Greater Cleveland high school students made some smart decisions in giving grants to nonprofit agencies this year, as United Way of Greater Cleveland's John K. Mott Youth Fund Distribution Committee (YFDC) awarded $66,000 in grants to 20 deserving organizations on May 26, 2010 at United Way's downtown headquarters.
This year, thirty-one students from 14 high schools throughout Cuyahoga County served on the YFDC. The grants fund programs specifically focused on children and youths, including nutrition, sports, education, health care and counseling. This year a new partnership with the MyCom initiative allowed the YFDC members to award $16,000 in small grants to “youth-originated projects” in the eight MyCom neighborhoods. This was in addition to the $50,000 awarded annually by the group.
The YFDC gives high school juniors and seniors a unique chance to be part of the decision-making process to make their community a better place for young people through grantmaking to select projects.
John K. Mott Youth Fund Grant Recipients for 2010 are:
General Funding:
Beech Brook, Moms and Mentors (M & Ms)
Bellflower Center for Prevention of Child Abuse, Child Abuse Recovery Group & Individual Therapy
Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, "Loaner" hearing aids and other items for the Regional Infant Hearing Program
Easter Seals Northern Ohio, Inc, "Play & Say" Language and School Readiness Summer Program
Providence House, Crisis Nursery "Days of Care" program
Recovery Resources, ABC Preschool Program
Rose-Mary Center, Summer Camp
Shoes and Clothes for Kids, Buying and Distribution Program
Uniforms for Kids, Dress for Educational Success
Youth Challenge, Summer Program Sponsorship
Florence Crittenton funding
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, Girls Kick Butt! Teen Empowerment Conference
MyCom grants:
Bellaire-Puritas Development Corporation, Youth-to-Youth: Blankets & Books
Eleanor B. Rainey Memorial Institute, "A Look At The St. Clair-Superior Neighborhood"
Friendly Inn Settlement, Inc., The Back School Rally
Mt. Pleasant Community Zone, Mt. Pleasant Media Mentoring Project
Nueva Luz URC, Mid-West Youth Council Community Garden Project
Ridgewood YMCA with Parma City School District, MyCom Café Gardens
Shaker Heights Youth Center, 3v3 Basketball Tournament/"Pack a Backpack" Project
St.Clair-Superior Development Corporation, Youth Festival
University Settlement, Inc., Parade the Circle 2010
Applications for funding will be accepted starting in December 2010. Each year the YFDC group determines the funding priorities and sends out a Request for Proposal (RFP). If you know of an organization that might be eligible for YFDC funding, please contact Christina Brown and ask to be put on the RFP mailing list. If you know a high school junior or senior who might be interested in being a part of YFDC, please contact Christina or visit this website after mid-August when student applications will be available for download. The application deadline for students will be Friday, September 24, 2010.
