The Youth Service Fund (YSF) is a unique grant program within the UMC, because all aspects involve youth. Youth create fundraisers and contribute money, youth decide what projects receive money, and all the projects supported are youth-designed, led by youth, and benefit young people. Additionally, 70 percent of YSF funds raised by an Annual Conference stay with that Annual Conference! Thirty percent of funds raised by an Annual Conference are sent into the connectional system of the UMC to support the worldwide Youth Service Fund.

Since its creation in 1968, the Youth Service Fund has enabled youth to support one another in ministry around the world!

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YOUTH GIVE!

Youth can directly give to YSF by participating or hosting fundraisers through a local church or larger conference event, donating individual gifts, or asking their local congregation for a special offering. Each year youth raise thousands of dollars for YSF. These funds are sent to the treasurer of your Annual Conference to be combined with the gifts of other youth in the area. If you are interested in how your Annual Conference raises funds, contact the bishop’s office to find out who is in charge in your area.

YOUTH DISTRIBUTE!

70% of any funds raised for YSF by an Annual Conference goes to projects selected by youth in leadership from the region of the church. That usually means that the Conference Council on Youth Ministries (CCYM) can identify awesome projects that meet the needs of their context. The remaining 30% of the total collected is sent to the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) to be awarded by a review team from the Young People’s Connectional Network.

APPLICANT RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Complete applications, with all required documents, by application deadlines.
• The working language of the review team is English. Applications may be submitted in any language; the review team will use AI and translation software to convert applications into English during the review process.
• Applicants can use Artificial Intelligence (AI) for their applications. We do ask that you inform us of the use of AI. We also encourage you to keep your authentic voice in all applications. Help us understand the need your project is meeting and how your leadership is in a strong position to meet that need.
• The application process takes place in two stages.
  • The Stage 1 application is a basic, short form that should take less than 30 minutes to complete. It includes short answers about the “who, what, when, where, why, and how” of the project and an estimated budget. Stage 1 closes April 15.
    • Basic Budget form is here YSF Budget Worksheet
  • The Stage 2 application is by invitation only, to applications that:
    • fit the grant descriptions,
    • meet a ministry need that is aligned with the Young People's Connectional Network's vision or values,
    • have clear and reasonable estimated budgets,
    • have clear goals and understandings of how those goals will be achieved and measured.
• Invitations to Stage 2 will be communicated to the applicant no later than May 15 of the application year. Stage 2 includes a detailed application that includes a fuller project description, a more detailed budget, recommendation letter, and list of prayer partner stakeholders. Opens May 15 and closes June 15 of the application year.

BASIC APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS

The basic application and selection process follows:

• Stage 1 Application (Basic, Short Form includes “who, what, when, where, why, and how” of the project and an estimated budget). Opens January and closes April 15.
  • Young People’s Ministries Staff review Stage 1 applications. Due to limited funds, the strongest and clearest applications who match grant criteria to submit a full application in Stage 2.
• Stage 2 Application (Full application, Long Form including full description, detailed budget, recommendation letter, and list of prayer partner stakeholders). Opens May 15, Closes June 15 of the application year.
  • Stage 2 applications are organized and reviewed by members of the Young People's Connectional Network. They recommend the projects and funding amount to the Board of Directors of Discipleship Ministries for final approval, in July and August.
• Good Faith Agreements are sent out from Discipleship Ministries detailing funding amounts, reporting deadlines, etc., to approved grant recipients. Approved grant recipients sign Good Faith Agreements. (November & December of the application year.)
• Payments are sent in January of the year following the application. Mid-project reports and Final reports are required as part of the Good Faith Agreement.
• Failure to comply with the requirements will lead to termination of funding or prevent receiving funds in the future.

