Starbucks Foundation Funding Opportunity for Youth Focused Organizations
They have the ability to assess the unique needs of their communities and to create meaningful change. We aim to support young people leading positive change.
The Starbucks Foundation is interested in supporting organizations that provide young people a continuum of services in developing creative approaches to address pressing concerns in their communities. We accept a letters of inquiry from organizations October 1st through December 1st. The online letter of inquiry form will be posted on the Youth Action Grants website on October 1st. The Starbucks Foundation will contact the organization directly if we’d like to request a full grant proposal.
Successful grant applicants will exhibit all of the following qualities:
- Deliver services to youth, ages 6 – 24
- Preference will be given to organizations that focus on young people in the age range of 12 and older, when they are able to take independent action
- Provides opportunity to combine learning with action that support communities and further global citizenship
- Deliver services, disseminate information, provide training and/or build broad networks
- Provide opportunities for Starbucks partners and multiple stores to be engaged in community service
Starbucks will not support organizations that discriminate against a person or a group on the basis of age, political affiliation, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation or religious belief.
We also strongly encourage organizations to include information in their proposal about how they exhibit one or more of the following elements:
- Youth are active in the leadership of the organization. Examples include: youth advisors, youth on the board, and organizations created by youth
- Development opportunities for youth. Examples include: provide trainings within the organization, external conferences, or youth convenings
- Develop young people’s interest in long-term civic engagement in their community
- Demonstration of a commitment to building bridges of understanding between and among different youth communities
- Opportunities to reach youth who otherwise would not have the opportunity to develop leadership skills in an area unfamiliar to them
- Opportunities for youth to gain knowledge of and experience with people of different cultural, racial, economic, religious and ethnic backgrounds
- Telling the stories of emerging young leaders. Examples include: newsletters, public performances and other communication outreach
Intended Outcomes
Organizations will be asked to provide information regarding these outcomes at the end of the grant period:
- Describe how the community benefited from youth participating in the program
- Describe how youth participants engage in the community in addition to the program
- Total number of youth service hours as part of the grant received
- Describe how youth benefited from providing service to the community
- Describe how youth benefit from the program in both the short-term and long-term
- Describe how Starbucks partners help advance the organization and help young people
- Number of Starbucks partners participating in activities with the organization
- Total number of Starbucks partners community service hours with the organization
Application Process
The Starbucks Foundation reviews the letter of inquiry submissions on an annual basis, October 1st through December 1st. The Starbucks Foundation only reviews letters of inquiry that are submitted through our online form. Starbucks places a high value on local partner (our name for employees) engagement in their communities. For that reason we focused on supporting organizations located in communities in which we have retail stores and ongoing partner involvement is possible. After the letter of inquiry process, we use a collaborative approach with our local partners in identifying organizations to invite participation in the full application process.
Eligibility requirements:
Eligible Organizations for Starbucks Foundation Grants
The following types of organizations are eligible to request funding from The Starbucks Foundation:
- U.S. applicants must be tax-exempt, nonprofit organizations as defined under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
- Applicants outside the United States must be charitable in purpose and identified as nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) or the equivalent of a tax-exempt nonprofit organization.
Ineligible entities for Starbucks Foundation grants:
- Private foundations
- Nonprofit organizations without a current 501(c)(3) exempt status or nongovernmental organizations without equivalent charitable status in their own country
- Political, labor, and fraternal organizations
- Religious organizations without a secular community designation. A secular designation is defined as an organization separate from the church or religious organization that provides services to people regardless of their religious beliefs and does not propagate a belief in a specific faith. Example: A food bank that is a separate 501(c)(3) organization from a church and provides food and meals to anyone who qualifies for services, regardless of religious belief.
- Hospitals and medical research institutions
- Individuals
- Universities and academic research institutions
- Conferences or symposia
- Individual schools or Parent Teacher Associations
- Sporting teams
Ineligible activities:
Due to regulatory considerations and the Foundation’s funding policies, the following types of activities are not eligible for funding from the Starbucks Foundation:
Due to regulatory considerations and the Foundation’s funding policies, the following types of activities are not eligible for funding from the Starbucks Foundation:
- Events, tables, exhibitions, performances or sports tournaments and one time volunteer events not connected to a program curriculum
- Capital campaigns (including use of grant funds for exclusive purchase of technology and materials)
- Trips and travel
- Contests, festivals or parades
- Sponsorship of fundraising or other events
- Advertising
- Tickets to events
- Supply drives
Budget Guidelines:
Grant size and expectations: We will consider grants between $10,000 and $30,000. Please be specific about the amount of funding you are requesting. Funds should be spent within one year of grant award.
Funding will be considered based on numbers of beneficiaries served, geographic reach, organizational capacity, and size of operating budget.
Because of our vision to be a catalyst for community action, approximately 10% of each grant budget should be allocated to provide resources (supplies, communication materials, staff time) needed for Starbucks partners and others to participate in community service to support the organization and the community.
For example: Total grant request of $20,000 USD includes $18,000 for project expenses and $2,000 for community service resources.
In all cases the project budget should show reasonable per client costs and no more than 50% of the request can be designated for either general operating costs or staff salaries. The funds you are requesting should not represent more than 10% of your organization’s overall operating budget.
The Starbucks Foundation will give priority funding to organizations that can demonstrate sustainability. You will be asked to provide us with a list of other funders: current, projected, as well as pending requests for funding.
Funding Period: Grants will be for one year. Organizations are eligible for funding for three consecutive years. After three consecutive years of funding, organizations will be asked to take a year “off” before reapplying.