U.S. Department of Justice: Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative

This solicitation supports applicant organizations as they strengthen and/or expand their existing mentoring activities with active chapters or subawardees and/or other mentoring organizations. Mentoring activities include direct one-on-one, group, peer, or a combination of these types of mentoring services for at-risk and underserved youth populations. Successful applicants should implement programs that will recognize and address the factors that can lead to or serve as a catalyst for delinquency or other problem behaviors in underserved youth. Expansion of mentoring activities should create new opportunities for mentee achievement.

There are three categories of mentoring programs:

• Category 1 – National Mentoring Programs: This category supports organizations with the widest reach and capacity that provide youth mentoring services across the country. Priority consideration is given to organizations that serve at-risk or high risk youth under age 17 involved in or at risk for involvement in the juvenile justice system. Applicants are required to o target mentoring services and programs to American Indian and Alaska Native  (AI/AN) youth both on and off reservations. Applicants are encouraged to target mentoring services to children of parents on active military duty; children of incarcerated parents; LGBTQ youth; youth with disabilities; and youth in rural communities.
• Category 2 – Multistate Mentoring Programs: This category supports youth mentoring services in at least 5 states but fewer than 45 states. Priority considerations include those organizations with the broadest reach, those that serve at-risk or high risk youth under age 17 involved in or at risk for involvement in the juvenile justice system. Applicants are encouraged to target mentoring services to AI/AN youth both on and off reservations; children of parents on active military duty; children of incarcerated parents; LGBTQ youth; youth with disabilities; and youth in rural communities.
• Category 3 – Collaborative Mentoring Programs: Between 3-5 organizations may collaborate to provide services that implement the same program design in multiple locations. Organizations must have an established mentoring program at the time of application. The collaborative may include different organizations receiving funding from the same parent organization; however, official organizational charts must reflect that the organizations operate independently and at different locations. Priority consideration is given to organizations that serve at-risk or high risk youth under age 17 involved in or at risk for involvement in the juvenile justice system.

Amount: Varies by category:

• Category 1: The proposed amount should be based on the actual cost of delivering the program, and be for a project period of 3 years.
• Category 2: Applicants that meet the minimum requirement of having active chapters or subawardees in at least 5 states may request as much as $2 million; and those applicants that demonstrate the broadest reach may request as much as $5 million. The project period is 3 years.
• Category 3: Applicants may request up to $1,500,000 for a 12-36 month project period.

Eligibility: Varies by category:

• Category 1 – National Mentoring Programs: Eligible applicants are limited to national organizations, defined as organizations that have active chapters or subawardees in at least 45 states.
• Category 2 – Multistate Mentoring Programs: Eligible applicants are limited to multistate organizations, defined as organizations that have operated an established mentoring program for at least 3 years, and have active chapters or subawardees in at least 5 states but fewer than 45 states.
• Category 3 – Collaborative Mentoring Programs: Eligible applicants must be part of a collaborative of at least three and as many as five mentoring organizations. The organizations that form the collaborative must each provide services in at least one location that is independent of the other organizations and must all implement the same program design.

Link: http://www.ojjdp.gov/grants/solicitations/FY2015/MentoringOpportunities.pdf

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