Grants from Social Venture Kids

Social Venture Kids is SVP's teen philanthropy group.

Each year they select a community issue they would like to address. They raise funds, research the issue they’ve selected, solicit and evaluate grant applications, and make annual grants totaling $10,000 or more.

2013 Giving Priorities

Social Venture Kids (SVK) is focusing their 2012-2013 grantmaking cycle on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education.

In 2011, a study found that there are 3.6 unemployed Americans for every unfilled job. However, there is only one unemployed STEM educated American for every 2 unfilled STEM jobs. This means that there are actually more jobs for STEM educated people than there are STEM educated people. In fact, the number of jobs related to STEM has grown three times faster than jobs that aren’t in the past three years.

STEM education can not only improve the employment rate, but can help break the poverty cycle by providing people with high-paying jobs.

SVK is excited to explore the field of STEM education over the next year, especially considering the fact that our home, Washington State, has one of the highest concentrations of STEM jobs in the country.

We are looking to invest in organizations and programs that do the following:

• Support quality STEM teaching.
• Engage in collaboration across the STEM community.
• Work to create systemic change.
• Connect STEM education to real-world scenarios and experiences.

Additional priority is given to organizations that support (or provide programs to) underserved populations and demonstrate strong buy-in from the schools, families and community that utilize the programs.

Giving Criteria & Process

SVK members host a speaker panel and conduct research to learn about the issue. Members use a rating tool so we can score each Letter of Inquiry (LOI) objectively. Criteria are weighted by importance and may include: fit with giving priorities, program execution, financial health, funding sources, mission/program match, outcomes, innovation, and measurability. LOIs are read, reviewed, scored and discussed at length.

Please check the Key Dates below and be aware that the turnaround from receipt of the LOIs to Request for Full Proposals (RFP) is quick.

We take the application process very seriously and respect the effort that it takes to complete. In reviewing the LOIs SVK members will invite five organizations to submit full proposals. The review process is repeated and SVK conducts site visits with those organizations. One to three investees will be selected. The grant recipients are announced in May.

Eligibility

Programs must serve communities in King County and the organization’s managing staff must be located in King County of Washington State.

Applicants must be classified as a 501(c)(3) public charity or have a fiscal agent that is a 501(c)(3) public charity. SVK will not consider grant requests from individuals, public schools or school districts, religious organizations for sectarian purposes, pure sports teams, or any organization that discriminates on the basis of race, sexual orientation, gender, age, marital status, national origin, or physical ability. SVP will not make grants to support auctions or fundraising events, debt reduction, endowment funds or capital campaigns.

Reporting Requirement

Grant recipients are required to submit a progress report in May 2014.

Submitting Your Letter of Inquiry

Please use this form to create your Letter of Inquiry, and email it as a pdf attachment, to info@svpseattle.org.

If you cannot email the application, please fax to (206) 728-0552, or mail to SVP, 220 2nd Avenue South, 3^rd Floor, Seattle, WA 98104. Please direct questions to info@svpseattle.org.

Key Dates & Deadlines

See a list of some of SVK's past grantees >>