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Frequently Asked Questions
The questions (and answers) in this section focus mainly on
eligibility requirements and our grant review process.
Refer to the contracts section
for any questions regarding your YouthReach Initiative contract.
Who is eligible to apply to the YouthReach
Initiative?
To be eligible for YouthReach applicants must:
- Be a cultural organization or an organization with a strong
history in the proposal's primary discipline (arts, humanities,
or interpretive sciences)
- Be incorporated in Massachusetts as a nonprofit
- Have tax-exempt status under IRS Section 501(c)(3)
Applicants must also have collaborators which may be:
- Individuals (e.g. artists, humanists, scientists, youth
development specialists)
- Cultural organizations
- Community-based organizations
- Other organizations providing services to the project
Schools are not eligible for YouthReach grants, and YouthReach funds
cannot be used for programs that take place in a school during the school
day. School-based programs should refer to the Creative
Schools Program.
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When is the application due?
The YouthReach Initiative funds projects on a two-year cycle. The MCC
completed a grant review in 2008 for projects taking place over the next
two years. The next set of guidelines and request for proposals are scheduled
to be available on this web site in the fall of 2009, with a spring 2010
review for possible funding July 2010 through June 2012.
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With the deadline so far off, is there anything
I can do in the meantime?
If you are considering an application in the future, it is never too early
to start planning. You may find the YouthReach
Application to be a useful planning tool. [This is in PDF format.
You will need Adobe's FREE Acrobat
Reader to access it.]
Anyone interested in applying to YouthReach is strongly encouraged
to speak with the YouthReach
Program Manager well in advance of the application
deadline.
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Is YouthReach designed specifically for urban
youths?
Certainly not. YouthReach is designed for young people at risk
of not making a successful transition from adolescence to young
adulthood. Across the Commonwealth, this can and does include
a wide range of needs. From the pressing need of lessening youth
crime in the inner city to breaking down the isolation and alienation
of life in rural Massachusetts, each setting has unique strengths
to build on and challenges to overcome.
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How much is a typical YouthReach grant?
Current grants range from $8,000-$13,000. YouthReach grants must be matched.
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Can a school apply for YouthReach funding?
Schools are ineligible, and YouthReach funds cannot be used
for programs that take place in a school during the school day.
Schools can participate as a collaborator, but generally speaking, a
school should not be the primary community partner. If a school is interested
in being part of a YouthReach application, they should carefully review
the guidelines and then contact the YouthReach
Program Manager. School based programs should refer to the Creative
Schools Program.
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How are applications reviewed?
Once the MCC receives an application, it is entered into the
agency's database and reviewed by staff for eligibility. Then
all the applications for a particular panel are assembled into
a master book that is photocopied for each reviewer. Panelists
then need time to carefully review all the material in the panel
books.
The YouthReach panel review process takes place through the
spring. The state budget process that determines the MCC's
appropriation for the new fiscal year ends usually in late
June/early July. Once the MCC has received its appropriation,
the staff organizes all the YouthReach Initiative panels'
recommendations in the context of the agency's available funds.
These recommendations go to the MCC board for review and approval
in late-August. Applicants are notified of their funding status
in early September.
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Who are the panelists?
Panelists are administrators, artists, humanists, scientists,
and youth development specialists who represent diverse geographic,
ethnic, philosophical and aesthetic perspectives and have no
conflicts of interest with applicants or collaborators. We welcome
new panelist nominations.
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How do I get an application?
Guidelines and application forms will be available
on this web site in the fall of 2009.
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What if I have more questions?
If you are interested in discussing your eligibility for the
YouthReach Initiative, contact the YouthReach
Program Manager.
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