Check out Learning Opportunities FREE for Grantees and Applicants
Reminder as a benefit to ISYP grantees and SYPF applicants, you can access many of MCCOY’s trainings at no cost. Simply look for sessions marked with an “*” and enter “ISYP” at check out! This benefit is available to all employees within the organization as well as board and volunteers.
2022 Grantees: Share a Summer Success Story!
We want to share in your triumphs and successes in youth work! Submit a success story and nominate a program, event, or leader in youth work to be featured on our social media.
ISYP 2023 – Updated July 2022
Indy Summer Youth Programs are supported through the Summer Youth Program Fund, a collaboration between The Indianapolis Foundation, a CICF affiliate, and eight other funders in Marion County. For summer 2022, the fund awarded $2,043,115 to support 207 programs, with an average grant size of $14,154. Since 1995, the funding collaborative has awarded more than $55 million to support summer youth programs for Marion County youth.
Indy Summer Youth Programs focus on providing safe and positive experiences for children and teens, ages 4 to 24, at little or no cost to families. Grants support overnight programs, day programs, academic and artistic enrichment, and youth employment. Recipients represent religious congregations and area community centers to theaters and parks that offer sports, overnight camping, arts, community service, and tutoring.
The Indianapolis Foundation and Lilly Endowment Inc. manage its grantmaking and other activities.
Funding partners include: Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation Inc.; Arthur Dean Family Foundation; City of Indianapolis DMD; Indiana University Health; Lilly Endowment Inc.; Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust; The Clowes Fund Inc.; The Indianapolis Foundation; and The Indianapolis Foundation Library Fund
How It Works
The Summer Youth Program Fund collaboration makes things simpler for grant seekers, funders and grantees. Grant seekers apply once to reach all nine funders; grantees submit one final report that all nine funders review. Applying through the Summer Youth Program Fund is an opportunity for organizations to elevate their programming to new funders, and saves the time of applying to each funder separately.
Each funder makes its own funding decisions according to its priorities and notifies its grantees separately. Some programs receive grants from more than one funder. More information about funder priorities for 2023 is available here. Funders collaborate in the allocations process to close as many gaps as possible. Most applicants receive some funding, and the majority of applicants in 2022 received 50% or more of their funding request.
2023 Program Timeline
| IMPORTANT DATE | ACTION/DEADLINE |
| Monday, Aug. 15, 2022 at 9 a.m. | Orientation for 2023 will take place from 9 to 11:30am at the Ivy Tech Culinary and Conference Center (2820 N. Meridian Street). Learn more and RSVP here. |
| Monday, Aug. 22, 2022 at 8 a.m. | Application window opens. Log in to CICF’s Smart Simple to begin your application. |
| Friday, Oct. 21, 2022 at noon | Completed applications for 2023 funding must be submitted by 12pm. |
| Week of February 6-10, 2023 | Applicants notified. |
| May – August 2023 | Summer youth programs take place. |
| Friday, Sept. 30, 2023 | Final reports for 2023 programs due. |
Available Grants
Two types of grants are available, program support and capital support.
- Program grants: Program grants support summer programs for Marion County youth that provide safe spaces to study, read, learn, connect with friends, play sports, and engage in emotional and educational enrichment. Programs must be for the exclusive benefit of Marion County youth. Grants can support costs such as staffing, program materials, healthy meals and snacks, scholarships that keep programs free or low-cost, and more. Eligible organizations must be tax-exempt or have a fiscal sponsor. Learn more about funder priorities here.
- Capital grants: The Lilly Endowment Inc., makes special grants available for modest capital equipment purchases and projects. Criteria for 2023 will be posted this summer.
How to Apply
You will use CICF’s Smart Simple platform to submit a program grant application. If your organization does not have a Smart Simple account, you will first need to create one. If you already have a Smart Simple account, please make sure to update your organizational profile before starting your SYPF application. This How-To Guide includes a detailed overview of how to set up an account in Smart Simple.
When the application opens in August, log in to Smart Simple and select the call for 2023 SYPF applications. You can save and return to your application as many times as necessary before the deadline.
This document overviews the characteristics of a successful proposal.
Final Reporting for 2022
- Final reports for 2022 programs are due Friday, Sept. 30, 2022 at 4pm.
- To complete the final report, please complete the Narrative Report the Financial & Attendance Report.
- Submit completed forms by emailing them to cicfgrantreports@cicf.org. Complete instructions and a checklist can be found on the Narrative Report.
Questions
If you have questions about Indy Summer Youth Program funding, please contact Leah Nahmias, Community Leadership Officer (LeahN@cicf.org). For technical assistance with the Smart Simple application, contact Hector Morales Hernandez, Grants Coordinator (HectorMH@cicf.org or 317.634.2423 x 138).