DETAILED YSF SELECTION CRITERIA & POLICIES

• Priority will be given to those projects that are youth-led (i.e., youth have been leaders in the creation, development, implementation, and evaluation of a project). The UMC’s Book of Discipline definitions are used to determine if a leader qualifies as a youth.
• The project must be youth-related (12-18 years of age in the US, or up to age 24 for international projects).
• Youth Service Fund money is to be used to develop and establish new projects that can become self-supporting.
• There is no guarantee of funding after one year and no project will be funded more than three consecutive years. Funding for consecutive years will decrease from that of the previous year.
• Youth Service Fund grants should have a substantial effect on the project but will not be used to fund a deficit.
• Projects should be racially and ethnically inclusive whenever possible.
• Preference will be given to United Methodist projects within the connectional system. Projects of other churches and cooperative efforts between religious groups will be favored next. Finally, projects sponsored by secular organizations that meet Youth Service Fund criteria will be considered.
• Applications will be reviewed in the English language. If an application is received in any other language, reviewers will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and translation software to create an English version for review.
• The goals of the project should be stated clearly and briefly in Stage 1. Help us understand why the project is important, who it will positively impact, how that impact will happen, and where it will take place.
• Submitting a detailed budget is essential in Stage 2. Where does all income come from? What expenses will your project have? No more than 25% of Youth Service Fund monies granted may be used for administration or salary. A minimum of 75% of awarded YSF funds must be used for program development.
• Illustrate church and community support, financial and otherwise, especially in Stage 2. Letters of recommendation and support are encouraged from church and community leaders. Also, be sure to identify at least five stakeholders/prayer partners that will support your project locally with prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.
• Specify one primary project category to describe your project. These are provided as options within the application itself and reflect the vision and values of the Young People's Connectional Network and Discipleship Ministries.
• We recommend that applications demonstrate support and awareness from United Methodist churches and United Methodist connections, including the Episcopal office, within the community and region of the application.
• Grant applications that are recommended for funding will be notified between August and October of their award status. Discipleship Ministries will issue a “Good Faith Agreement” that outlines the relationship expectations for the grant recipient and Discipleship Ministries. This Good Faith Agreement must be returned in a timely fashion to receive funding.
• Approved grant recipients will receive two automated reminders about deadlines for mid-project and final reports. Missing the final reporting deadline will result in disqualification for any future awards for the applicant and their organization.
• We recognize that serious, extenuating circumstances do happen, so there can be some flexibility with both funding and reporting timeframes. This flexibility is an exception to the general rule of applicants meeting timely deadlines. Any change in deadline requires proactive communication that results in a clear understanding between the grant recipient and the Discipleship Ministries staff administrating grants, at least two weeks prior to the deadline in question. In some cases, extensions may not be possible.
• The maximum award for a Youth Service Fund grant is $15,000 USD. You do not have to request the maximum amount, however, and should only apply for what you need.

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Begin Your YSF Grant Application Now!

DETAILED APPLICATION PROCESS:

Stage 1: Initial Project Application. This short-form application provides basic information about the project; the “who, what, when, where, why, and how” of the project plus an estimated total budget. Stage 1 applications open in January and close on April 15. After April 15, a team of Discipleship Ministries Staff will review Stage 1 Applications. The review committee will evaluate Stage 1 applications on the following criteria:

• How well does the project fit the description of the grant’s selection criteria?
• Does the project have a real chance of successful implementation and impact?
• Does the applicant seem to be aware of their own measures of success and impact and how to self-evaluate effectiveness of their project?

The review committee will send invitations to some applicants to complete a Stage 2, full application by May 15. The Stage 2 application is due by June 15.

Stage 2: Full Project Application. Only for projects invited to continue into Stage 2, this application is a more robust picture of how the grant money will be used and the impact it will create through your project. This stage must be completed to be considered for funding. The full project application includes:

• A full, written project description.
• A detailed budget including all expected sources of income and plan for expenses for the duration of the project.
• One (1) letter of recommendation, preferably from a ministry leader in your context.
• A list of five (5) prayer partners/stakeholders/project supporters, who will support you and your project with some of their own prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness, along with their email addresses.

It is also recommended that applications demonstrate a link and support from United Methodist organizations and connections in the regions of their project. Stage 2 Applications are due by June 15 of the application year. Failure to deliver all documents by the due date will disqualify the project. Completed Stage 2 Applications will be organized for review by a team of youth, young adults, and Young People’s Ministries staff in July of the application year. Projects approved for funding will receive notification and a Good Faith Agreement to complete and return before the end of the calendar year.

QUESTIONS?

Read our Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) page!

For questions regarding grant policies or procedures, not found in the FAQ, please contact Young People’s Ministries staff.

For technical questions regarding the application platform or application status, please contact our Grants Administrator..