A number of grantees receive capacity building support through DSYF’s main funding area, but DSYF believes so strongly in this work that we established a separate Capacity Building Initiative that builds on our regular grantmaking. The Initiative’s objective is to increase DSYF’s commitment to strengthening youth-serving nonprofits in Los Angeles County — helping them achieve their missions by offering grant support for such purposes as staff training, fundraising capabilities, creation of new staff positions, board training, facilities development, and technology purchases. We also provide regularly-updated information resources about capacity building on our website, along with a self-assessment instrument for youth-serving agencies.

DSYF periodically convenes nonprofits and funders in Southern California to explore the challenges of capacity building for youth-serving agencies in our region.

Youth-serving nonprofits can apply for grant funds to support capacity building activities of their own choosing; these requests will be considered independent of any program requests, and you may ask for both program and capacity building support at the same time. However, please note that capacity building grants are currently one-time-only to allow as many grantees as possible to receive this support.  Capacity building grants are only available to current or previous DSYF grantees.

The maximum grant amount that can be requested for capacity building is $25,000.