Become a SuccessLink Partner
The SuccessLink Youth Employment Program provides meaningful employment experience for the City's youth.
The Office Youth Employment and Opportunity's SuccessLink Youth Employment program recruits and hires youth. It provides meaningful employment experiences that serve as building blocks for their professional development and personal success.
Every year the City of Boston invests millions of dollars in mission-driven organizations located in neighborhoods across the City to expose youth to various career paths. This early exposure provides youth with inside perspectives of what it looks like to fuel purpose-driven work and influence change.
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Have questions? Contact:
Youth Employment and Opportunity
About the Partnership
Partnership Benefits
By partnering with us, we will provide your organization with the following benefits:
- Support for your organization's vision and goals by employing Boston's youth.
- Connections with a network of community-based organizations to expand your organization's network.
- Engagement with over 10,000 Boston youths annually.
- Expansion of your Organization's relationships through our network, major events, and City agency connections.
- Financial flexibility by alleviating labor costs.
- Constructive alternatives through civic engagement and workforce development opportunities.
Partnership types
City Agencies
These are unique employment opportunities within City government and other quasi-City municipalities. City agency jobs should provide youth with an inside perspective of what it is to be a public servant. They should also offer an in-depth outlook of professional development, career pathways, and other necessary preparations for future careers in City government.
Nonprofits, Community-Based Organizations (CBO's) and Higher education Institutions
These are mission-driven employment opportunities within organizations. They are rooted in having a positive social impact that benefits communities and neighborhoods. These opportunities provide a youth with an inside perspective of what it looks like to fuel purpose driven work with passion and vocation to influence change.
How to Become a SuccessLink Partner
We look forward to partnering with you to develop Boston's future workforce.
Grant applications for Successlink partnerships are closed for the Summer 2024 and 2024-2025 School year.
To become a SucessLink Partner, submit a grant application on behalf of your organization for consideration.
SuccessLink Partnership applications for the summer and school-year employment seasons open in January. Stay informed about new grant application periods by subscribing to our newsletter or reach out to our partnerships team at futurebos@boston.gov.
SuccessLink Partner Testimonials
Process and Requirements
The Office of Youth Employment and Opportunity issues grant applications for interested and eligible:
- City of Boston agencies,
- nonprofit organizations,
- community-based organizations, and
- institutions of higher education
to provide employment opportunities to youth participants between the ages of 14 and 18, and young adults between the ages of 19 and 24. Please note that our Successlink program aims to support first and foremost youth ages 14 to 18.
Organizations within the categories above must demonstrate a strong commitment and track record of success working with youth ages 14 to 24. They must engaging them with meaningful employment opportunities that provide the avenue to develop their skills, passions, and interests as they prepare for the workforce.
YEO's selection process aims to identify organizations that provide evidence-based professional skill development that equips youth to successfully engage in the workforce, as well as offer opportunities in keeping with the City of Boston’ focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB).
We encourage organizations to apply as either individual applicants or as a coalition of organizations coming together - either based on:
- industry sector,
- pre-existing relationships,
- shared mission and interests, and
- other determining factors
to submit ONE application for the SuccessLink program. If you have any questions about the coalition-based model or identifying coalition partners, please reach out to futurebos@boston.gov.
Please note that the application period for the SuccessLink Summer 2024 and School Year 2024-2025 period has closed. Reach out to futurebos@boston.gov if you have any questions or would like to be added to a partnership mailing list.
FAQ
FAQA coalition is a group of organizations coming together- either based on industry sector, pre-existing relationships, shared mission and interests, and other determining factors- to submit ONE application for the SuccessLink program. Identifying coalition members is strongly encouraged. Organizations who are able to support only fewer than 25 youth for the summer and/or do not have the infrastructure to manage SuccessLink funds, are particularly encouraged to seek out these collaborations in order to demonstrate administrative capacity in managing grant funds for the summer and school year.
Under the coalition model, a Lead Administrator serves as the primary Administrator and primary recipient of the grant funding. The Lead Administrators must demonstrate their organizational and financial capacity because they will be solely responsible for all financial and administrative aspects of the SuccessLink grant funds by managing the recruitment, onboarding and payroll of youth and young adults they will serve during the summer and school year programs.
If your organization does not have the capacity to run payroll, we encourage you to identify lead entities and/or identify members of a coalition. In partnership applications, partners do need to demonstrate their organizational and financial capacity because they will be responsible for the financial and administrative aspects of the SuccessLink grant funds by managing the recruitment, onboarding and payroll of youth and young adults they will serve.
YEO is happy to support the identification of lead entity organizations for forthcoming grant years. If you have questions, please reach out to our partnerships team at futurebos@boston.gov.
Yes, accepted partner organizations may pay employees a higher wage, but please note that it’s the sole responsibility of the organization to pay the difference with OTHER funds that are NOT SuccessLink funds. SuccessLink youth ages 14-18 are paid a rate of $15 per hour. SuccessLink Youth Leaders between the ages of 19-24 are paid a rate of $20.00 and are able to work up to 15 hours a week during the school year and up to 30 hours per week during the Summer, and youth are able to work up to 25 hours a week during the summer and up to 10 hours a week during the school year.
The allowable hours remain the same for youth and young adults. YEO is required to comply with State law in terms of the hours minors (14-17) can work during the summer and school year. We advise partners who are interested in increasing the wages to do so within the parameters of the allowable hours and in accordance with State laws, and partners who hire youth to work more hours MUST pay youth from their own funds but report back to us approved hours and wages for each youth they serve.
Organizations that have gross support and revenue of more than $500,000 in a fiscal year must submit financial statements audited or reviewed by an independent certified public accountant (CPA). YEO recommends that you consult with a tax advisor or legal advisor to ensure compliance with the latest regulations and requirements.
A fiscal sponsor is a nonprofit organization that provides fiduciary oversight, financial management, and other administrative services to help build the capacity of charitable projects.” Determination for fiscal sponsorship is independent from the SuccessLink RFA grant process and will have been determined and secured in advance by your organization.
No. The grant funding limits and restricts expenses to youth wages and administrative costs only. Program costs are not allowable expenses.
YEO's selection process aims to identify organizations that provide evidence-based professional skill development that equips youth to successfully engage in the workforce, as well as offer opportunities in keeping with the City of Boston’ focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB). Partners will be required to submit applicant and youth participant data on race, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, nationality and/or disability status to ensure ongoing commitment to DEIB.
Who's Involved:
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Have questions? Contact:
Youth Employment and Opportunity
