About This Grant Opportunity

Foundation for Louisiana (FFL) is seeking applications from organizations working to strengthen the safety, stability, and well-being of young people in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Through this grant opportunity, FFL will award $200,000 in general operating support to organizations whose work aligns with priorities developed by East Baton Rouge community members through the TOGETHER Initiative, FFL's community-led participatory grantmaking program.

Funding will support organizations serving young people ages 10–25 in East Baton Rouge Parish. The cohort particularly encourages applications from organizations whose work reaches young people experiencing or who have experienced poverty and/or intentionally serves young people whose needs may be overlooked in traditional youth programming, including girls and young women, and/or transgender and nonbinary youth. Organizations serving the broader population of young people ages 10–25 are also encouraged to apply.

Grants will provide 12 months of unrestricted general operating support, beginning in early November 2026.

Timeline: 

• September 4, 2026: RFP opens
• September 16, 2026: Applicant Information Session
• October 2, 2026: RFP closes
• Early November 2026: Awards announced

About the TOGETHER Initiative

The TOGETHER Initiative is Foundation for Louisiana's participatory grantmaking program. Through TOGETHER, community members learn together, examine the systems and conditions affecting their communities, identify priorities, and share in decisions about how philanthropic resources are invested.

For this grant opportunity, a cohort of East Baton Rouge residents with lived experience and deep connections to local youth, families, and communities participated in a multi-month process focused on holistic youth violence prevention. Together, they explored local systems and conditions, identified gaps and opportunities, and developed the funding priorities and grantmaking approach reflected in this opportunity. Cohort members will also participate in developing funding recommendations to FFL.

What We Hope to Support

The cohort took a broad view of youth violence prevention. Rather than focusing only on interventions after violence occurs, participants emphasized the importance of supporting young people, families, and communities in ways that prevent harm, address immediate needs, remove barriers, and create conditions in which young people can thrive.

The cohort ultimately agreed that investments should:

Support community-centered, locally driven work that builds trusted relationships, prevents harm, addresses immediate needs, and creates safer and more stable communities for young people ages 10–25 in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Examples of work that may align with this opportunity include, but are not limited to:

• Street outreach, violence interruption, and other community-based violence prevention strategies
• Mentorship and sustained relationship-building with young people
• Employment, workforce development, and connections to economic opportunity
• Holistic or wraparound supports that address multiple needs and connect young people and families to resources
• Programs that remove barriers to participation and opportunity, such as transportation, meals, or other needed supports
• Healing-centered programs and other community-based approaches that prevent harm and strengthen safety and stability

Both existing work and new or emerging approaches are eligible for consideration.

Because these grants provide general operating support, applicants are not required to limit the request to a single project or program. Instead, applicants should help reviewers understand how their organization's mission, programs, and overall work align with the goals of this funding opportunity and how unrestricted support would strengthen that work.

What Makes a Strong Proposal?

The TOGETHER cohort identified several characteristics it hopes to see in organizations receiving funding. While organizations may demonstrate these qualities in different ways, strong applicants will show alignment with the following community-defined characteristics:

Leadership- Organizational leaders are rooted in and meaningfully connected to the communities they serve, with established relationships and trust among community members. Applicants should describe how their leadership reflects relevant lived experience and/or an understanding of the experiences and needs of the young people, families, and communities served, as well as their history and ongoing commitment to the communities and issues they work with.

Partnership: Organizations build meaningful, reciprocal relationships with other organizations, community groups, institutions, and resources that strengthen their work. Strong applicants demonstrate collaboration and coordination that help connect young people and families to the supports they need, rather than expecting one organization to meet every need.

Programs: Programs and services are thoughtful, accessible, and responsive to the realities of participants' lives. Organizations consider and address barriers that may prevent young people from participating, such as transportation, meals, or other immediate needs. Approaches are informed by experience, evidence, community knowledge, or demonstrated learning about what works. Organizations demonstrate consistency and an ability to build and sustain trusted relationships over time.

Community Voice: Young people, families, and community members have meaningful opportunities to inform and shape the organization's work. Organizations demonstrate that they listen and respond to the people most directly affected by the issues they seek to address.

These characteristics reflect what TOGETHER participants identified as important and are intended to help applicants understand the community values and priorities that shaped this funding opportunity.

Funding Available

A total of $200,000 is available through this opportunity. FFL anticipates making:

• Two grants of $50,000
• Four grants of $25,000

Applicants must choose one funding level—$25,000 or $50,000—when applying. 

Because both funding levels provide general operating support, applicants should select the amount that best reflects the scope of their work, the level of resources their approach requires, their current organizational needs, and their ability to use the investment meaningfully during the 12-month grant period. Funding levels are not based on an organization's size or operating budget.

A $50,000 request does not necessarily need to serve more people than a $25,000 request. Some approaches may be more intensive or resource-heavy than others. Applicants should select the funding level that best reflects the nature of their work and the level of investment they can meaningfully use.

$25,000 General Operating Grants

A $25,000 request may be a good fit for organizations whose scope of work or current organizational needs call for a more focused level of investment.

Strong applicants at this funding level should demonstrate:

• Clear alignment between their work and the needs of young people ages 10–25 in East Baton Rouge Parish
• Meaningful relationships with the people and communities their work serves
• A thoughtful approach to preventing harm, addressing immediate needs, or strengthening safety and stability
• A clear explanation of how $25,000 in unrestricted support would strengthen or advance their work

$50,000 General Operating Grants

A $50,000 request may be a good fit for organizations whose scope or intensity of work, current organizational needs, and ability to use the funding meaningfully support a larger investment.

In addition to demonstrating strong alignment with the overall funding priorities, applicants requesting $50,000 should be prepared to demonstrate:

• A substantial body of work serving young people in East Baton Rouge Parish
• Strong relationships with and understanding of the communities they serve
• A well-developed approach to the work
• A clear organizational need and an explanation of how the larger investment would strengthen, deepen, sustain, or expand their work 

Who Is Eligible?

Applicants must:

• Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or have an eligible 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor Fiscal sponsors do not need to be based in Louisiana
• Conduct at least 50% of their work in East Baton Rouge Parish
• Demonstrate that their work benefits young people ages 10–25 in East Baton Rouge Parish
• Demonstrate that their organization's work aligns with the goals and community-defined priorities of this funding opportunity

Organizations do not need to be headquartered in East Baton Rouge Parish to apply.

The TOGETHER cohort identified all of East Baton Rouge Parish as eligible for funding rather than limiting investments to particular ZIP codes or neighborhoods. Applicants should describe the specific communities and geographic areas their work reaches.

More Information

We’re hosting a virtual Applicant Information Session on September 16, 2026, at 12 pm. During the session, FFL staff will provide an overview of the funding opportunity and application process and answer questions from prospective applicants. Click HERE to RSVP.

A FAQ with additional information about eligibility, funding levels, the application process, and other common questions can be found HERE.

Resources and support for using our online application portal, Submittable, are available HERE.

Have questions about this opportunity, eligibility, or how to prepare your application materials? Want to discuss accommodations for people with disabilities? Other questions or concerns? Email us at grants@foundationforlouisiana.org.