Request for Proposals

Youth are not just the future - they are paying attention now and eager to act, but not all young people have the resources, knowledge, skills, or support to participate and lead. We believe that supporting youth to act involves myriad components, from opportunities for youth to identify their purpose and passions to hands-on experiences that enable youth to apply critical thinking and use their voices to advocate for lasting change. 

The Mobilizing Young Leaders Across WA State RFP supports new and existing programs in Washington state that support youth engagement and build youth power through leadership training, civic engagement, and/or youth organizing (see definitions below).

Definitions & Data

Youth – for the purposes of this RFP, we define youth as young people between the ages of 13-18 

Leadership training – e.g., builds skills and capacity to be problem solvers and decision-makers, develops self-and community-awareness, deepens understanding of experiences and contexts that may contribute to positive or negative community outcomes, supports positive peer-to-peer and youth/adult relationships and partnerships 

Civic engagement – e.g., participation in community projects/events, civic education and awareness, opportunities for advocacy and negotiation, analysis of issues and opportunities related to issues that youth care about 

Youth organizing – e.g., engagement of youth as decision-makers, networking to build relationships and alliances, participation in collective action initiatives 

Research shows that when youth engage in activities that activate their interests and passions, they gain more confidence, information, and tools needed to engage with each other and the world. Read the Funders' Collaborative on Youth Organizing research to learn more about the data behind advancing youth organizing as a strategy for positive youth development.

Webinar

There was a webinar on Oct. 10, 2024 to learn about the application process, requirements, criteria, and answers to applicant questions.
 

RFP Description

We are looking for programs with up to a three-year timeline that will achieve at least one of the following objectives:

• Support youth: advance models that support youth engagement as defined above

• Advance understanding: contribute knowledge, data, and insights on key elements including (but not limited to) supports that result in the greatest contribution to individual engagement and development, and community/contextual factors that accelerate or impede youth engagement, collaborative practices that generate stronger youth outcomes and organizational impact.

• Build youth power: positively affect the extent to which youth are viewed as critical perspectives and voices in informing decision-making, increase the extent to which youth actively participate in decision-making.

We particularly encourage applications that include the following partner considerations:

• Local leadership – led by individuals residing in and with deep knowledge of the communities that the organization serves

• Community-based – demonstrates knowledge and understanding of local context, norms, and needs in their community

• Centered on youth voice – driven and informed by youth voice, experience, and expertise

We particularly encourage applications that include the following program design considerations:

• Youth informed and/or led – designed and/or led in partnership with youth

• ​Intergenerational – involves intentional relationship development and partnership across generations to share knowledge, culture, traditions, and skills

• Representation – engages youth historically underrepresented and underserved by youth programs, i.e. LGBTQ+, BIPOC, Indigenous

• Geographic area – engages youth in geographically underrepresented and underserved areas of Washington state, particularly outside of Seattle and Greater Puget Sound

• Topics – uses arts & culture and/or environmental science and conservation in their youth engagement approach

Program Elements

We will prioritize proposals that meet several (not necessarily all) of the following criteria:

• Demonstrated and articulated organization, programmatic, and/or community need

• Clarity on near- and longer-term objectives, including those that will enable success and future scaling to achieve greater impact

• Clear approach and readiness – proposals must specify the specific programmatic elements that, together, lead to stronger youth engagement

• Multi/cross-disciplinary approach leveraging arts and culture and/or environmental science and conservation as core programmatic elements

• Baseline data and/or plan for establishing baseline data – baseline data will be used to measure and understand impact – and definition of how the program/initiative will generate evidence of impact

• Collaboration and community partnership

• Sustainability – articulation of how the program and organization intends to meet resource needs (financial, human capital, community relationships, etc.) required to enable long-term success and viability

Eligibility

• U.S. registered tax-exempt 501c(3) organization and/or working under the fiscal sponsorship of a U.S. registered tax-exempt 501c(3) organization 

• Organizations based outside Washington State are eligible to apply if the project/work is taking/will take place in Washington State 

• ​Programs must be able to articulate impact and develop a measurement and learning plan 

• ​Prior to any award of funding, organizations must review and agree to the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation Grantee Code of Conduct

Key Dates

• Oct. 8, 2024 – deadline for prospective applicants to submit questions for FAQ

• Oct. 10, 2024 – live informational webinar

• Nov. 7, 2024 – LOI submission deadline

• Nov. 20, 2024 – organizations invited to submit full proposals

• ​​Q2 2025 – awards granted

Funding Level 

We will consider proposals for grant awards of up to $500,000 for each project, with a grant term of up to three years. Indirect costs may be included and will be considered for up to 10% of the total proposed project budget.

