Apply for a Grant
The Irish Youth Foundation funds groups to build a brighter future for children living in adverse and extreme circumstances on the island of Ireland. For many years IYF has been particularly interested in supporting after school and homework clubs, creative education projects, play and recreational facilities, drug and alcohol prevention, and citizenship and leadership programmes.
To apply for funding from the Irish Youth Foundation, you must first register with us. This registration ensures that you are a voluntary or community group and you work with and for vulnerable and marginalized children and young people. Only registered groups are notified of Irish Youth Foundation grant calls. Statutory bodies are ineligible.
Grant calls from the Irish Youth Foundation reflect the level of funds available to us. Instead of having particular grant rounds at specified times of the year, we now use a more eclectic approach whereby registered and qualifying groups are notified by email of the application procedures e.g. topic guidelines, deadlines as and when funds become available.
Each group must decide, given the guidelines provided with each grant call, whether to apply for a grant. Prospective applicants are advised that making an application to the Irish Youth Foundation can be demanding and time consuming. If in doubt about your application, please contact us.
Grant applications are assessed by a committee of experts and recommendations are made to the Board for approval. If requested, informal feedback on submitted applications is provided.
The general criteria for assessing grant applications are set out below:
| Criteria | Score | Out Of |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Suitability of Organisation | 10 | |
| 2. Circumstances of Target Group | 25 | |
| 3. Purpose of Grant | 30 | |
| 4. Impact and effectiveness | 25 | |
| 5. Innovativeness | 10 | |
| Total | 100 |
Notes on Criteria
- Suitability of organisation refers to whether the applicant body works directly with children and young people or for their benefit and whether there is confidence in the work that they do. Those bodies working with marginalised and excluded children and young people are of particular interest.
- Circumstances of the target group refer to the actual children and young people that the grant will be used in favour of and their particular needs.
- Purpose of the grant is self explanatory but attention should be given to whether it is realistic and appropriate.
- Impact and effectiveness refer to the benefits of the proposed activity and to what extent an Irish Youth Foundation grant will enable the purpose to be achieved for the benefit of the target group.
- Innovativeness is trying to capture proposals which are different or novel, and those coming from outside of Dublin are especially welcome.
When completing a specfic application form please give special attention to the following:
- Read the application form carefully before completing it
- Make sure your handwriting is clear and legible
- Be accurate and precise in your answers
- Complete all sections of the form
- The proposal should be focused and specific
- The budget should be realistic and manageable
- Do not include additional material unless requested.
Children's Hour 2011
Thank you to all of our Children's Hour supporters, we are so grateful to you for making that donation.
The Children's Hour campaign is still running and will continue into February. Many projects which provide vital services to vulnerable and at-risk young people are struggling to stay open. You can help to make a difference by donating just one hour of your pay to help support these young people, or by making a collection in your workplace. In October we asked youth groups throughout the country what their Christmas wish would be and we have received over 70 requests. Please support Children’s Hour. Your contribution will make a difference.
For more information click HERE or to download the press release click HERE
We hope to have grants issued by March and we will be in touch with all applicants to keep you informed.
The IYF are delighted to be Eason's Charity of the Year!
The Irish Youth Foundation are delighted to be Eason's chosen Charity of the Year. As part of their support for the IYF, Eason's have pledged an extra Euro for every copy of our new book, "With Love from me...to me" that is purchased in one of their stores nationwide or online at http://www.eason.ie/lists/with-love-from-meto-me. We would like to say a huge thanks to Eason's for their wonderful support!