PASE Network News

Young Futures has announced the Call Me Maybe Challenge, $500K in funding for schools and nonprofits working to tackle the phone policy debate in education, with funding seeded by Pinterest and supported by Pivotal Ventures and Susan Crown Exchange. This challenge will fund solutions that meet schools and student populations where they are, offering actionable models and tangible solutions that work for a given community to enhance learning while reducing the negative impacts of phone use in schools. The funding model is designed to give young people a real voice in policy decisions related to technology use. The first step is to take an eligibility quiz, and prospective applicants can also attend an information session on March 31, 2025. Check out the full RFP on the Young Futures website – applications are due by April 9, 2025. 

The New York Life Foundation is set to award 30 grants to out-of-school time (OST) programs serving youth through their Aim High grant program. Aim High is part of the New York Life Foundation’s ongoing investment in OST programs to help underserved middle school youth reach the 9th grade on time and be better prepared for high school. Both one-year grants for $20,000 and two-year grants for $100,000 are available, with all grants beginning in August 2025. Awardees must be nonprofit organizations serving middle school youth, with at least 75% of those served from families with low incomes. Learn more about proposal criteria and applicant eligibility via the Aim High grant webpage and view a recording of a recent info session for a program overview and application tips. Applications are due March 7, 2025 at 5:00 PM and can be submitted electronically. 

Department of Youth and Community Development recently released a Negotiated Acquisition Solicitation for Neighborhood Youth Team Sports Grant (EPIN 26025N0121). The Neighborhood Youth Team Sports Grant will provide opportunities for youth in under-resourced communities to learn and participate in team sports activities. This grant may fund educational instruction or upgrading of equipment and facilities to prepare and/or enable youth to participate in team sports. This opportunity is available to eligible non-DYCD providers in addition to DYCD providers that do not have youth service contracts. Providers who are interested in applying to this opportunity can access the solicitation document via the PASSPort Public Portal. In order to submit a proposal, you must be enrolled in Passport (NYC's contracting system) and be prequalified for Human Services contracts on the HHS Prequalification list as a non-profit organization - learn how to do that here.

The NYS Office for Cannabis Management's Community Reinvestment Program issues grants to communities disproportionately affected by prior federal and state drug policies in order to redress a wide range of community needs—from housing to childcare to job skills training and many areas in between. The Cannabis Revenue Fund is created from a portion of taxes from legal adult-use cannabis sales in New York State, and a portion of this supports the Community Reinvestment Program. In this first 2024 grant cycle, only 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations who provide services for young people (individuals ages 0-24 years) in designated geographies of New York State are eligible to apply. Proposed services for young people, ages 0-24, should focus on at least one of three program areas: mental health, workforce development, or housing.  Read more about the funding opportunity on their website, and apply by December 13, 2024 at 5:00 PM. 

The New York Life Foundation and the National Alliance for Children’s Grief have opened applications for a three-year grant opportunity focused on children’s grief and innovative approaches to responding to grief. For the first year, awarded organizations will participate in the Judi’s House Childhood Bereavement Changemaker (CBC) Initiative, which provides essential training and resources on program evaluation in the form of workshops, exercises, and individualized consultation. Following this foundation-building year, organizations will transition into a two-year Grief Reach grant, during which funding will be allocated to community expansion efforts. This grant particularly focuses on innovation--rethinking traditional services and creating programs that align with your community’s specific needs. You can learn more on the website, which includes the full RFP, a sample application, and an eligibility screener. Applications are due December 16, 2024 at 8:00 PM ET.