The 2025 Summer Strong DC grant is an initiative led by the Office of Out of School Time Grants and Youth Outcomes (OST Office) within the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME). It is designed to support nonprofit organizations that provide high-quality out-of-school-time (OST) summer programs for children and youth in Washington, DC. The funding aims to enhance academic knowledge, skills, and behaviors while mitigating summer learning loss through structured, supervised youth development programs. The program is part of Learn24, a coordinated network supporting equitable access to OST opportunities.

The grant invites fiscally responsible, high-performing nonprofits with a track record of youth development success to apply. Eligible organizations must implement a positive youth development (PYD) approach that fosters social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and spiritual competencies among school-aged youth. Programs must operate for a minimum of 5 hours per day, 5 days per week, for 5 consecutive weeks and serve at least 30 unduplicated youth (or 15 for small nonprofits with operating budgets under $250,000). Funding can only be applied to children and youth residing in the District of Columbia.

The total funding available for this grant cycle is up to $1.4 million, with applicants eligible to request up to $100,000 per organization. Funds may cover program personnel, curriculum materials, field trip expenses, and youth engagement activities. Organizations must adhere to strict financial and compliance requirements, including a cap on indirect costs at 30% of the total budget. Additionally, programs serving at-risk and underserved youth (e.g., homeless students, foster care participants, low-income families, and students with disabilities) may receive competitive priority points in the selection process.

Eligibility is limited to nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status for at least two years and in good standing with the IRS, District of Columbia, and relevant licensing authorities. Applicants must not have been awarded other OST Office grants in the same fiscal year (except for My Afterschool DC grantees who wish to extend programming into the summer). Organizations must also meet fiscal responsibility criteria, including the submission of IRS Form 990, audited financial statements, and a board-approved budget.

Applications must be submitted electronically via Cityspan by February 28, 2025, at 5:00 PM EST. A confirmation email will be sent upon successful submission. Late, incomplete, or paper applications will not be reviewed. The review process involves three independent evaluators, with a scoring rubric assigning up to 72 points based on program design, justification, target population, recruitment strategies, and budget feasibility. Awardees will be notified in March 2025.

Grantees must comply with monitoring and reporting requirements, including site visits, financial oversight, and data collection through Cityspan. Programs must track attendance, demographic data, and youth outcomes, while also ensuring compliance with staff background checks, insurance requirements, and child safety protocols. Additionally, organizations are encouraged to participate in Learn24 community events to promote awareness of available youth programs.