Youth Programs in American Street Empowerment Zone

Posted by on May 4, 2009

Now inviting Proposals from Organizations that serve Children and Youth who reside in the American Street Empowerment Zone

NeighborhoodsNow is now accepting grant applications from eligible nonprofit organizations serving the American Street Empowerment Zone community. The deadline for submitting a grant application is Wednesday, May 20, 2009 at 5:00 p.m.

As a legacy of the Philadelphia Empowerment Zone, the mission of the Neighborhood Funding Stream is to support sustainable community and economic development efforts in a culturally and ethnically diverse community. The Neighborhood Funding Stream will contribute to a healthy, self-sufficient and safe environment for community members and residents. Established by the members of the local Community Trust Boards in the American Street, North Central, and West Philadelphia Empowerment Zones, and the City of Philadelphia, the NFS awards grants annually to organizations whose work benefits residents of the Empowerment Zones.

The City of Philadelphia Commerce Department contracts with a Grant Administrator, currently a partnership between United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania and NeighborhoodsNow, to provide services related to the solicitation of proposals and the selection of NFS-funded agencies.

Eligible organizations can apply for a grant for work that achieves one or more of these four goals:

1.  Children ages 0-6 achieve appropriate developmental milestones and are well-prepared to start school.

2.  Children and youth are supported, nurtured and protected in their schools, homes and communities.

3.  School-age children and youth attain the academic, creative, technological and social competencies needed to succeed in school and life.

4.  Youth graduate from high school and acquire necessary skills and education to begin a career.

The Neighborhood Funding Stream will ONLY consider funding those organizations that clearly and convincingly identify how residents from the American Street Empowerment Zone will be served with the grant.  The attached RFP includes funding guidelines, eligibility requirements, application instructions, a sample outreach plan, and information about the targeted geographic area (including a listing of addresses and a map of the American Street Empowerment Zone).

The RFP is available at http://www.uwsepa.org/nfs.

Please direct inquiries to nfs@neighborhoodsnowphila.org or 215-564-9470.

Feel free to share this information with those in your network.