Monroe/Erie Youth Advisory Council Grant Program

The Monroe/Erie Youth Advisory Council Grant Program is a local funding opportunity designed to support projects that improve the overall health and well-being of Monroe County residents. The program is administered through the Monroe/Erie Youth Advisory Council (YAC), a youth-led initiative involving students from Monroe Public Schools and Erie Mason Schools. The grant opportunity reflects direct input gathered from local youth through peer surveys focused on understanding community concerns related to mental health, social connection, physical wellness, food access, and substance use prevention. The program seeks to empower organizations and community partners to implement practical solutions that directly address the needs identified by young people in Monroe County. The stated purpose of the funding opportunity is to support innovative, community-based programs that improve quality of life, increase equitable access to wellness resources, and strengthen long-term community resilience. The grant emphasizes inclusive and collaborative approaches that foster measurable impact within the local community. Funding priorities include mental health awareness, education, and support; physical health and active living initiatives; nutrition and food access; substance use prevention and recovery support; and social connectedness and community engagement. Proposals are expected to align clearly with at least one of these identified priority areas. Eligibility for the program is limited to nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations. Applicants must demonstrate the organizational capacity to responsibly manage grant funds and successfully implement the proposed project within the designated grant period. The request for proposals also encourages applications that prioritize equity, accessibility, and inclusion. Collaborative projects and youth-led initiatives are strongly encouraged, signaling that preference may be given to programs that actively involve young people in planning or implementation activities. The funding opportunity is geographically limited to Monroe County, Michigan, and applicants should demonstrate how their project serves residents within that community. The funding available through the program is relatively small and intended to support focused local initiatives. Individual grant awards may not exceed $5,000, and the total program funding available for this cycle is also listed as $5,000. The grant period is one year beginning on the date of award. Applicants are instructed to develop project plans and budgets that ensure all awarded funds are fully expended within the twelve-month performance period. The solicitation does not identify any matching requirement or cost share obligation. It also does not specify indirect cost limitations or restrictions on allowable expense categories beyond alignment with the program priorities and project feasibility expectations. Applications will be evaluated using several published criteria. Reviewers will assess alignment with the stated funding priorities, evidence of demonstrated community need, feasibility and clarity of the project plan, potential for measurable impact, sustainability and scalability of the proposed effort, and overall budget appropriateness. These criteria indicate that applicants should clearly articulate both the community problem being addressed and the practical outcomes expected from the proposed activities. While the solicitation does not provide a scoring rubric, the inclusion of sustainability and scalability language suggests that projects with longer-term community benefits or replicable models may be viewed favorably. The application timeline for the current cycle begins with the official release of the request for proposals on May 1, 2026. Full applications are due by June 1, 2026. Applications must be submitted through the Community Foundation of Monroe County website. The solicitation does not identify any letter of intent, concept paper, or pre-application requirement prior to submission. It also does not specify an anticipated award announcement date. Grant recipients will be required to provide a final report detailing project outcomes and impacts and may also be asked to participate in evaluation or presentation opportunities. Questions regarding the funding opportunity may be directed to Jackie Lenderman at lenderman@monroe.k12.mi.us, Mahailey Albain at albain@eriemason.k12.mi.us, or Brittany Novak at bnovak@cfmonroe.org. The program appears to represent a locally recurring youth advisory council initiative, though no explicit recurring schedule is formally stated in the solicitation.

Clearly demonstrate how the proposed project aligns with one or more funding priorities and responds to identified community needs. Emphasize measurable impact sustainability and feasibility within the one-year grant period. Collaborative and youth-led approaches may strengthen competitiveness because the RFP specifically encourages those models.