We will not consider funding for

• Activities taking place outside of Washington State

• Applications from individual schools or individual school districts (applicant can be an organization working in partnership with a school(s) or school district(s)

• Research projects without connections to community-based programs

• Direct grants to individuals or scholarships

• Capital or endowment campaigns or requests

• Lobbying or direct political activities

Frequently Asked Questions

(Last updated 10-11-2024)

Eligibility

We have applied for 501c(3) status but haven’t been granted status yet. Do we have to be a 501c(3) at the time of application? 

Yes, we require that organizations have their 501c(3) status or be fiscally sponsored by a 501c(3) to be considered for this opportunity. 

If we plan to partner with a Washington non-profit as a fiscal responsibility, do we need a letter of commitment from the partner at the time of submitting the LOI? 

Not for the LOI, but if invited for a proposal, we would request a letter of commitment or MOU. 

Can 501c(3) organizations outside of WA apply? 

Nonprofit organizations operating outside of Washington are welcome to apply as long as all of the work you are requesting funding for takes place within Washington state.  

Can proposed projects take place outside Washington State? 

Proposed efforts must take place in Washington State. 

Would a civic engagement program seeking to work at a state or federal level be eligible? 

If the program is serving Washington State youth, with ambitions to scale, we would consider this within the scope of the RFP. 

Can a community-based non-profit use a fiscal sponsor if they don’t have tax exemption status? 

Yes, community-based organizations with a fiscal sponsor that meets the appropriate criteria are welcome to apply. 

Is there a minimum budget amount for the organization applying for the grant? 

No, there is no minimum or maximum organizational budget size for organizations applying for this opportunity. 

Can multiple organizations apply together?  

We will consider funding for proposals that include collaboration between multiple organizations; however, projects seeking to make pass-through grants will not be considered. 

Can schools, districts, and universities apply? 

We are not accepting applications from individual schools or individual school districts; however, applicants can be an organization working in partnership with a school(s) or school district(s). 

We serve youth between 13-18 but also youth outside that age range, are we still eligible to apply? 

We wouldn’t necessarily disqualify those who serve youth outside of our priority age range, however we are prioritizing programs that directly serve youth between 13-18. 

Is there a minimum number of youth you're looking for organizations to serve?  

No. We are interested in learning about who you serve and at what scale, and how you intend to/think about growing your program in your context. 

Do proposals need to address all three elements (youth leadership, civic engagement, and youth organizing) of mobilizing youth? 

Proposals must address at least one of the elements of mobilizing youth. They do not necessarily need to address all three elements. 

Is there a preferred size of project? 

We are open to whatever scale the applicant feels is most appropriate. 

Is there a minimum number of youth that must be served by a proposal?  

No, we are interested in applications that can expand beyond current youth served to include youth in more (and potentially more varied) contexts, e.g. geography, demographics. Growing reach looks different in different contexts (e.g. a rural area vs an urban setting); if you believe your program has the potential to eventually achieve larger reach, we encourage you to apply. 

Use of Funds

What can funding be used for?  

This RFP opportunity will fund program-related costs. Grantees are to propose how they would use funding to support the goals of this RFP and of their intended work. These are not unrestricted funds and should be tied to specific programmatic goals and activities. We do not want to prescribe how funds will be used and are eager to understand how prospective grantees will optimize funds to grow their learning and impact. Indirect costs of up to 10% of your proposed budget will be considered. 

We will not fund capital costs, lobbying, or direct political activities as a part of this RFP. 

Is there a limit on indirect costs? 

Indirect costs may be included in the up to $500k request and will be considered for up to 10% of the total proposed project budget.  

What would be considered an indirect cost? 

The U.S. Economic Development Administration defines indirect costs as “costs incurred by an organization that are not readily identifiable with a particular project or program but are nevertheless necessary to the operation of the organization and the performance of its programs.” Examples of indirect costs include depreciation, administrative salaries, and the costs of operating and maintaining facilities (e.g., rent, utilities, IT). 

Why is the indirect cost rate only 10%? 

We’ve included an indirect cost rate of 10% to be in alignment with some of our peer funders. 

Can monitoring and evaluation costs be included in the budget? 

Yes, if monitoring and evaluation are core components of the project’s objectives, please include appropriate costs in the budget. The ability to articulate impact and develop a measurement and learning plan is critical to this RFP. 

Can applicants propose to offer stipends to youth participants? 

Yes, your budget may include reasonable stipends for youth participation in relation to your proposed project budget. 

Are staff costs considered program costs or administrative/indirect costs?  

This will depend upon the staff’s role/function. If they are program staff, focused on the project at hand, we would consider that a direct cost. Direct costs would include those related expenses (program staff, program materials, student stipends, etc.) 

Can funding be used for re-granting purposes?  

For this RFP, we are not accepting proposals from organizations that re-grant or pass-through funding. We’re looking to partner with community-based organizations that provide direct services. 

