The Youth Fund supports organisations whose main purpose is working with and for young people (aged 14-25) who face complex transitions to adulthood.
They provide core funding for organisations that:
- Seek to sustain, prepare to grow, or grow impact with and for young people.
- Put young people at the centre in terms of power, voice and agency – as part of an asset-based approach, starting with recognising and building on young people’s strengths and potential.
- Aim to achieve wide impact for young people (for example, going beyond direct delivery and focusing on systemic or structural change).
- Are committed to continuous improvement in asset-based approaches to working with and for young people.
- Support young people who are facing complex transitions, challenges and barriers to accessing support and opportunities. Particularly young people who are socially excluded or marginalised; whose experiences can be hidden or less well known; and whose voices are often erased or ignored.
What they fund:
- Core operating costs. Organisations can request up to £150,000 spread over three years i.e. up to £50,000 per year. The Youth Fund is designed to be a strategic investment in your organisation, so we only fund for the full three years and at the amount appropriate to your plans for wider impact. They do not make grants of less than £90,000 over three years.
- Organisations which provide direct services or infrastructure support
They make around 25 grants per year through the Youth Fund. On average they fund around 12% of the applications received.
They will prioritise work that takes place outside of London.
They will prioritise work which is committed to anti-racism and to applying an intersectional lens to inequity. They define anti-racism as ‘the active work to identify and oppose racism, which includes changing systems, structures, policies and practices, as well as attitudes to create a more equitable society.’ By intersectionality they mean an approach which takes account of multiple and overlapping identities as they relate to areas such as race, class, disability and gender and understanding how this might impact and compound inequity.
What they will not fund:
In addition to PHF’s general exclusions, the Youth Fund will not make grants
- to newly registered organisations yet to produce independently audited/examined accounts
- to organisations with an income below £30,000 and above £3.5 million
- for work that is considered a statutory responsibility
- for project-based activity or continuation funding with no scope for impact beyond the organisation’s immediate beneficiaries
- for work that is focused on young people receiving hospice or end of life care – they recognise that this work is incredibly important, however this is not a priority for the Youth Fund
- for work delivered by YMCAs unless it seeks to secure significant wider changes in housing provision and entitlements for young people – they recognise the importance of the work of YMCAs but do not have the resources to fund these models across the UK.
More information and how to apply, found here.
Application deadline: Rolling application cycle – no deadlines