What do youth program funders look for?

A clear need among young people, youth involvement in design, safe and well-run activities, consistent attendance and measurable positive outcomes.

How do I measure outcomes for youth programs?

Track attendance and retention, then use surveys or assessments for skills, confidence, wellbeing, school engagement or employability.

What safeguarding information should a youth grant include?

Safeguarding policies, staff and volunteer checks, training, supervision ratios and how concerns are reported.

Should young people help write the proposal?

Involving them in design and including their voices, with consent, strengthens the application.

Youth Program Grant Proposal: How to Write One

A youth program grant proposal should show what young people in your area need, prove that young people helped shape the program, and promise measurable positive outcomes such as consistent attendance, new skills, improved confidence, better school engagement or progression into training and work. Safeguarding must be clear and specific: policies, checks, training and supervision.

What youth funders look for

Need from young people's perspective: surveys, focus groups, referrals, local data.
Youth voice: young people involved in design, delivery and evaluation.
Positive, structured activities: mentoring, sports, arts, homework clubs, employability.
Consistency: regular sessions and good attendance, because impact needs time.
Safeguarding: policies, background checks, trained staff, ratios.
Partnerships: schools, youth services, employers, families.

Outcomes and indicators

Outcome	Indicator	Tool
Regular engagement	Attendance rate, retention	Register
Confidence and resilience	Change in self-reported scores	Survey at start and end
School engagement	Attendance or behaviour reports	School data with consent
Skills	Qualifications or certificates	Records
Progression	Entered training, work or volunteering	Follow-up

Example summary

Example

Eastgate Youth Hub requests $45,000 to run an after-school mentoring and sports program for 70 young people aged 12 to 16, three evenings a week, during the hours when local young people told us they have nowhere safe to go. The program was designed with a youth panel of 12 members, who will also help run it.

Each participant is matched with a trained volunteer mentor and takes part in football, boxing fitness or dance. We aim for 75% average attendance and for 70% of participants to report improved confidence and a clearer plan for their future after one year.

Safeguarding section checklist

Named safeguarding lead.
Background checks for staff and volunteers under local rules.
Training before working with young people.
Supervision ratios.
Reporting procedure and referral partners.
Data protection and consent for photos.

For school-based projects, see education grant proposals. For the complete process, see how to write a grant proposal, and browse all youth program grant templates.

How to Write a Youth Program Grant Proposal (After-School, Mentoring, Sports)