Funding
Call for Proposals: Forward Promise Innovation Grants, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Forward Promise, a new $9.5 million initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), is focused on promoting opportunities for the health and success of middle school- and high-school-aged boys and young men of color. Last year, the Foundation sought out the best ideas to help these young men succeed in life, school, and work, recognizing the limited positive options they have across most of these areas. Now, RWJF has issued a Call for Proposals that seeks innovative, community-based projects working to strengthen health, education, and employment outcomes for boys and young men of color.
Through October 10, 2012, RWJF is actively seeking proposals from innovative programs that offer a promising path to greater success for young men of color. Our approach to this process has been informed by research and the more than 300 submissions that we received from the Call for Ideas we hosted last year. We will award up to 10 Forward Promise Innovation Grants of up to $500,000 each for projects with preliminary evidence of impact in the following areas:
- Alternative approaches to harsh school discipline that do not push students out of school;
- Solutions that focus on dropout prevention and increasing middle school retention and high school graduation rates;
- Mental health interventions that tailor approaches to boys and young men who have experienced and/or been exposed to violence and trauma; or
- Career training programs that blend workforce and education emphases to ensure that students are college- and career-ready.
Successful applicants will work in the domains of health, education, and employment and understand that partnerships and holistic approaches are vital to sustainable impact. Applicants should also be poised for growth and/or replication and demonstrate transformative potential. Further details on eligibility, RWJF’s areas of interest, and other aspects of this solicitation can be found in the full Call for Proposals.
Applications must be received by October 10, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. ET.