Mission Extension Grant

Purpose

The Mission Extension Grant exists to offer YouthWorks Alumni financial assistance to relocate and continue ministry in the community where they have served during a YouthWorks summer.

Overview

YouthWorks provides life-changing, Christ-centered mission trips to over 70 communities in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. In order to welcome and facilitate the mission experiences for churches, college and post-college staff are hired and relocate to a community for the summer. During a summer the community quickly becomes a home to staff because of the ministry and relationships they establish. The community becomes a part of who they are and what they want to do and be in the future. The Mission Extension Grant offers an opportunity for those individual staff to extend their time in the community.

The grant was developed out of a discovery process that uncovered two important truths: 

1. YouthWorks desires a relationship and presence in communities extending beyond the summer programming months.
2. Many summer staff desire to return to the community after the summer.

The Mission Extension Grant exists to support these two truths with financial assistance, not dependence, in hopes of ministry being extended and ultimately God being glorified.

Values 

• Christ Centered [John 14:6]
• Community Minded [Acts 4:32-34]
• Servant Hearted [John 13:1-17]
• Relationship Oriented [Galatians 5:14]

Grant Requirements

• The applicant must have served as a YouthWorks staff in the community they are seeking grant.
• The applicant must relocate to the community for a minimum of three months and a maximum of one year per grant.
• The applicant must partner with a Christian organization or church who will serve as a community sponsor.
  • The community sponsor must have a current 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status recognized by the Internal Revenue Service.
  • The community sponsor must be a YouthWorks partner within the community.
• A completed application is required to be considered and does not guarantee financial support. Final grant decisions are awarded by the Mission Extension Grant Committee. 
• There are limited funds available. The maximum amount granted is $500 per month.

To Apply

1. Read through the grant requirements, values and frequently asked questions. Prayerfully consider if your vision for ministry and relocation fits these requirements.
2. Identify who could be your community sponsor. Contact your potential community sponsor and pass on the Community Sponsor Information sheet to them.
3. If your potential community sponsor is on board, work with him or her to develop a ministry plan.
4. Complete the application.
5. Submit the application via mail, email or fax to the addressed included on the last page of the application.
6. Once the application is received, a representative from Real Resources Foundation will contact you that it has been received and notify you of when a decision will be made concerning your application.
7. The Mission Extension Grant Committee will review your application and determine if it is eligible for funding.
8. When a decision is made, you and your community sponsor will receive a phone call or email notifying if you have been accepted and what the next steps are.

Once Accepted

1. If accepted for the grant, you and your community sponsor will receive a grant acceptance form in the mail that you must review, sign and return to Real Resources Foundation.
2. Once the grant acceptance form has been received, your first check will be mailed out to the community sponsor if you are beginning your grant immediately. Otherwise, the check will be mailed a week before the first of the month in which you are beginning the grant. Your check will be mailed to the community sponsor monthly for the duration of your grant. If for any reason you need to terminate or alter the grant, it is your and your community sponsor’s responsibility to notify Real Resources Foundation.
3. Real Resources Foundation will send two surveys to you to complete during your grant: one at the halfway mark, and one at the end of your grant. It is your responsibility to complete the survey within two weeks of receiving it.
4. When your grant period is completed, Real Resources Foundation will send a grant completion letter to you and the community sponsor.

What is a grant?

A grant is a financial gift to support an initiative.

What is the Mission Extension Grant?

The Mission Extension Grant financially helps YouthWorks summer staff alumni return to the community where they have served. Each alum partners with a community sponsor and together they develop a strategy for continued ministry.

What is a community sponsor?

A community sponsor is a YouthWorks partner who is committed to serving as the sponsor of the grant. The partner can be a church or organization, but must have had an affiliation with YouthWorks. As the sponsor, they are willing to host the alum in the community. Real Resources Foundation does not distribute money to an individual. The sponsor must have a current 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status recognized by the Internal Revenue Service.

Is the Mission Extension Grant an internship or staff position?

