Raikes Foundation - Grantmaking Priorities

Most risks- drugs, sexual activity, school disengagement, and delinquency- start before age 14.

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Grantmaking Priorities

Grantmaking Eligibility

Application Process

Supporting Connectedness for Early Adolescents
Early adolescence (ages 10-14) is a pivotal developmental stage for young people, who undergo rapid biological, social, emotional and intellectual changes. As early adolescents transition into middle school, they enter a more complex social environment where peer approval is paramount, parental engagement decreases and experimentation with risky behaviors can have lifelong consequences. Many young people also begin to disengage from school and exhibit behaviors that put them at risk for academic failure. We believe early adolescence is an especially important time to help young people stay on a positive path to graduation and successful adulthood. To do this, youth must feel connected- safe, supported and engaged- inside and outside the classroom. The Raikes Foundation's current grantmaking priorities are to foster connectedness among early adolescents. We accomplish this through investments in schools and out-of-school time programs.

School Investments
The Raikes Foundation is interested in partnering with schools, districts and nonprofit organizations offering effective, scalable, and sustainable approaches to ensure that students in the middle grades have strong, positive attachments to school. Grants in this area will support:

Evidence-based programs or practices to help students develop the social and emotional skills that support their ability to fully engage in learning and form caring, supportive relationships with others.
School district models that foster a positive learning environment, create more personalized learning structures, and address the social and emotional needs of students.
Research and development to test and evaluate programmatic approaches that build connectedness in the middle grades, especially the behaviors and beliefs students need to stay motivated and engaged.

Out-of-School Time Investments
In 2008, the Foundation launched the Youth Program Quality Initiative to support successful programming for adolescents. Research has found that participation in high quality out-of-school programs can positively influence social, emotional, and academic outcomes for youth. While many factors contribute to the quality of youth programs, skilled staff is essential to creating safe, engaging, and youth-centered programs. The Youth Program Quality Initiative provides funding and the opportunity to engage staff in an intensive professional development process that reflects best practices in the field of youth development. In fall 2010, the Initiative will focus on organizations providing out-of-school time programs in King and Spokane Counties. We are currently accepting Letters of Inquiry for the Youth Program Quality Initiative. The submission deadline is 5pm on September 17, 2010. To learn more, please see King County Guidelines or Spokane County Guidelines.