Young Grantmakers Initiative

About Us

Established by the Raikes Foundation and Y Social Impact Center in 2020, the Young Adult Grant Advisory Committee is a program designed to empower young people who have lived experience with housing instability to make funding decisions in their community. The committee is currently offering up to $20,000 in unrestricted funding to nonprofits addressing youth and young adult homelessness in King County.

Given the overrepresentation of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults experiencing homelessness in King County, our committee members feel strongly about centering nonprofits that are addressing these disparities.

Mission and Values

The mission of the Young Adult Grant Advisory Committee is to distribute funding to nonprofit organizations within King County that work to address and prevent YYA homelessness. The program centers the insights of youth leaders who have lived experience with housing instability, to better reflect the needs and perspectives of affected communities and empower youth.

The core values that guide the committee’s work are equity & social justice, lived experience, community, empowering youth, transparency, and open mindedness.

Application & Award Timeline

• Accept Applications: June 25 - August 13, 2024
• Young Adult Advisory Committee Reviews Applications: August 2024
• Applicants Notified of Awards: Sept 2024
• Start Award Distribution Process: Sept 2024
• Grantee Informal Report: March 2025 (date TBD)

Reporting Requirements

Reporting updates will occur at an in-person event in March 2025 (date TBD) including representatives from all awarded organizations and the young adult grant advisory committees. Awardees will be asked to do a 5-10 minute presentation sharing the impact of funding, experience with the funding process and takeaways for the future.

Organizations which receive funds commit to providing transparency and accountability for their usage at the informal 6-month update in March 2025. Funds are expected to be used within 12 months of disbursement.

Eligibility Qualifications

• Must be a certified 501(c)3 or have a Fiscal Sponsor with an EID number.
• Funds must be used to support programs in King County.
• Must not be a current or past Raikes Foundation grantee receiving over $3,000
• Must be providing services which address homelessness and/or housing instability for youth and young adults ages 13-24

Funding Priorities

Priority will be given to organizations that are serving majority BIPOC youth and/or LGBTQIA+ youth, as well as organizations offering peer support programs and street outreach services. Such organizations are encouraged to apply.

Application Instructions

The committee will accept either written electronic submissions or video submissions. It is helpful to have your organization's Tax Identification Number, and demographic data for your organization's board, leadership, and staff on hand. 

Apply Online – Follow this link to complete the form for written e-submissions by 11:59pm on Tuesday, August 13, 2024.

Apply with Video – Applicants that wish to submit a video proposal are asked to create and upload an unlisted YouTube video. Creativity is encouraged! Video applicants may choose to include slides or other visual aides, though it is not required. Video submissions should be at least 10 minutes long and should not exceed 15 minutes in length.

Complete the form for video submissions by 11:59pm on Tuesday, August 13, 2024.

If you have questions, comments, please send them to y-yagac@seattleymca.org