Capital investment that will expand the capacity of local nonprofit organizations to make a positive impact on children, teens and young adults through impactful programs and needed services.

Step 1 - October 1 deadline

Submit the name, goals and approximate budget of your proposal in a letter emailed to the Executive Director, Lindsey Scott at lindseyscott@mvyouth.com. Before the application process begins, eligibility will be determined based on whether proposals meet MVYouth's funding criteria. Applicants can self-assess using evaluation criteria listed below.

Step 2 - October 15 deadline

Eligible applicants must complete the online application and upload all requested materials. The Advisory Board will assess all applicants using our evaluation tool and identify competitive semifinalists.

Step 3 - Mid November

Semifinalists will be interviewed by the Advisory Board before final funding recommendations are made to the Board of Trustees.

Step 4 - Late December

The Board of Trustees will finalize the selection of grant recipients in late December.

Click the application link below to get started. Save your work as you go and submit your application when you are complete. All application materials must be submitted electronically by midnight on the application due date in order to be considered. 
Please email Lindsey Scott at lindseyscott@mvyouth.com if you have any questions.

Does MVYouth have a typical grant award range?

MVYouth’s grants vary according to needs addressed by the outlined project, the projected numbers served, the project budget and the preliminary fundraising status. The maximum grant award is $1 million.

Does MVYouth provide seed money for new organizations?

MVYouth invests in organizations that are satisfying their missions, have excellent leadership, strong community support, stable finances, clear vision and a well developed plan for a project that will impact the youth community in needed ways. If you have an idea for a new program or project, we strongly encourage you to partner with an existing organization to pursue your vision.

Are awards granted in one installment, or disbursed over a period of time?

Grant awards are disbursed as reimbursements for accomplished work plan consistent with the approved budget.

What are the evaluation criteria?

The Advisory Board uses the following criteria: proposals that address critical needs in the youth community that will make measurable community impact; well-devised plans; readiness to begin; leadership; stable finances with the capacity to sustain operations; evidence of collaboration. See detailed list below.

At what stage in a capital campaign is a project eligible to apply to MVYouth?

Projects that are nearing the end of their capital campaigns - designed, permitted and ready to begin within 9 months are eligible to submit an application. Roughly 60% of all project funding should be raised or pledged before submitting an application to MVYouth.

How are recipients selected?

MVYouth supports physical expansions and other needed capital that will enable an organization to satisfy unmet needs in the youth community. In the first phase of the selection process, the Advisory Board will use the evaluation criteria to assess each proposal. The Advisory Board will then interview competitive applicants. Final selections will be recommended by the Advisory Board and approved by the Board of Trustees.

Does MVYouth support publicly funded organizations?

MVYouth does not support organizations that are sustained by tax-payer dollars (schools, libraries, public parks).

MVYouth does not fund operating costs. Are there other local grants that do cover annual expenses?

There are a handful of generous local grants that typically fund smaller projects or help organizations with programs and projects that are part of their annual operations. Click on the organizational names below to visit their websites and learn more about their application processes.

• Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation: deadlines September 15, March 19

• Local Cultural Council: deadline October 15

• Martha's Vineyard Savings Bank Charitable Fund: deadlines March 13, June 19, September 24, December 18

• Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank Charitable Foundation Trust: deadlines February 14, May 9, July 11, September 19

• Farm Neck Foundation: deadline November 1

• Vineyard Golf Club Foundation: deadline June 15

• Martha's Vineyard Center for the Visual Arts: deadlines February 1-April 1

When will recipients be announced?

 MVYouth will announce the Expansion Grants recipients in late December.

The strongest proposals include those with the most compelling goals, a clear ability to achieve those goals, and impacts that will be tangible and long lasting. We strongly favor proposals that are ready to begin promptly—where, if awarded, MVYouth's grant satisfies the remaining financial need. MVYouth will invest in organizations that can turn their good ideas into reality and have the structure and systems to do so. Grants are not awarded to organizations that are supported primarily by tax-payer dollars or to cover operating expenses. In addition to the criteria listed below, evaluators will also weigh any risks that an applicant’s planned project might pose, including risks that could impede the organization’s ability to fully implement its proposed project within the timeframe and budget specified in the application.

NEED AND IMPACT

• Need: The project addresses an important need in our community. The planned project does not unnecessarily duplicate existing services or facilities for this population.

• Numbers served: A target group of island youth is identified. The planned project will serve a significant un/underserved youth population.

