The SFC funds summer programs that:

1.  Are operated by organizations with 501(c)(3) or 509(a) status, or a current fiscal sponsor.
 
2. Serve children and youth (ages 0-24) from families with low-incomes living in Baltimore City.

• Programs may take place outside of Baltimore City as long as SFC funding supports program participants that are Baltimore City residents

• Programs may include participants that are not Baltimore City residents and/or do not come from families with low-incomes, as long as SFC funding is used to support program participants that are Baltimore City residents and who come from families with low-incomes

 3. Are accessible to participants:

• The SFC funds programs that primarily serve youth from families with low incomes in Baltimore City to increase access to quality summer opportunities for all young people. Most SFC programs do not charge any fees to participants. If your program charges a fee, you MUST provide an accommodation for participants who cannot pay the fee.

• Programs should provide healthy meals and snacks to participants. Programs that run in-person for four or more hours each day must serve meals. The SFC encourages all programs to provide participants with healthy meals and snacks throughout the summer.

• Programs must have a plan in place to ensure that participants are able to arrive and leave from the program safely.

• Where applicable, programs should welcome and include students of all abilities.

 
4. Embody the seven priority areas identified by youth and families as essential for quality summer programs:

• Provide relevant knowledge and skill-building

• Are accessible

• Are youth-centered

• Provide exposure and diverse experiences

• Have engaged and professional staff

• Provide safe mental spaces

• Provide safe physical spaces

The online application allows programs to apply for grants from all the SFC funders at once. You do not need to submit more than one application.

No, the SFC does not accept applications via email or mail. All applications must be submitted through our online portal.

Funders have the right to not consider incomplete proposals. Please closely follow the guidance on this website to make sure that your proposal meets the RFP’s requirements and is eligible for review. After you submit your application, you may be asked to provide additional information.

Training for the online application portal will be provided through recorded videos and live at the application information sessions. Plus, Baltimore’s Promise, the SFC's administrative arm, will also provide assistance in completing the application through virtual office hours.

Before you sign up, check to see if you are running into one of these errors:

• ​You may have missed a required question. All questions with an asterisk (*) must be answered to submit the form.

• Your answer may be too long. Some questions have character or word limits. These limits should be noted in the question text. We encourage you to read through the application and draft your answers BEFORE you begin filling out the online form to avoid headaches while filling out the application.

• Technical error. We do our best to ensure that the application provides a smooth experience for applicants. However, if you notice an error, please let us know as soon as possible at summer@baltimorespromise.org.

If you have questions about completing the online application that are not covered on this website, please email summer@baltimorespromise.org.

Technical Review 
After you submit your application, SFC staff will first review all applications to ensure required documentation has been included. Incomplete applications may not be considered. Required documentation is outlined in the RFP.

Funder Review
SFC staff create a list of applications to be reviewed by funders. This selection is based on alignment with that summer's funder priorities. In the past, these priorities have included a 50-50 split between older youth programs and programs for younger youth, priorities for fully funding organizations with small operating budgets, and priorities for organizations led by Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Asian leaders.

SFC funders then evaluate applications based on a standardized rubric.

Decision-making
The SFC is an aligned fund. This means that, while the SFC decides the grantees together, grants will still be awarded by one or more individual funder(s).

Before finalizing decisions, all SFC funders meet with the goal of fully funding as many high-quality summer programs as possible. SFC funders work to combine public and private funding so grantees have more flexibility in how they use their funds.

You are welcome to apply for the full funding needed to run a high-quality summer program. For applications that successfully move through the review process, the SFC will prioritize funding full program budgets for grantees with organizational budgets that are less than $300,000. For grantees with organizational budgets greater than $300,000, grant awards will be capped at $75,000 per program.

Unfortunately, not all applications are selected for funding. Every year is a clean slate for applications; previous funding does not guarantee you will receive funding the next year. The opposite is also true—even if you haven't received funding in the past, we encourage you to apply again.

There are a few common reasons an organization may not have been selected:

• In some cases, applications are not considered because they were submitted after the deadline or were missing required documentation. We encourage you to submit early so we can help ensure your application is complete—our team is available to review early submissions with you.

• Applicants do not meet our minimum requirements (see Who May Apply for the SFC, above).

• Finally, we must make difficult decisions because we simply do not have enough funding to support every strong proposal we receive.

If you still have questions about your application, please reach out to summer@baltimorespromise.org.