Youth Venture

October 9, 2007 - 3:42pm — Suria

Grants and Scholarship Opportunities for Venturers

Hi,

Welcome to the Grants and Scholarship opportunities blog. Whether you are a seasoned Venturer or just looking for funding opportunities, I hope you will find something helpful here. If you have come to the site from somewhere else, please look around and discover Youth Venture. The home page and the "Dream It" tab on the top are great places to start.

Other funding Sources:

This is a resource for Venturers seeking additional sources of funding. It contains both information about awards and other funding sources as well as websites and books that can lead you to other funding sources. More information will be added as new opportunities arise. Please leave a message here if you are looking for something specific or need help with an application.

Please post any comments or requests for specific kinds of opportunities here, and I will see what I can do! If you have won a scholarship or grant because of your hard work for your Venture, please let your regional office know. We would love to feature you in a regional newsletter and free publicity never hurts.

As always, you can email slloyd@youthventure.org for more information. Youth Venture does not endorse any other scholarships/funding opportunities and is not responsible for the contents of other organization’s websites.

The Garden Crusader Awards
http://www.gardeners.com/Garden%20Activist/gardenactivist,default,pg.htm...
Application must be received by June 15, 2008
Prizes range from $2,500-$200
This award honors individuals who are improving the world by gardening. Categories are education, feeding the hungry, urban renewal and restoration, and nominees are notified by September 2008 with winners being announced in November.

State Farm Project Ignition
Deadline July 3, 2008
http://www.sfprojectignition.com/
Students in grades 9-12 develop a campaign to address the issue of teen driver safety in the community during the 2009 school year. Schools receive between $2-$5,000 to put their campaign into practice and one campaign will be awarded $10,000.

Captain Planet Foundation
Website: http://captainplanetfoundation.org/
Deadline: March 31st, June 30, September 30, December 31st
The Captain Planet Foundation awards between $250 and $2,500 for hands-on environmental projects for youth ages 6-18 with appropriate adult supervision. Winners are notified four months after the deadline, so please plan carefully.

Pay it Forward Foundation
Website: http://payitforwardfoundation.org/educators/grant.html
Deadline: Anytime, notification within 60 days
Email: info@payitforwardfoundation.org.
Your school, church or community youth group may apply for this $500 mini-grant to fund a one time project with a Pay It Forward focus. Applications will only be accepted by email to grants@payitforwardfoundation.com

Changemakers Competitions
Website: http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/competitions
Deadline: Multiple ongoing and upcoming competitions

Changemakers, an initiative of Youth Venture’s parent organization Ashoka, offers open international competitions for people to propose solutions to the world’s most complex problems. Entrants post their projects online and they are discussed for approximately 11 weeks before 12 finalists are chosen and three winners win a US $5,000 prize. Regardless of if you want to submit an entry, the ideas proposed are amazing!

Magic Johnson Foundation Grants
Website: http://www.magicjohnson.org/grants.php
Email: grants@magicjohnsoncharities.org.
Deadline: Varies
501(c)3 Ventures working on HIV/AIDS education programs and located in specific geographic regions are eligible for funding for the Magic Johnson Foundation for specific programs or projects. Please check the website for instructions on mailing a 2-3 page letter of inquiry to request funding before receiving the full application.

National Caring Awards
Website: http://www.caringinstitute.org/caringawards.html
Deadline: September 28, 2008
The National Caring Institute is accepting nominations for the person who best exemplifies a commitment to service. Young adults will receive an education award (amount unspecified).

The Kids Hall of Fame
Website: http://www.thekidshalloffame.com/

No money is involved in this award, but winners may receive significant media attention which would be superb for your Venture. You can either nominate yourself or ask someone to nominate you. Nominations are made in specific categories or you may create your own category. Regardless of if you decide to go for this nomination or not, there are some very powerful and inspirational stories on this website to check out.

Global Scholar Award
Website: http://www.globalscholar.org/home
Email: info@globalscholar.org
Deadline: May 1, 2008 (application)
Rising high school juniors and seniors can study international affairs in a college environment from June 28th – July 12th at Washington and Lee University. The application must be downloaded and mailed. The cost is $2,000, and scholarships are available.

International Essay Contest for Young People
The Goi Peace Foundation and UESCO
http://www.goipeace.or.jp/english/activities/programs/0801_00.htm
Deadline: June 30, 2008
The Goi Peace Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2008 International Essay contest for Young People from youth up to age 25. Applicants should submit an essay of up to 800 words in English, French, Spanish or German on this year’s theme: "My project to create positive change in my environment. How can I foster sustainable development in my community?" The first prize winner will be announced in November, 2008 and receive $840 and a paid trip to Japan to receive this award.

Plum Grants
Website: http://www.dosomething.org/plum_grants
Email: grants@dosomething.org

These outstanding $500 grants are given to youth who have already started an organization and need more money to fund it. No 501(c)(3) status is necessary. One letter of recommendation is required. A winner is chosen every week and will be featured on the website.

Mix It Up Grants
Website: http://www.tolerance.org/teens/grants.jsp

The Southern Poverty Law Center awards Mix It Up Grants for youth-led projects that work at knocking down social boundaries within school communities. This project must bring different groups together to work together, and the project should be an ongoing effort. Applications are accepted anytime and you will be notified after four weeks if your project has been accepted.

Youth Service Opportunities (no money involved)

Interested in Habitat for Humanity? Learn about youth programs here: http://www.habitat.org/youthprograms/int/default.aspx

www.kickbuttsday.org On April 2, 2008 youth and adults will unite to raise awareness of the harmful tobacco industry. Check out how you can get involved on Kick Butts Day.

May is National Youth Traffic Safety Month. Check out http://noys.org/YouthTrafSafe/toolkit.html for a list of project ideas/activities and more information

Books

If your Venture is in need of books for children, there are several places where you can try getting books donated. You need a 501(c)(3) status. If you don’t have it, I would suggest pairing up with an organization that does have 501(c)(3) status and would also benefit from books.

The Lisa Libraries
Website: http://www.lisalibraries.org/frames.html
Email: books@lisalibraries.org
The Lisa Libraries donates children’s books to small grassroots non-profit organizations that serve low-income children. They have donated books to day-care centers, after school programs and prison visiting areas for children of incarcerated parents.

First Book
Website: http://register.firstbook.org/#book_bank

This organization offers nonprofits the opportunity to get books at a highly discounted price. It offers several programs based on your specific needs, but generally organizations need to be working with low-income children and/or incorporate literacy or reading into their programs.

Barnes and Noble
http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/our_company/sponsorship/sponsorship_loc...

Unfortunately Barnes and Noble does not give out grants or scholarships. However, they may offer you fundraising opportunities at the local level. Applications must be made to the store manager or community relations manager at your local Barnes and Noble branch. If someone successfully holds a fundraising event with Barnes and Noble, please tell me about it so I can be more specific about what they offer.

Another website that has lists of additional scholarship and funding opportunities is The Freechild Project , found here: http://www.freechild.org/funds4progress.htm. The website also provides more information about issues that youth all over the U.S. are working on.