By Youth For Youth - Request for Proposals OPEN

By Youth For Youth (BYFY) is a volunteer committee of Dane County high school students that makes investment decisions in youth-led programming in Dane County. BYFY provides youth the opportunity to identify needs and issues that are important to them and direct funding to address those needs through projects developed and implemented by youth to serve youth. BYFY is pleased to announce the availability of funding for youth initiatives in Dane County. Eligible projects will benefit youth in Dane County, and include youth in project planning, proposal writing, and project execution. (BYFY defines “youth” as being enrolled in school grades K-12.) The proposal deadline is 11:59pm, Sunday, January 9, 2022. Application link here. 

For 2021-2022, BYFY will prioritize projects that address the following priorities*:
-Racial justice, rights, and accessibility 
-Environmental change, environmental justice
-Mental health access (with an emphasis on marginalized communities)
-Resources for teens experiencing poverty 
-Immigrant and undocumented youth justice, rights, and accessibility 
*BYFY recommends that project proposals correspond with at least one of the above priority areas to be considered for funding. However, proposals not meeting any priorities may still be considered!

Proposal Review
The BYFY Committee will review all proposals received by the deadline. The proposal deadline is 11:59pm, Sunday, January 9, 2022. Final recommendations are subject to approval by each sponsoring partner.

Awards & Notification
The maximum grant awarded is $3,000 for up to a one-year period. Funding has been made available through United Way of Dane County, Dane County Youth Commission, and the City of Madison Community Development Division. Projects selected as grant award recipients will be notified in mid-April 2022, and will receive funds at the Awards Ceremony. The awards ceremony is scheduled for April 25, 2022, and will be held virtually.

Follow-Up
Participants of funded projects will be required to share project outcome information by submitting a Post Project Report Form to BYFY in the Fall of 2022. This information helps us track the effectiveness and success of BYFY invested programs. 

Proposal Criteria & Eligibility Checklist
-Project is by youth, and for youth
-Project benefits K-12 youth in Dane County
-Applicants, organizations, and schools must be located in Dane County 
-Applicants, organizations, and schools must have a non-profit status or fiscal agent*
-Applicants, organizations, and schools can submit more than one proposal 
-Youth are included in project planning, proposal writing, and/or project execution
-Project in the RFP is clearly and concisely described
-Please proofread project proposal to check spelling and grammar
*If you do not have a financial agent identified, please still submit your idea. We will attempt to identify a matching financial agent if your proposal is selected, but there are no guarantees, so if you have a financial agent your proposal will be stronger

Please contact Taylor Seale at UW-Extension (tseale@wisc.edu) for any questions.