County Seeks Proposals for Youth Program Funding
Grant workshops set for October 27th and 28th
Poughkeepsie… The Dutchess County Department of Community and Family Services’ (DCFS) Division of Youth Services is requesting proposals for youth development programs from municipalities and non-profit, community-based organizations for calendar year Jan. 1st-Dec. 31st, 2021. Program funding will be awarded in the following categories:
- Youth Development Programs (YDP)
- Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA)
Grants, ranging from $5,000 to $25,000, will be awarded to programs that provide free, direct services designed to improve youth and community outcomes, as outlined in the Life Areas funding priorities of the Dutchess County Youth Board and Coordinating Council. The New York State Office of Children and Family Services’ six Life Areas are: Economic Security, Physical and Emotional Health, Education, Citizenship/Civic Engagement, Family and Community.
This year, programs will be expected to demonstrate knowledge/trained staff in Positive Youth Development and how the program addresses one of Dutchess County’s “Path to Promise” domains/value areas. Programs must serve Dutchess County residents up to 21 years of age for calendar year 2021. Eligible applicants should be either a county municipality or a 501(c)(3) non-profit, community-based organization with a federal identification number and charity registration, operating in Dutchess County, with the ability to meet the County’s insurance requirements and have reliable access to electronic mail.
The Division of Youth Services has scheduled three grant workshops for non-profit agencies and municipalities not familiar with the application process. Two in-person workshops will be held at the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health (DBCH) Conference Room C-104, 230 North Road in Poughkeepsie, and the other workshop will be held virtually; registrants for the virtual session on WebEx will receive an email with instructions and a link to participate. Interested parties may attend one of the grant workshops but must pre-register.
The workshops will take place:
- Tuesday, October 27th, from 2-4 p.m. at DBCH
- Wednesday, October 28th, from 10 a.m.-noon at DBCH
- Wednesday, October 28th from 2:30-4:30 p.m. on WebEx (virtual session)
Please contact Juliana Corbett at (845) 486-3354 or Juliana.Corbett@dfa.state.ny.us. to register for a workshop. Grant application packets will be distributed at the workshop, as well as a review on how to complete the paperwork. Grant documents will also be available online on the County’s Youth Services webpage a week prior to the first workshop. Due to COVID-19 safety protocols, space is very limited for the in-person workshops, so only one person per agency can register for a workshop, masks must be worn and social distancing will be maintained. There is no limit of attendees for the virtual WebEx session.
All grants are due to the Division of Youth Services on or before Monday, November 30, 2020. Applicants should allow for adequate mail delivery time for grants to arrive before the due date or should plan to hand-deliver the grant applications before close of business on Nov. 30th.
Funding is made available through the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. In 2020, 16 programs were awarded a total of $319,907 in funding. The amount of funding will be subject to the availability of annual State appropriations, which have not yet been made for 2021.
