-- Seed Fund
-- Technical Assistance Fund
-- Emergency Fund
-- Youth Fund for Social Change
Grantmaking Process
FAQ

Stay tuned for information about our 2011 Youth Fund grantmaking cycle. If you are a grassroots youth activist group, please feel free to contact the Crossroads Fund office (773-227-7676) with any questions.

YOUTH FUND FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

Deadline:  February 1, 2010

Check out past Youth Fund for Social Change grantees!

What is the Youth Fund for Social Change (Youth Fund)?
The Youth Fund provides resources to youth working on social justice issues in their communities. The Youth Fund supports youth activists who want to change and challenge existing policies and/or organized structures that prevent their communities from achieving equality.

What projects does the Youth Fund support?
Given recent high-profile incidents of violence in Chicago, our Youth Fund grantmaking committee and grantees are concerned about youth and community violence. More importantly, we are distressed by the lack of support for youth-driven and grassroots groups addressing the root causes of violence. Although a good portion of our grantmaking has always addressed youth and community violence, this year, priority will be given to projects working to address youth violence in communities, schools, neighborhoods etc.  Projects may also cover the relationship between community violence and such issues as education and schools, health, environment, incarceration, media, racism, discrimination, voting, etc. 

Some examples of the above and other projects are:

• Violence – youth working on: alternatives to the criminal justice system, peer to peer intervention, pursuit of strategies to reduce police harassment of youth, strategies to improve public safety in your neighborhood.

• Community – youth working to find solutions to overall issues of equality like access to education, healthcare, jobs and political power: working on alternatives to detention and incarceration.
   
• Education and schools – youth organizing for: restorative justice programs in schools, representation on school boards, alternatives to military recruitment on campus, or programs that address sexual harassment, homophobia, gender, or ability stereotypes/oppression.
   
• Health – youth organizing to expand reproductive health and comprehensive sex education.
   
• Environment – youth organizing around: lead clean up in their community, environmental pollution, or access to cleaner and better transit.
   
• Media – youth holding corporate media accountable by demanding that the public airwaves promote justice and peace rather than hate, violence and war.

Grant amounts are between $1,000 to $5,000 depending on the size of the project and what it will cover.

Who can apply?

• Youth (age limit is 26 years) with an existing project or a concrete new idea on achieving social change.
• Youth Organizations that have youth-lead projects that focus on social change issues. Youth must serve as decision-makers in creating and carrying out the project.
• Special Funding is reserved for youth working together across neighborhoods, race, class, education, ability, sexual orientation, gender, etc. This could take the form of working together on a project or having joint workshops, trainings etc.

We would like….

• Youth projects to be in the Chicago metropolitan area (City of Chicago and Suburbs) and Northeast Indiana.
• The projects to be connected to a nonprofit organization with a 501(c)(3) status, fiscal sponsor or have an organizational bank account. We cannot fund individuals.
• The project to be campaigns, ongoing or just getting started, with the hope that it will continue.
• Applications to be in our office by February 1st, 2010. We will let you know of any decisions made by March 30, 2010.

To apply for funding…

• Fill out the grant application form.
• Answer the questions below as fully as you can (two pages maximum).
• Fill out or have someone help you fill out the attached forms.

All forms and questions to answer can be found in the full application form below.

Full Application (Microsoft Word Fill-in Form)

Full Application (pdf)
This form requires Acrobat Reader.  If your computer does not have Acrobat Reader, it can be downloaded by clicking here.  You can also email or call the Crossroads office at 773.227.7676 to request these forms by regular mail.

Mail four (4) copies of the completed application to:
Youth Fund for Social Change
Crossroads Fund
3411 West Diversey, Suite 20
Chicago, IL 60647

Email application to: Tim@crossroadsfund.org