Youth Development Fund Now Open for Applications

Wednesday, July 31, 2024 - Mayor Michelle Wu and the City of Boston’s Human Services Cabinet announced applications are now open for the 2024 Youth Development Fund (YDF), a $1.5 million grant program to support non-profit organizations that provide high quality, engaging programming for youth and young adults ages 14-24. Funding will be prioritized for areas that are aligned with the Mayor’s Connect, Learn, Explore commitment to youth. The goal of this grant is to increase the variety of free youth programming in the City and provide a positive outlet for youth when they’re not in school. Applications are open until 5:00 p.m. on August 19, 2024. 

“We’re working to make Boston a city where every young person has access to enriching experiences outside of the classroom,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “By directing funds to initiatives that support youth programming we are not just investing in the futures of our young people, but in the future of our entire community. Thank you to our Office of Human Services for their work in launching this grant. I can’t wait to see the programs that our partner organizations will offer and all the ways they will bring new and exciting experiences for our young people.”   

This year, the Youth Development Fund will support non-profit youth-serving organizations through two tracks of funding – one track for small, emerging organizations and another track for larger, established organizations. Those chosen for the emerging awards will be invited to participate in the Emerging Organization Learning Community, a series of free training and capacity-building workshops. This will be the second year that the Mayor’s Office of Human Services has offered the Learning Community. 

“I am excited that we are able to partner with so many youth development organizations to offer a diverse array of programming,” said Human Services Chief José F. Massó. “We want every family in Boston to be able to find fun, engaging, high quality programs in their neighborhood.”

The Emerging Leader Grant will support organizations that have an annual operating budget of $200,000 or less and all awards will come with technical assistance and capacity building to help smaller organizations develop the skills needed to grow the program. These grantees will also be partnered with a mentor organization that can provide coaching in non-profit leadership. 

"The Youth Development Fund and the overwhelming support I received from the Office of Human Services were invaluable,” said FY ‘24 grantee, Benjamin Diaz, founder of Fatherly Justice Association. “The lessons I learned over the last six months through the Emerging Organizations Learning Community are truly important to Fatherly Justice Association Corp and myself. I will always value the long-lasting partnerships that I was able to find with my fellow grantees." 

Larger organizations, those with a budget greater than $200,000 but less than $5 million, are eligible for the Established Organization track. This grant opportunity is available to medium-to-large-sized youth development organizations with a strong track record of engaging young people and achieving successful outcomes. Grants in this category can go up to $30,000. 

This year, the Youth Development Fund grants focus on five categories of programming that are consistent with Mayor Wu’s Connect, Learn, Explore commitment to providing opportunities for youth to explore and discover their passions. Organizations that present programming in the following areas will be prioritized: 

• Sports, including swimming and biking
• Gardening, urban farming, and culinary arts 
• Arts, including both visual and performing arts 
• Other Youth development programming

In FY24, the YDF supported 88 grantees, including programming in every neighborhood that spanned sports, arts, academic support, after school programming, and entrepreneurship. Collectively, the FY 2024 YDF grantees served approximately 7,500 youth across Boston. 

ABOUT THE HUMAN SERVICES CABINET

The Human Services cabinet oversees six departments that provide direct services to Boston residents: Boston Centers for Youth & Families, Boston Public Library, Age Strong Commission, Office of Youth Engagement & Advancement, Office of Returning Citizens and the Office of Veterans’ Services.  The mission of the Human Services cabinet is to provide equitable access to high quality services, resources, and opportunities so that every Boston resident - especially those with the greatest needs - has what they need to thrive. In pursuit of this mission, the departments in the Human Services Cabinet meet residents where they are - in their homes, neighborhoods, and communities - to break down barriers to critical resources.