Tony Grampsas Youth Services (Youth & Community Partnership)

Why It Matters

TGYS YCP funds innovation in youth-led prevention. A grant lets SungateKids evolve SafeKids into a peer-driven program, empowering teens to co-create and deliver body safety education while covering stipends and training costs.

Eligibility Snapshot

• Colorado 501(c)(3) or local government with demonstrated youth leadership in planning and execution.
• Project must target one TGYS prevention area—our focus is Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention.
• Serve marginalized youth (low-income, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, rural) and involve them in decision-making.
• Name a youth or community co-lead alongside SungateKids staff to satisfy youth-governed expectations.

Application Requirements

• Submit through Colorado’s Vendor Self-Service portal (ensure registration and SAM updates are current).
• Narrative (~5 pages) covering youth engagement plan, prevention strategy, target population, and evaluation.
• Budget form with allowable costs (youth stipends, supplies, limited staff support at state rates).
• Prepare a youth engagement plan, project timeline, and optional partner letters (e.g., school collaborators).
• Total effort: 25 hours accounting for internal planning with youth advisors and portal logistics.

Strategic Fit

Program alignment: SungateKids can launch a Youth Ambassador Council to co-design SafeKids assemblies, directly matching TGYS’ mandate for youth-led prevention.

Comparable projects: Prior TGYS awardees like Teaching Peace and Partners in Routt County demonstrate the emphasis on authentic youth leadership.

Funder priority: TGYS states projects must be “youth and community-led at each stage.” Build the proposal around that quote.

Competition: Moderate; many nonprofits cannot credibly offer youth governance. Our unique CAC mission plus peer leadership gives us a differentiated story.

Relationships: Attend TGYS bidder webinars, engage Grant Manager Tianna Sarrosa for clarifications, and signal participation in statewide prevention coalitions.

Success Factors

• Define the youth leadership structure (size, roles, stipends, meeting cadence, decision authority).
• Explain how youth co-create content, lead peer outreach, and inform evaluation.
• Articulate prevention outcomes (knowledge gains, reporting confidence) with pre/post surveys or feedback loops.
• Highlight inclusion of traditionally marginalized youth voices to address TGYS’ equity lens.

Risks & Mitigation

• Tokenism risk: Ensure youth hold real decision-making power—document advisory authority and adult ally training.
• Capacity strain: Dedicate staff time to recruit, mentor, and support youth leaders; reflect this in budget and work plan.
• Reporting burden: Prepare to track detailed outputs for quarterly state reporting (youth meetings, participants reached, evaluation data).

ROI & Next Moves

~25 hours for ~$15K (~$600/hour) plus strategic value: piloting a youth-led model that can unlock future TGYS and prevention funding streams. Begin identifying youth ambassadors and school partners before the RFA drops.

Key Resources

• Tony Grampsas Youth Services – Youth & Community Partnership