Building an After-School Program Grant with GrantCraft
Use GrantCraft's tools to build a competitive after-school program grant proposal. Covers documenting youth need, designing evidence-based programming, and budgeting for staffing and supplies.
After-School Programs: A High-Demand Funding Category
After-school programs are among the most commonly funded grant categories across federal, state, and private funders. Programs like the 21st Century Community Learning Centers, state education agency grants, and private foundations focused on youth development collectively invest billions of dollars annually in after-school programming. This means there is significant funding available, but it also means competition is fierce.
The GrantCraft Proposal Builder provides the structure you need to develop a competitive after-school program proposal. This guide walks you through how to use the builder specifically for after-school programming, with tips tailored to what funders in this space look for.
Documenting the Need for After-School Services
Step 2 of the Proposal Builder guides you through the need statement. For after-school proposals, your need statement should address three key areas: academic need, safety need, and opportunity gap.
Academic need is documented through school-level data on academic performance, particularly for the students your program will serve. Cite proficiency rates on state assessments, graduation rates, chronic absenteeism data, and any available data on summer learning loss. Funders want to see that the youth in your target area are struggling academically and that after-school academic support can make a measurable difference.
Safety need addresses what happens to youth during the after-school hours when they are most likely to be unsupervised. Cite local data on juvenile crime rates during after-school hours, substance use among the age group you serve, and the percentage of families in your area where all parents or guardians work during after-school hours.
Opportunity gap describes the lack of access to enrichment activities like arts, STEM, sports, and mentoring that youth in wealthier communities take for granted. Document what after-school options currently exist in your community and where the gaps are. For more on writing compelling need statements, see our guide on defining the grant problem and need statement.
Designing Evidence-Based Programming
Step 4 of the builder asks you to describe your program design. After-school funders strongly prefer evidence-based approaches, meaning programs that are grounded in research about what works for youth development. Reference frameworks such as the Weikart Center's quality standards, the Search Institute's developmental assets framework, or specific evidence-based curricula you will use.
Your program design should describe a typical day or week in the program. Funders want to see the specific activities, the sequence and duration, the student-to-staff ratio, and how the academic and enrichment components fit together. A strong after-school program balances structured academic time with engaging enrichment activities and incorporates student choice and voice.
Describe your staffing model clearly. After-school programs require a mix of certified teachers for academic components, youth development specialists for enrichment, and trained volunteers or mentors. Define qualifications for each role and explain your plan for staff training and professional development.
Setting Measurable Objectives
Step 3 of the builder walks you through writing SMART objectives. For after-school programs, common objective categories include:
- Academic achievement: "75 percent of regular participants will improve their math grades by at least one letter grade within one academic year."
- School attendance: "Regular program participants will maintain a school day attendance rate of 92 percent or higher."
- Behavioral outcomes: "80 percent of participants will demonstrate improved social-emotional skills as measured by teacher surveys administered in fall and spring."
- Program participation: "The program will maintain an average daily attendance of 85 percent of enrolled students."
Define "regular participant" early in your proposal, as funders want to measure outcomes for youth who attend consistently, not for those who come once and disappear. A common threshold is attending 30 or more program days per year. For additional guidance, see our resource on SMART objectives and specific aims.
Building the After-School Budget
Step 5 of the builder structures your budget. After-school program budgets typically have these major components:
Personnel
Personnel is usually 60 to 70 percent of an after-school budget. Include the program coordinator, site directors, academic tutors, enrichment instructors, and any administrative support. Calculate each position based on hours per week and weeks per year, since most after-school staff work part-time during school year hours.
Supplies and Materials
Budget for academic supplies, enrichment materials, STEM equipment, art supplies, sports equipment, and snacks. After-school programs often underbudget for supplies, leading to frustrating shortages during the program year. Be detailed and realistic.
Transportation
If your program provides transportation home after the program ends, include bus or van costs. This is a critical equity issue because families without transportation may not be able to participate.
Professional Development
Include costs for staff training on your curriculum, youth development practices, and safety protocols. Funders value programs that invest in staff quality.
Evaluation
Budget for data collection tools, assessment materials, and any external evaluation consultant costs. Many after-school funders require third-party evaluation.
Evaluation for After-School Programs
Step 6 of the builder guides your evaluation plan. After-school evaluation should include both implementation measures and outcome measures. Implementation measures track whether you delivered the program as designed: attendance rates, session completion rates, staff retention, and fidelity to the curriculum. Outcome measures track whether participants actually improved in the areas your objectives target.
Common data sources for after-school evaluation include school records for grades and attendance, pre-and-post assessments for academic skills, teacher surveys for behavioral outcomes, and program attendance logs. For more on designing effective evaluations, see our guide on evaluation methods and implementation science.
Demonstrating Sustainability
After-school funders want to know how you will sustain the program after the grant ends. In Step 7 of the builder, describe your sustainability plan. This might include pursuing diverse funding sources, building fee-for-service components, partnering with the school district for shared costs, or applying for continued funding from other sources.
The GrantCraft Tips section provides additional guidance on writing a strong sustainability section, and the Readiness Checklist helps you confirm that all the elements of a competitive after-school proposal are in place before you submit.
After-School Program Proposal Checklist
- Document academic, safety, and opportunity-gap needs with local data.
- Reference evidence-based frameworks and curricula in your program design.
- Describe a typical program day or week with specific activities and schedules.
- Set SMART objectives for academic, attendance, and behavioral outcomes.
- Budget accurately for personnel, supplies, transportation, and evaluation.
- Include both implementation and outcome measures in your evaluation plan.
- Describe a realistic sustainability plan for continuing after the grant ends.
Learn more about grant writing strategies at Subthesis.
Ready to build a complete grant writing skill set? The Complete Grant Architect course covers everything from needs assessment to budget construction to post-award management.
Learn more about grant writing strategies at Subthesis.