Request for Proposals: 2026 Summer Programs Serving Baltimore City Youth (0–24) – Summer Funding Collaborative (Over $4.2M Available)

 

 

The Summer Funding Collaborative (SFC), a bunch of personal and nonprofit funders working in coordination with public techniques declares its 2026 Request for Proposals (RFP). The Collaborative expects to award greater than $4.2 million to packages serving Baltimore City youth ages 0–24.

The 2026 SFC companions embody:
Abell Foundation; Annie E. Casey Foundation; BGE; Blanket Fort Foundation; Bloomberg Philanthropies; Constellation; Family League of Baltimore; Goldseker Foundation; Hackerman Foundation; The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation; Hinkey-Benson Family Fund; Lockhart Vaughan Foundation; Nam-Macgill Family Fund; The Richman Foundation; and Sherman Family Foundation.

High-quality summer time packages play an important position in stopping summer time studying loss, lowering youth arrests, supporting working households, and offering secure, participating environments for younger individuals. On common, college students lose as much as one month of educational progress every summer time; efficient programming counteracts this decline and helps youth construct expertise and confidence.

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Eligibility Criteria : Who Can Apply

To qualify for funding, packages should:

Organizational Requirements

• Operate underneath a 501(c)(3), 509(a) standing, or have a fiscal sponsor with that standing.

Program Structure

• Must be in-person solely. Virtual or hybrid fashions are not eligible this 12 months.
• Must serve Baltimore City youth aged 0–24 from low-income households.
• Programs could function outdoors Baltimore City provided that serving Baltimore City youth completely.
• Programs could enroll non-low-income youth, however SFC funds could solely assist low-income Baltimore City residents.

Participation Costs

• Must be free or supply full charge waivers to households unable to pay.

Meal Requirements

• Programs working 4+ hours/day should serve at the very least one meal each day.
• Programs underneath 4 hours should present a snack each day.

Accessibility

Programs should:

• Welcome youth of all skills.
• Provide lodging to fulfill participant wants.

Quality Indicators

Programs ought to exhibit:

• Skill-building and studying environments
• Youth-centered design
• Access for all youth
• Professional, engaged employees
• Safe emotional and bodily settings
• Exposure to various experiences

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Expectations for Funded Programs

All funded packages should adjust to SFC core duties:

Data and Reporting

• Submit weekly attendance and enrollment information by a central platform, together with:
  • Names
  • School ID numbers
  • Birthdates
  • Demographic info
• SFC offers consent types, steering, and coaching.

Surveys

• Pre-program survey
• Post-program survey
• Youth satisfaction survey

Site Visits

• Programs could host website visits from SFC representatives (funders, employees, youth, officers).

Grant Contracts

• Managed individually by every SFC funder or fiscal sponsor.

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How to Apply

All functions should be submitted by Formstack solely.
No mailed, emailed, or late submissions are accepted.

Steps to Apply

1. Complete the Formstack online application
2. Upload all required paperwork.
3. Submit by 5:00 PM Eastern on December 3, 2025.

A single application is shared with all Collaborative funders.

Important Note

• The SFC can not present individualized suggestions on application solutions.

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Application Timeline

Date	Action
Nov 3, 2025	Application opens
Nov 7, 2025	In-person data session, 9:30 a.m. (5 N. Calhoun St.)
Nov 12, 2025	Virtual data session, 5:30 p.m.
Nov 13, 2025	Virtual workplace hours, 3–4 p.m.
Nov 17, 2025	Virtual workplace hours, 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
Nov 24–28, 2025	Office closed
Dec 1, 2025	Virtual workplace hours, 12–1 p.m.
Dec 3, 2025	Application Deadline – 5 p.m. Eastern
Dec 9, 2025	Missing paperwork/clarifications communicated
Dec 11, 2025	Missing paperwork due
Feb 2026	Announcement of awards

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Application Support

Technical help is out there freed from cost on a first-come, first-served foundation. Support contains:

• Understanding application questions
• Reviewing monetary paperwork for compliance
• Strengthening responses
• General steering for new grant writers

Important:
Technical help does not assure funding.

Office hours are additionally out there for questions on Formstack, submission processes, and accessing your application.

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Important Links 

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Application Components

Applicants to the Baltimore Summer Funding Collaborative (SFC) 2026 cycle are required to finish a number of core parts as part of their proposal. These supplies assist reviewers perceive every group’s mission, operational capability, program construction, monetary well being, and general readiness to ship high-quality summer time programming for Baltimore City youth.