Can funding be allocated to multiple organizations? 

No, we ask that applicants have a lead organization that will be responsible for disbursing funds to partner/collaborating community-based organizations. 

Process

Why is there an LOI and a proposal phase? 

The LOI is meant to be a quick way to share your project idea with us to see if it meets our RFP criteria. Prospective grantees that, upon review, do meet our criteria will then be asked to submit a full proposal, where they will have the opportunity to speak to their proposed work in more detail. 

What are the LOI and proposal questions? 

LOI questions will be visible and downloadable via PDF once you register in Fluxx, our grants management system. Proposal questions will be made available to those invited to submit full proposals. 

Is there a specific budget template that is required for the LOI? 

No. 

What do we put for start date/duration for existing youth programs that we hope to expand through this grant? 

If the program you are submitting for an existing program, please just note the date you are submitting the LOI as the start date; the duration should represent the amount of time for which you are seeking funding. 

Is there a typical grant amount? 

We will consider proposals for grant awards of up to $500,000 for each project, with a grant term of up to three years; we are considering funding 7-10 proposals. 

Are a certain percentage of funds set aside for new vs existing programs? For partnerships vs. Individual organizations? 

We have not set a specific target related to our portfolio mix of new/existing programs or programs led by a single organization/programs with multiple partners. 

What is the timeline for the RFP? 

The RFP consists of an LOI stage and a proposal stage. The deadline for LOIs will be Thursday November 7, 2024 at 11:59pm PST. The foundation will assess LOIs based on their eligibility and relevance to the RFP goals and considerations.  

On November 20, 2024, a subset of those who submitted LOIs will be invited to submit a full proposal. Full proposals will be due in mid-January and evaluated by a panel of independent external experts. The eternal review will inform funding awards and we anticipate awards being made and announced in Q2/Q3 of 2025. 

Who is on the expert panel that will be involved in reviewing full proposals? 

We have a broad group of experts on our review panel with experience in youth leadership development, civic engagement, and organizing – and from different vantage points, from working directly with young people to running organizations that serve young people to leading research in the field. 

The panel includes those with statewide expertise – from various parts of the state – as well as those with a more national perspective. To protect the time of these individuals and to avoid potential conflicts of interests, we will not be sharing details of who is on the review panel at this time. 

When will funding be disbursed, and on what cadence?  

The anticipated initial distribution is Q2 to Q3 2025, with annual payments across 2025, 2026, and 2027.

Other Questoins

How is this initiative funded?   

This work will be supported by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.  

Has the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation had a similar youth development RFP in the past? Will you do it again? 

This is the first opportunity of this kind from the foundation.  
 
Will you provide reviewer comments on the LOI or proposal?
 
No, we do not provide feedback on LOIs or proposals. 

Does it make more sense to apply for just 1 year of our program, versus 2 or 3 years? 

Because we hope to bring our cohort of grantees together for collective learning and relationship building opportunities we would prioritize programs applying for the full three years of funding. 

As far as the geographic area goes, the RFP mentions "particularly outside of Seattle and Greater Puget Sound." Is this a strong preference? 

The RFP intends to fund efforts across the state, and we recognize that some geographies have less access to large-scale philanthropy. 

Are you interested in being the sole funder, or would you prefer to support a portion of costs? 

We encourage proposals with co-funding (committed or planned). If we would potentially be the sole funder, we’d be interested in learning about plans for sustainability in your LOI. 

How do you consider youth mental health within this RFP?  

While this RFP doesn’t explicitly focus on mental health, we recognize and research indicates that purpose and belonging – elements of youth leadership, civic engagement, and youth organizing – contribute to positive mental health outcomes for young people. 

Can you offer some examples of the types of programs that might be funded?  

We seek to identify and fund a diverse complement of organizations, programs, and contexts.  Assuming core eligibility criteria are met, we invite creative proposals that address partner and program considerations and elements. Four theoretical examples:  

Example A. A community-based organization developed a youth leadership program that builds critical knowledge and skills and focuses on youth leadership and organizing in conservation. The organization has early indicators that suggest positive impact at the individual and community levels. Currently working with 50 youth across different schools in the community, the nonprofit is interested in accelerating learning and capacity for growing the program to serve more students.  

Example B. A youth-serving nonprofit organization seeks to develop and/or expand a program focusing on youth arts as a form of civic engagement to elevate youth voice and empower them to act on issues they care about.  

Example C. A community-based nonprofit organization is interested in establishing a youth advisory board that will work intergenerationally to shape programs and organizational priorities that are responsive to youth needs.  

Example D. An organization that works nationally across a network of different states to provide a younger generation of civic leaders with development and learning opportunities with peers. This organization seeks to expand their efforts to build a stronger youth civic engagement ecosystem and a new set of youth ready and equipped to lead in Washington state.