Application Deadline: August 6th, 2021.
The Comic Relief US (CRUS) Youth Advisory Council (YAC) is launching a new fund, Juntanza,
that provides grants to youth-led social change campaigns and programs in the United States,
Colombia, Cambodia, Kenya, and Somalia. Juntanza means a union to help each other and
achieve a common goal and originates from the practices of Afro-descendant communities in
Colombia. This call for proposals invites youth-led organizations and projects to apply for a
grant to address the issues of hunger, education, and mental health while lifting up the
intersections of racial and gender equity for young people in these target regions through
service projects or advocacy.
Comic Relief US’s Youth Advisory Council is comprised of eight trail-blazing young leaders from across the US and around the world who work alongside our grantmaking team to inform the organization’s Red Nose Day grants portfolio.
Each Council Member receives a stipend, access to learning opportunities, training and mentorship, and the opportunity to co-develop a seed funding program for youth-led organizations. This new, participatory grantmaking strategy further enhances Comic Relief US’s commitment to innovative approaches to achieve the organization’s mission of a just world free from poverty.
Grant Amounts:
- The Juntanza Fund will make grants of $5,000-$10,000 USD for up to a one-year term to youth-led programs, organizations, and campaigns. Examples of what we fund can be found in the pages that follow.
Geographic focus: United States, Cambodia, Colombia, Kenya, and Somalia - WHO: A group of three or more young people (ideally aged between 16-24) sponsored by a registered nonprofit or registered as a nonprofit with a youth-run and led program.
Eligibility:
● Applicants for the fund should be a group of three or more young people (under 25 years old) sponsored by a registered nonprofit or registered as a nonprofit with a youth-run and led program.
● The program must be focused on supporting youth from low-income backgrounds (as defined in the context of where the program is operating). For example, in the US this might be for youth who are on free and reduced price school lunch; internationally it might be an established poverty level for that country (e.g. under $2/day).
● The sponsoring organization must be registered in either the US, Colombia, Cambodia, Somalia, or Kenya and have a bank account that can receive funds from the US. In the US, this would be a 501c3 IRS status. In Colombia, this would require a “Certificado de Existencia y Representación Legal”. In Cambodia, this would require a “Certificate of Registration of Domestic Association of Non-Governmental Organization” or “Registration Letter from the Ministry of Interior”. In Kenya, this would require a “Certificate of Registration with the Non-Governmental Organizations Board”.
● The sponsoring organization must have (see definition below for sponsoring
organization):
○ An annual budget (showing income and expenses)
○ An effective governance with an Advisory Council or Board of Directors
○ A demonstrated commitment to the safeguarding of children or child protection policy and vulnerable adults (see definition below)
○ A demonstrated commitment to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion
GRANT PROCESS
1) Use the checklist on the application form to confirm that you’re a good fit for the Fund.
2) Mark the deadline on your calendar: August 6th.
3) Complete the application form.
4) Selected Grant Recipients will be notified in mid-September.
5) Funding will be provided to grant recipients within a month of signing the Grant
Agreement or within a month of the start of their program.
6) Project Start Dates are between October 1, 2021 – January 15, 2022.
7) Plan to attend a mid-term focus group with your peers to talk about your progress.
8) Plan to send a final report with photos telling the story of your work and what you accomplished during the grant period.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the Juntanza Fund Youth Advisory Council Gran