• Mission: The organization's mission is clearly articulated and made public.

• Innovation: The planned project involves an important innovation or advance in current practices on Martha’s Vineyard.

• Outcomes: The planned project has set realistic and attainable expected outcomes for island youth, with a realistic expectation of long lasting and meaningful community impacts.

• Accessibility: The planned project is fully accessible to its target population. Physical, cultural and financial constraints on participants have been minimized or eliminated. The organization expects to serve participants with special needs.

• Diversity and equity: The planned project fosters diversity and anti-racism. The planned project addresses issues of equity for underserved youth populations.

• Evaluation: The organization has a realistic plan to evaluate the impact of the project.

• Risk level: The project is likely to confront significant challenges in achieving its intended scale and outcomes. The numbers served are too small to warrant the requested funds. The outlined goal does not address a critical youth need.

PLAN

• Eligibility: The planned project is consistent with MVYouth’s funding objectives to support capital expansion projects of youth-serving organizations that will enable the organization to address important unmet needs.

• Goals: The project’s goals are clearly articulated and consistent with the organization’s mission.

• Budget: The project's budget is reasonable and achievable. Expenditures do not subsidize current operating costs. Financial and/or in-kind support is substantiated. The balance of funds needed for the project are very likely to be raised from known sources.

• Skin in the game: The organization’s own constituencies (board members, staff, users) are contributing to the project.

• Timeline: A realistic timeline for successful completion is spelled out in the proposal.

• Executability: The organization has adopted an explicit timeline and implementation plan to guide project execution. The necessary professionals have been engaged.

• Strategic plan: The organization has adopted a strategic plan. The planned project advances the principles and methods established in the strategic plan.

• Risk level: The project plan is unclear, unrealistic or inconsistent with the organization's mission, goals or strategic plan or with community need. The budget is unrealistic.

TIMING

• Ready: Final construction plans are firm. The permitting process is complete or well underway. The planned project is ready to begin within 9 months.

• Commitment of funds: At least 60% of total project funding is in hand or firmly committed through donor pledges. Funds from MVYouth will enable the project to begin within 9 months.

• Risk level: Unresolved planning or operational challenges impede the project's timely execution. Sufficient funds have not yet been raised to warrant making an award this cycle.

LEADERSHIP

• Executive director: A qualified, dependable professional is in place to manage the organization and the planned project.

• Board: The board is appropriately sized, with the right mix of skills and backgrounds. The board provides direction, oversight and fiduciary responsibility to support the organization. Policies and procedures are in place to guide complex decision-making. The board's governance structure addresses the organization’s needs.

• Staff: The organization is more than the work of one or two individuals. Adequate, qualified staff with necessary expertise are engaged in meaningful roles. The organization has adopted an explicit staffing plan that includes realistic recruitment approaches for filling specialized staff vacancies.

• Teamwork: A culture of close, ongoing collaboration characterizes the relationships among the organization’s board members, staff, parents, and youth participants. A culture of learning and problem-solving permits obstacles to be overcome and innovative approaches to be considered, adopted, and implemented.

• Reputation: The organization has earned a public track record of performance and a positive reputation and professional standing within the community.

• Risk level: Weak or misdirected leadership impedes the project's prospects for success.

FISCAL HEALTH AND SUSTAINABILITY

• Fiscal Health: The organization is currently in sound fiscal condition, as supported by a third-party compilation, review, or audit. It has sufficient fiscal resources and liquidity to sustain ongoing operations.

• Oversight: The organization has explicit fiscal-management processes, including regular oversight from a finance committee of the board.

• Grant history: The organization has successfully attracted other local, regional, state, or federal grants.

• Sustainability: The proposal includes a realistic financial plan to continue operating the organization's existing programs and services. Financial projections provide assurance that the planned project does not divert resources or attention from existing programs and services and can continue robust operations beyond the termination of MVYouth support.

• Risk level: Financial resources, prospects, and/or processes are inadequate to support the planned project. Plans do not provide convincing evidence that the planned project will continue high-quality operations at scale beyond the MVYouth funding period.
  

COLLABORATION

• Partnership: The planned project brings various organizations together for a common purpose. Effective, complementary relationships with other Island agencies are incorporated into the plan in order to: address unmet needs, improve the quality of programs and/or services, expand reach to serve more or different youth participants, improve administrative efficiencies, and reduce expenses. The planned project engages support through community outreach.

• Risk level: Inter-organizational and/or inter-personal barriers impede necessary collaboration.