We also look for organizations that link their community and local work to other efforts to effect broader public policy change.

The Foundation provides both general support and project-specific grants. Although most grants cover a period of one year, the Foundation accepts requests for funding renewals and also makes multi-year grants. Grants for one-time purposes are also considered.

The Foundation makes a conscious effort to remain flexible so that it can respond to requests that address new, unusual, and immediate problems as they arise.

The Foundation does not accept requests to fund scholarships, graduate work, individuals, government projects, academic research or foreign study. Only when there is a close connection with our current work do we fund conferences, seminars or workshops, publications, video or media production projects, endowments, capital grants and equipment requests.

The Directors subscribe to and reaffirm the concept of a working Board, in which every member gives the necessary time and personal interest to maintain the high standards of the Foundation.

It is Foundation policy that members of the board of directors make known any special interest or connection between themselves and a proposal under consideration. The director may then participate in the discussion, but may not vote, on the proposal. There is no prejudice against such proposals nor are they disqualified for this reason.

Funding Areas:

Employment, Training and Alternative Education - Programs that provide quality education, employment readiness services with job placement and other assistance for young people who have dropped out of school, experience chronic unemployment, and have minimal or no job skills, so that they may achieve independent living for themselves and their families.

Early Intervention Programs that promote positive youth development through services designed to prevent educational failure, delinquency, developmental delays, adverse health, or neglect. Services also include assistance to children whose parents are adolescents, affected by HIV/AIDS, involved in substance abuse, or incarcerated.

Youth Leadership Development - Programs that provide opportunities for youth leadership development in conjunction with efforts to address problems facing young people and their communities.

Violence Prevention - Primary prevention services to reduce violence in neighborhoods and families, especially violence caused by the availability of guns and other weapons.

Advocacy and Policy Development - Programs that promote systemic responsiveness to the needs of low-income young people within federal, state and local policies and practices.

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