Youth In Philanthropy
Grants

Application, Budget, & Report Forms

Be sure to go over the Grant Steps and Checklist section below as you plan your project and complete your application.

Below is the application, which includes the budget template and the final report form.

Questions? Reach out to us using the contact information on this page. 

Apply for a Youth In Philanthropy Grant

Here is the grant application as a fillable pdf. You can complete it online then save to your computer and attach to an email to submit it, or you can print it and fill it out by hand. Please do not submit using Google forms. 

Report on a Youth In Philanthropy Grant

After your grant project is done, you must turn in a final report within 30 days.

Here is the grant final report as a fillable pdf. You can complete it online and save to submit to us, or you can print and fill it out by hand.

Who We Fund

To be considered for a Youth In Philanthropy grant from the Northland Foundation, the project and grant application must be planned, written, and carried out by young people involved in a youth organization with the support of an adult advisor. Through Youth In Philanthropy, young people have an opportunity to develop and implement projects that will benefit their schools, organizations, and communities. Examples of those who can apply for a Youth In Philanthropy grant are:

• Youth groups (4-H, Girl Scouts, etc.).
• Youth-serving organizations or programs (youth centers, mentoring programs, Boys & Girls Clubs, etc.).
• Organizations or clubs within schools and communities, such as peer helpers, robotics, student council, etc.

What We Fund

If you aren’t sure if your project idea is a good fit for a Youth In Philanthropy grant, please reach out to us using the contact information on this page.

Projects That Qualify for Grant Consideration:

• Are planned, written, and carried out by one or more youth with support from an adult advisor.
• Take place in communities within the Minnesota counties of Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, and/or St. Louis, or in Superior, Wisconsin.
• Address a community, school, or organizational need and engage young people as leaders and/or volunteers.
• Are associated with a nonprofit organization or that have a relationship with a fiscal agent.
• Have a timeline with enough lead time for the Youth In Philanthropy Board to review the application at their next meeting and process a grant before any actual work on your project is scheduled to begin. Keep in mind, it usually takes about 30 days beyond the application deadline for you to be notified of our decision. Payment will be made approximately 30 days after the grant is awarded.  

What Projects Do Not Qualify for Grant Consideration?

• Support for individuals.
• Requests for scholarships.
• Fundraising campaigns for dinners, ticket sales, and similar activities.
• Requests for individual or team expenses to participate in competitions.
• Funding to build, renovate, or maintain buildings.
• Direct support to religious organizations, programs, or events (although support for youth activities for the larger community will be considered from faith-based organizations).
• Projects planned only by adults.

When We Fund

The Youth In Philanthropy Board meets three times per year: October, January, and April. To have your grant proposal considered at the next board meeting, submit an application to the Northland Foundation by:

• October 1^st for the October Board Meeting.
• January 1^st for the January Board Meeting.
• April 1^st for the April Board Meeting.

Funding decisions are normally made by the board within 30 days of these deadlines. If your proposal receives a grant, you will be notified by email within a week after the decision is made. Payments will be made approximately 30 days after the award date. (Grant documents must be completed prior to payment being made.) Be sure to plan ahead with your proposal and project timeline, allowing enough time for the board to meet and Northland to process the grant awards before work on your project is scheduled to begin. 

Grant Steps & Checklist

If you aren’t sure if your project idea is a good fit for a Youth In Philanthropy grant, please reach out to us using the contact information on this page.

Grantwriting Steps

These steps and a handy checklist will help you complete your application. 

Step 1 Identify a youth-developed project that includes an adult advisor to provide guidance on the application process and supervision of the project. 

Step 2 Review the grant guidelines and instructions. 

Step 3 Contact the Northland Foundation to talk about your idea and see if it fits within Youth In Philanthropy grant guidelines before submitting it. 

Step 4 Complete the grant application and budget form. The application must be written by children/youth with the help of an adult advisor. 

Step 5 Review the Checklist. 

Step 6 Submit your grant application and budget form to the Northland Foundation by the deadline.

 Checklist: After completing a grant application, use the following checklist to make sure that all the information has been included and is correct. Applicants should be able to answer “yes” to each question.

___ Is all the necessary information about the organization, contact person, and fiscal agent included? 
___ Have you clearly identified a youth or community need and explained how the project addresses it? 
___ Is this youth project realistic and “do-able”? 
___ Have youth been involved in planning and developing the project idea?
___ Has the grant application been written by young people? If not, please submit a letter explaining why.
___ Will young people be directly involved in completing the project?
___ Is there an adult contact person working with the youth on this project?
___ Can the project be accomplished in the time frame and manner that is proposed?
___ Are other community partners contributing time, money, and/or other resources?
___ Does the budget reflect any fundraising efforts or other sources of support for the project?
___ If needed, does the project have approval from the school or other agencies?
___ Is the budget appropriate for the project needs and added correctly?
___ Has someone other than the grant writer(s) read the application to make sure it is complete?
___ Does the project timeline allow enough time for the Youth In Philanthropy Board to review the application at their next meeting and process the grant before work on the project actually begins?