Grants to Promote the Health and Success of Young Men of Color

Posted by on September 10, 2012

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Announces Forward Promise Innovation Grants to Promote the Health and Success of Young Men of Color
Deadline: October 10, 2012 (Brief proposals)

Forward Promise Innovation Grants: Promoting Opportunities for the Health and Success of Young Men of Color is a new initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to improve the health of middle school- and high school-aged boys and young men of color, as well as their opportunities for success in school, work, and life.

The program’s goal is to identify and support innovative programs that address the challenges facing young men of color and that correspond with RWJF’s areas of interest; have potential to change the organization and system(s) of service delivery; be poised for growth and/or replication; and demonstrate the potential to transform social norms within the context of schools and/or communities.

Applicants must have implemented an existing program model that has a fully articulated theory of change or logic model, have preliminary evidence of improving outcomes for this population, and demonstrate potential to be replicated for broader application and greater impact. Preference will be given to organizations or institutions that apply funds to support program infrastructure and project expansion. No more than 50 percent of the grant request should be allocated to existing program activities.

The foundation will award funding to projects with preliminary evidence of impact in four areas: alternative approaches to harsh school discipline that do not push students out of school; solutions that focus on dropout prevention and increasing middle school retention and high school graduation rates; mental health interventions that tailor approaches to boys and young men who have experienced and/or been exposed to violence and trauma; and career training programs that blend workforce and education emphases to ensure that students are college- and career-ready.

Preference will be given to applicant organizations that are either public entities or nonprofit organizations that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and are not private foundations or Type III supporting organizations. Applicant organizations must be based in the United States or its territories, and must have an organizational budget of at least $1.5 million annually.

Up to ten grants of up to $500,000 will be awarded for periods of up to thirty months.

An optional applicant Web conference call will be held on September 11, 2012. Registration is required.

Visit the RWJF Web site for the complete call for proposals, application instructions, and Web conference call details.

http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=21406