1. Comprehensive Questionnaire

The application features a detailed questionnaire designed to seize important details about your group and proposed program. This part will request information reminiscent of:

• Organizational demographics and management info
• Program focus areas and goal inhabitants
• Expected program length, construction, and staffing
• Budgetary wants and anticipated prices

All questions included within the on-line kind could be discovered starting on web page 13 of the official overview doc. Applicants ought to overview these questions rigorously to make sure they supply full and correct responses.

 

2. Program Categories

Applicants should classify their proposed program in line with particular age ranges and program varieties.

Age Ranges

Programs should serve youth inside one of many following age classes:

• Pre-Okay to eighth grade / ages 0–13
• Grades 9–12 / ages 14–24

Programs that span each classes—for instance, grades 6–12—should submit two separate functions, one for every age group. If older youth function program employees, solely the youthful members must be categorized as program beneficiaries.

 

3. Program Types

SFC acknowledges two main program classes:

Comprehensive Programs

Comprehensive packages should meet all of the next standards:

• Operate 4 or extra weeks
• Operate 5 or extra hours per day
• Operate 4 or extra days per week
• Have a formal scholar enrollment course of (e.g., enrollment types)
• Provide each day meals to members
• Offer tutorial programming, plus extra enrichment or bodily actions at the very least as soon as per week

Specialized Programs

Specialized packages meet some of the next traits:

• Shorter operation:
  • Less than 4 weeks
  • Less than 5 hours per day
  • Less than 4 days per week
• Informal or drop-in enrollment construction
• Focus on a particular subject reminiscent of:
  • STEM
  • Workforce coaching
  • Mentorship
  • Arts
• Operate throughout non-traditional hours (evenings or weekends)

If a company operates each a complete and specialised program, separate functions are required. However, if the identical program runs throughout a number of websites with the identical construction, one application could also be submitted with clear indication of a number of areas.

 

4. Required Financial and Legal Documents

Applicants should add a number of paperwork in PDF format. Each doc should match the identify of the making use of group or its fiscal sponsor.

Required Documents

• Expected Budget
  Applicants should use the official SFC finances template. Budgets ought to define anticipated bills, in-kind contributions, and funding sources. Multi-site packages should break down bills per website.
• Certificate of Good Standing
  Issued by the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. Certificates should be lower than two years outdated.
• IRS 501(c)(3) or 509(a) Determination Letter
  Proof of nonprofit standing for the applicant or fiscal sponsor.
• Form 990
  The most up-to-date IRS annual submitting for the group or fiscal sponsor.
• Proof of Fiscal Sponsorship
  Required provided that relevant. This could also be an MOU or letter from the fiscal sponsor confirming their position.

Optional Financial Documents

These paperwork are elective however could improve eligibility for extra funders:

• Financial Audit – Required by some funders for budgets over $749,000
• Financial Review – For organizations with working budgets between $300,000 and $749,000

 

5. Program Narrative (“Organizational Story”)

Applicants should submit a written Program Story utilizing set prompts to assist grant reviewers perceive:

• Organizational mission
• Program objectives and actions
• How youth and households are engaged
• Why this system issues for Baltimore youth

This narrative should:

• Not exceed 3 pages
• Use Arial, 11-point font, single-spaced
• Follow default web page margins
• Be uploaded as one PDF

 

6. Program Schedule Worksheet

Applicants should full the required Program Schedule Worksheet for example:

• A typical each day schedule
• Weekly program circulate
• How actions relate to program objectives

Only the supplied SFC template shall be accepted to take care of equity and consistency.

 

7. Optional Media Upload

To give reviewers extra perception, candidates could add:

• A brief video
• Audio recording
• Photo file

This elective element permits packages to showcase actions, areas, or youth engagement past written descriptions.

 

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The 2026 Summer Funding Collaborative RFP provides a major alternative for nonprofit organizations to assist Baltimore City youth by impactful, high-quality summer time packages. With over $4.2 million in out there funding, this initiative prioritizes packages that take away monetary obstacles, present meals, guarantee accessibility, and ship significant developmental experiences. Interested organizations are inspired to organize early and submit their full proposal by Formstack by December 3, 2025.

 

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Issued by the Summer Funding Collaborative (SFC)
Deadline: December 3, 2025 

Funding Available: Over $4.2 Million

Click for extra info : 2026 SFC RFP

 

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