No. The grant can be used to financially support an internship or staff position in the community, but the Mission Extension Grant itself is not a position.

Is it a requirement to have served in a YouthWorks summer staff role?

Yes, it is a requirement to have served as summer staff in the community you are applying for.

What is the time commitment for the Mission Extension Grant?

Each grant is offered for a minimum of three months and maximum of 12 months.

Is there an application deadline?

Applications are accepted year round.

Who makes the final decision for the grant?

A committee consisting of Real Resources and YouthWorks staff reviews the application and determines awards.

How will I be notified?

An initial phone call or email will be made followed by a letter.

When are payments made?

Checks will be sent monthly.

Will the grant check be made out to me personally?

No. The grant check will be made out to the community sponsor which must be a church or Christian 501(c)3 tax exempt organization. The check will be sent directly to the church or organization based on the address provided on the application.

Will I directly receive the funds from the grant awarded?

Not necessarily. All funds will be directed to the community sponsor from the Real Resources Foundation. The distribution of funds from the organization or church will be dependent on the financial agreement between the community sponsor and alumnus. The Real Resources Foundation will not be involved with this agreement.

What is the funding structure and limitations for the Mission Extension Grant?

Each grant has a limit of twelve months. Applicants can reapply for a second grant in the second year. The maximum is two grants per applicant. Real Resources Foundation has budgeted for a certain amount of money to be dedicated to the Mission Extension Grant. Once that money has been awarded in a fiscal year, applications will be accepted for the next year.

If I am awarded a grant, what are my responsibilities after receiving the money?

Once a grant is awarded, the alum and community sponsor will need to sign a grant acceptance form and return it to Real Resources Foundation. The grant recipient is also responsible for completing two surveys sent by Real Resources Foundation during the grant.

Can more than one person apply for a grant for the same community?

Yes. Each individual will be required to complete the application process separately.

How do I report the grant for taxes?

Tax laws and regulations change frequently, and their application can vary widely based on the specific facts and circumstances involved. Therefore, we recommend you consult an advisor to understand the tax consequences of the grant and how the funds should be handled between you and your community sponsor since each MEG partnership is different.

Since 1994, YouthWorks has offered Christ-centered, week-long mission trips that provide opportunities for teenagers and their churches to learn and serve in communities in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. College and post-college staff are hired and relocate to the community for the summer to facilitate the trips. The Mission Extension Grant offers an opportunity for those individual staff to return to the community in hopes of ministry being extended and ultimately God being glorified.

Values 

• Christ Centered [John 14:6]
• Community Minded [Acts 4:32-34]
• Servant Hearted [John 13:1-17]
• Relationship Oriented [Galatians 5:14]

Grant Requirements

• The applicant must have served as a YouthWorks staff in the community they are seeking grant.
• The applicant must relocate to the community for a minimum of three months and a maximum of one year per grant.
• The applicant must partner with a Christian organization or church who will serve as a community sponsor.
• The community sponsor must have a current 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status recognized by the Internal Revenue Service.
• The community sponsor must be a YouthWorks partner within the community.
• A completed application is required to be considered and does not guarantee financial support. Final grant decisions are awarded by the Mission Extension Grant Committee. 
• There are limited funds available. The maximum amount granted is $500 per month.

Grant Application Process

After a YouthWorks Alumni Staff has had a conversation with a Community Sponsor and develops a ministry plan, they will apply for the grant through an application. The Alumni Staff and Community Sponsor will be contacted with a final decision once the process has been completed and a decision has been made.

Role of Community Sponsor

• Co-develop ministry plan with alumni staff
• Supports alumni relationally and spiritually
• Serves as fiscal agent of grant

Role of YouthWorks Alumni Staff

• Identify community sponsor
• Co-develop ministry plan with community sponsor
• Secure additional funding as needed

Role of Real Resources Foundation/YouthWorks

• Decision maker of grant applicants
• Provide monthly financial assistance through duration of grant.