Grant Awards, Ceremonies and More

Once your YAC decides which youth organization(s) to grant to, plan on having a special ceremony or congratulatory written letter for the grantee(s).  If your YAC group has access to a facility big enough to hold a large group of people, consider utilizing this space for a grant award reception.  Invite local news stations, community leaders and the grantee(s) along with a few youth from the organization(s) your YAC is funding.  Make sure to serve light refreshments at the reception and create an agenda for those who attend.  A reception can boost community relationships with YAC and amongst organizations.  This is beneficial for your YAC’s image and relationship with the organization(s) your group chooses to fund. 

If your YAC group is not able to host such an event, hold a YAC meeting in which each member composes a hand-written letter congratulating the organization(s) that will receive funding.  Tell the organization(s) how excited your group is to help fund their efforts for youth and why your group decided to choose them.  Tell them why you enjoy funding youth efforts and why you think YAC helps the community.  Always remember to commend their efforts and thank them for the hard work they do for youth. 

If your YAC needs resources (Grant Cycle letters templates, YAC letterhead, etc.), contact us at yac@arcf.org or visit the YAC page on our website at www.arcf.org.

A Smooth Grant Cycle

After your YAC decides how many grants to give away, how many organizations to give to and how much it can/is willing to grant, the next step is making sure the grant cycle goes as smoothly as possible.  Remember: life is full of ups and downs so plan for problems to arise and your group will be able to handle them calmly rather than frantically.

 Tips for conducting a smooth grant cycle:

1.  Review the current grant application to ensure it is up-to-date and that the questions are relevant to what your YAC is looking for.
2. Identify a timeline for the grant cycle period in which your YAC will accept applications.
3. Communicate to the public the appropriate grant amount to apply for.
4. Develop a one page Fact Sheet that details the above information, along with the criteria for the proposals.
5. Develop a press release to send out to media outlets to promote your grant cycle (Consider utilizing other mediums to advertise your grant cycle (webpage, email, Facebook, have your affiliate ED send to their network, etc.)
6. Monitor your grant proposals as they come in to ensure completeness and accuracy.
7. Schedule a time and date for reviewing grants (be sure to allow plenty of time for the committee to have a healthy and fruitful discussion).
8. Develop a grant review score sheet to evaluate and rate the proposals.
9. Develop your final funding decisions based on the majority of the review committee’s approval.
10.  Develop a process for announcing and awarding the grants (i.e. grant award letter, grant reception and presentation, etc.)

What NOT to do:

- Wait until the last minute to determine who and how many organizations to fund or how much money your YAC can give

      - Schedule a grant review meeting that does not give your YAC enough time to review all proposals and make an informed and thoughtful decision

      - Fail to promote the open grant cycle through all appropriate communication channels

      -  Fail to have clear application instructions and criteria for applicants to read and follow

If your YAC needs resources (i.e. Fact Sheets, grant applications, grant review score sheets, etc.) to help with the grant cycle, contact us at yac@arcf.org or visit the YAC page on our website at www.arcf.org.

Grant Application Checklist

If your YAC has started its grant application process: good job!  If your YAC hasn’t started its grant application process, review these tips below.  Over the next few weeks, we will supply you with tips and tricks for smooth grant cycles.  Hopefully you will gain insight into the often perplexing details of grant writing and reviewing. 

Step 1: Know exactly what your group is willing (and not willing) to fund.  Be clear and concise in the grant application about the qualifications you are looking for.  For instance: The applicant must be a registered philanthropy (or a 501(c)3 organization) and serve youth in the community of (your community). 

Step 2: Be aware of how much money your group can give to the applicants.  You don’t want to promise funds you don’t have, so make sure your group is fully aware of the expendable in the YAC endowment. 

Step 3: Decide how many applicants your YAC will/can fund for the year.  Your group is not limited to only funding one organization.  However, if your YAC chooses to fund multiple organizations, remember the endowment spendable only amounts to so much. 

Step 4: Contact the media (local radio stations, news stations, magazines and news papers) and let them know that the YAC grant cycle is open.  Your group will be able to reach more organizations this way.

Step 5: Set a deadline for grant applications.  When does your group need applications?  Sooner is often better than later.  Set a deadline and stick to it! 

Next week:  Tips for a Smooth Grant Cycle

Connect the YACs

You’ve played the timeless drawing game, Connect the Dots, right?  The goal is to get every dot on the page connected to the others without breaking the line drawn between them.  The goal of your YAC should be the same: to connect each Youth Advisory Council throughout the state of Arkansas and keep them connected.  

You know what your YAC is capable of so think about what all of the YACs across the state could do together.  Each group could pull the spendable money in their endowments to award a grant to a philanthropy based in Arkansas.  Here’s another idea: get YAC groups within your region to come together and plan an event benefitting youth from various counties, towns and cities.  Think of the impact each one of you can make if you use your talents to work together.   

Share ideas.  Build relationships.  Connect the YACs to see the "big picture" of youth philanthropy in Arkansas.  Your YAC (and you) will grow from these connections.

10 years and counting...

In honor of Arkansas YAC's 10 year anniversary,  we got a group of YAC supporters together to tell us what they liked about the program.  We unveiled the video at this year's YAC Attack!  We hope you guys enjoy!

  

Breakout Group Leaders at YAC Attack! '12

Alley Daily

Alley Daily is a sophomore at the University of Mississippi working on her Bachelor’s Degree.  What does she have in common with YAC?  Well, she served 5 (count ‘em!) years as YACer for Hot Springs Area YAC.  She has always been involved in volunteer programs and has a special place for YAC in her heart.  She will lead a discussion about how to motivate yourself and others around you.

Camille Hart

Camille is an America VISTA (sounds familiar doesn’t it?  You’re reading a VISTA’s post right now J) who has served all over the South for three years.  She currently works for the Office of Community-Based Public Health at UAMS.  She loves working with youth and finding new ways to give back to the community.  She will lead a discussion about philanthropy and how important it is in our communities.

Group Leaders at YAC Attack! '12

Andrea Gomez: JCA and Diversity training

Just Communities of Arkansas (JCA) is an organization that advances diversity in the community, by challenging harmful (and often wrong) assumptions and promoting understanding and respect through educational programs and advocacy.  Their programs are available for adults and youth in Little Rock neighborhoods.   Andrea Gomez is the current Youth Programs Director for Just Communities of Arkansas.  She will lead a break session on Diversity and how YACs can be advocates of diversity in their communities.  Andrea will also bring some of the youth involved in the programs at JCA. To learn more about this organization, click here. 

Samantha Minster: Division of Community Service and Nonprofit Support

The Department of Human Services strengthens community resources, volunteerism and national service in Arkansas through their Division of Community Service and Nonprofit Support (DCSNS).  They offer training, technical assistance and information to all Arkansans.  Samantha Minster is a Volunteer Program Coordinator for NW Arkansas DCSNS and provides multiple trainings for volunteer and nonprofit organizations.  She will lead a discussion the role of your YAC and fostering ideas for community service.