News, information, advice, tutorials and networking for anyone seeking a grant

Public support programs are dwindling, and corporate profits are receding. How can a community program for children and youth find support in these times?

While private donations and fundraisers can help to fill the holes in a budget, grants can offer a long-term solution to keeping a program afloat. According to the Foundation Center, over $4.7 billion were awarded to children and youth programs through grants in the United States in 2008. The latest edition of Schoolhouse Partners’ directory, Funding Sources for Children and Youth Programs, provides the tools and resources to help grant seekers find appropriate funding and lists over 2,400 grants and other funding opportunities – 50% more than the previous edition.

The grants listed in Funding Sources for Children and Youth Programs support community-based projects with activities and educational enrichment occurring outside of the school system and taking
place in a variety of settings. Additionally a number of the grants will support school-based projects that are directly connected to the school curriculum and instructional program. Included in the introduction in the book is “How To Write a Winning Grant,” to help grant seekers develop and perfect their grant proposals.

The annual directory returns to print after a 5-year hiatus. When Schoolhouse Partners purchased the title in 2006 along with the online database, GrantSelect, the company made a firm decision to publish the directory again. Chief Editor Lou Schafer noted, ”Much of the grant monies awarded to this population group usually go directly to schools and other formal education programs. We felt that there was a sector that needed the tools and resources just as much as K-12 education.”

For more information about Funding Sources for Children and Youth Programs, please visit www.schoolhousepartners.net.