Eligibility
Teams must be sponsored by a public school, school district, government entity*, or nonprofit. Private schools that are not-for-profit (e.g. 501(c)3 status) are eligible to apply.
*We need signed agreements within 30 days of award, anticipating awards to go out around Sept. 15 or so. If your policy is that all contracts have to go to the city council, you may want to find a nonprofit organization to be the fiscal agent of your group.
Grants are issued to an eligible organization, not to an individual. If your group of individuals wants to participate, we suggest you partner with a local nonprofit.
The Youth as Solutions program uses a guided service-learning process, where grants are used for the specific project activities that result from the groups’ project plan following investigation of their community needs. Approved teams must complete all the steps in the process.
It depends. All teams must meet the expectations and complete all the steps of the service-learning process with our guidance. It is possible to integrate with existing programs as long as the grant requirements are met. Experienced service-learners are a great addition to the peer learning community!
No! It’s for any level. Tools, coaching, and staff guidance will allow those brand new to experience the full service-learning cycle for the first time, but those with more experience can go deeper and broader– and serve as mentors for less experienced teams.
Each topic cohort may have different requirements. For example, the Project Ignition cohort is targeted for high school students who are current or soon-to-be drivers. If you are an educator who would like to participate with a younger team, please contact us to discuss specifics.
Applicants for the Project Ignition Teen Driver Safety cohort should not have other funding from General Motors. Other than that, there are no restrictions.
Requirements
Due to the funding cycle, all teams need to wrap up their service activities by March 30. However, we encourage you to go above and beyond with additional activities! And to let us know about them!
We need representation from someone on your team at each of the live sessions. If there is a standing conflict with the time, you can ensure that you have another representative that will attend and relay the information to the rest of the team. Key parts of the live sessions will be recorded and available online, and the peer learning community will have online interaction.
Grant Agreement and Funding
Grant funds may be used for direct project expenses required to implement your project, and may also be used for t-shirts or swag (logos and banner designs provided), food for meetings, substitutes, and youth stipends are allowable if required for the project. Funds may not be used for indirect expenses (overhead), salary, offset of normally budgeted costs, or expenses not related to the program. A budgeting template is provided in our online community to use as part of your planning process. If you have specific questions, please contact us.
A W-9 form is a “Request for Taxpayer Identification and Certification.” We need a W-9 form filled out with information for the organization that will be the team’s sponsor. For example, a school-based team will likely submit the school district’s W-9 form. Check with your accounting office- they will be very familiar with the form and should have a copy ready. The grant check will be made out only to the entity listed on the W-9 form, and the organization will receive a 1099 form from NYLC if funds granted were over $600 for the year.
A solution that past teams have used to address this issue is to find a related nonprofit sponsor. For example, a school-based Interact Club asked their local Rotary Club to serve as fiscal agent.
A signed grant agreement, valid W-9 form, and project plan must be submitted before any grant funds may be disbursed. The project plan follows your community investigation, so it’s really up to you how quickly this may be done. Once those documents are received and reviewed, and any changes made, the first payment will be sent within 30 days. The final payment of $250 will be mailed at the end of the implementation period, after requirements are met and the final product is submitted with Media Releases. For those selecting the $250 grant option, the check will be sent at the end of the implementation period.
Grant checks will be sent to the address on the W-9 form. In some limited circumstances, it can be sent to a different address (e.g. to a particular school rather than the district office). Talk to staff before signing your grant agreement if this is a concern.
Other
New this year, we will be selecting 1-2 Mentor Teams for each cohort. Mentor Teams are those who have participated previously and are willing to help others get started. If you fit the profile, contact us for more information about what will be required of you.
While each team has a minimum of two youth leaders, we expect that you will engage additional youth in the planning and implementation of your project. These youth, all together, are referred to as a Site Team. (If you’re applying as an existing group, for example a Rotary Interact Club, you may already know how many youth will be on your Site Team. If you need to recruit and don’t know the number at this time, use an estimate for the application.) This number does not include the youth and adults impacted by your activities.
New technology is being selected for the 2023-24 school year, so stay tuned. Suggestions and preferences are welcome! Contact us if you have a suggestion.
Service-learning is a learning methodology that produces great outcomes for both the youth and the community when done well. We will establish learning goals and include all phases of the planning and reflection process, not just a focus on the service.