
Date: May 24, 2023
Time: 1:00pm – 2:30pm
We look forward to learning from you.
