The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation helps young people, ages 9 to 24, from low-income backgrounds become independent, productive adults in three ways:

• Improving educational skills and academic achievement;
  
• Preparing for the world of work and making the transition to employment and economic self-sufficiency; and
  
• Avoiding high-risk behaviors such as drug abuse, violence, and teen pregnancy.
  

Rather than design initiatives or programs itself, the Foundation works to develop and expand a pool of organizations that can serve thousands more youth each year with programs that produce these outcomes. It focuses solely on high-performing organizations and believes that making significant, long-term, financial investments in them (coupled with extra-financial supports) is an efficient and effective way to meet the urgent needs of low-income youth. The Foundation holds itself accountable for significantly increasing the number of low-income young people benefiting from proven services, and for helping to develop stronger, sustainable organizations that serve low-income youth on a significant scale. Recognizing that young people are most at risk when they are not in school or at home, the Foundation focuses primarily on organizations that deliver services and programming outside school hours.

The Foundation conducts extensive due diligence before making investments. Grants can extend over many years, frequently support operating expenses, and help grantees build their organizational capacity so they can improve program quality, increase the number of young people they serve, and eventually become financially sustainable.

Although the Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, it invites organizations that think they may qualify for support after reviewing our Selection Criteria to complete the Foundation’s online Youth Organizations Survey Form.

For more information about the Foundation’s strategy, please consult the following pages:

Theory of Change
The Foundation’s strategy and theory of change regarding organizations and, in turn, individual outcomes.
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Selection Criteria
Six criteria for assessing the compatibility of a potential grantee and the Foundation’s investment approach.
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Investment Approach
The Foundation’s investment approach comprises due diligence, business planning, and structuring investments.
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Growth Capital Aggregation Pilot

The Foundation is testing a pilot approach towards helping youth-serving organizations with the most promise (and proven efficacy) of reaching significant, sustainable scale to raise the growth capital needed to underwrite such ambitious efforts. The Advance Growth Capital Pilot capital aggregates capital upfront from a strategic set of investors, who commit needed resources at the outset of growth plans.

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Extra-Financial Supports
Beyond direct financial investment, the Foundation’s extra-financial support of grantees includes board development, leadership and talent development, evaluation assistance, communications/marketing, and fundraising.
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Performance Measurement
The Foundation helps grantees ensure the integrity of their data and put in place the necessary systems to confidently report results to the Foundation and other funders.
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Knowledge Development
Shared learning advances the entire field of youth development.
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