Funding Opportunities for Schools & Community Organizations

The Let's Talk About Me (LTAM) Guide for Teen Girls is a prevention-focused educational resource designed to help girls develop the confidence, knowledge, and practical life skills needed to navigate today's increasingly complex social environment. While this curriculum has not yet undergone formal empirical evaluation, it is grounded in current research, recognized prevention strategies, and best practices in youth development, personal safety, healthy relationships, and social-emotional learning.

Because LTAM addresses critical topics such as self-worth, boundary setting, bullying prevention, online safety, grooming awareness, stalking prevention, healthy relationships, situational awareness, and personal safety, it aligns with the goals of many federal, state, local, and private funding initiatives that support violence prevention, youth empowerment, school safety, student wellness, and family engagement.

Schools, nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations, community agencies, and youth-serving programs may be able to use a variety of grant opportunities and community funding sources to purchase curriculum materials, train facilitators, implement prevention programming, and expand access to students and families. The funding opportunities outlined below represent some of the most promising options for organizations seeking to invest in proactive education that helps prepare teen girls to recognize risks, make healthy decisions, and build safer, more confident futures.

  • 1. Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Grants

    Best for: Schools, nonprofits, victim service organizations, youth agencies

    These grants often support:

    • Teen dating violence prevention
    • Healthy relationship education
    • Community awareness
    • Youth safety initiatives
    • Parent education

    LTAM aligns with:

    2. Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)

    Excellent fit for:

    • Victim prevention
    • Child safety
    • Community education
    • Youth awareness

    Your guide focuses heavily on prevention, making it attractive as an educational resource.

    Official Website:

    Office for Victims of Crime Funding & Awards

    3. Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)

    Supports:

    • Teen dating violence
    • Domestic violence prevention
    • Prevention education
    • Community partnerships

    Official Website:

    OVW Funding Opportunities

    4. CDC Violence Prevention Funding

    Supports:

    • Protective factors
    • Healthy relationships
    • Youth development
    • Risk reduction
    • Prevention education

    Schools frequently partner with local health departments.

    Official Website:

    CDC Violence Prevention

    5. State Departments of Education

    Many states have annual funding for:

    • School climate
    • Student wellness
    • Bullying prevention
    • Safety initiatives
    • Social-emotional learning
    • Parent engagement

    LTAM fits naturally into these priorities.

    Directory of State Education Agencies:

    Council of Chief State School Officers (State Education Agencies)

    6. Title IV-A Student Support & Academic Enrichment (SSAE)

    One of your strongest opportunities.

    Funds may be used for:

    • Student safety
    • Mental health
    • Violence prevention
    • Character education
    • Digital citizenship
    • Social-emotional learning

    Almost every public school receives some Title IV-A funding.

    Official Website:

    U.S. Department of Education Title IV-A Program

    7. Safe and Supportive Schools

    Supports:

    • Bullying prevention
    • Violence prevention
    • Positive school climate
    • Student safety
    • Mental health

    Official Website:

    National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments

    8. Community Foundation Grants

    Local community foundations frequently fund:

    • Girls' programs
    • Youth leadership
    • Safety education
    • Parent engagement
    • Mentoring

    Typical awards range from $5,000–$50,000.

    Find Local Foundations:

    Council on Foundations

    9. United Way

    Many United Way organizations fund:

    • Youth development
    • Family strengthening
    • Prevention education
    • Community wellness

    Official Website:

    United Way Worldwide

    10. Junior League

    Often funds:

    • Girls' leadership
    • Mentoring
    • Community education
    • Safety initiatives

    Official Website:

    Association of Junior Leagues International

  • 11. Rotary Clubs

    Rotary clubs regularly sponsor:

    • Schools
    • Youth education
    • Community safety
    • Leadership programs

    They may purchase curriculum for schools or community organizations.

    Official Website:
    Rotary International

    12. Kiwanis Clubs

    Excellent fit because they focus on:

    • Children
    • Education
    • Leadership
    • Community development

    Official Website:
    Kiwanis International

    13. Lions Clubs

    Many chapters fund:

    • Youth education
    • School programs
    • Community awareness
    • Family initiatives

    Official Website:
    Lions Clubs International

    14. Walmart Spark Good Grants

    Supports:

    • Local nonprofits
    • Youth programs
    • Community education

    Typical awards range from $250–$5,000.

    Official Website:
    Walmart Spark Good Local Grants

    15. Target Community Giving

    Supports:

    • Youth development
    • Education
    • Safety
    • Community outreach

    Official Website:
    Target Corporate Giving

    16. Bank Foundation Grants

    Many banks fund:

    • Financial literacy
    • Youth leadership
    • Education
    • Community safety

    Examples include local foundations associated with regional banks and national institutions such as Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, PNC, Huntington, Fifth Third, and U.S. Bank.

    Example:
    Bank of America Charitable Foundation

    17. Hospital Community Benefit Programs

    Nonprofit hospitals often fund:

    • Violence prevention
    • Mental health
    • Child safety
    • Injury prevention
    • Community education

    Many hospitals are required to invest in community health improvement initiatives.

    Learn More:
    American Hospital Association Community Benefit Resources

    18. Juvenile Justice Programs

    Funding often supports:

    • Prevention
    • Youth diversion
    • Healthy decision-making
    • Life skills
    • Protective education

    Official Website:

    Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)

    19. Faith-Based Grants

    Many denominations and faith-based foundations support:

    • Girls' ministries
    • Family strengthening
    • Community outreach
    • Prevention education

    Funding Directory:
    National Christian Foundation

    20. Corporate Community Grants

    Many corporations fund:

    • STEM
    • Education
    • Youth leadership
    • Safety
    • Community engagement

    Examples include:

    • Utility companies
    • Health systems
    • Insurance companies
    • Manufacturing companies
    • Local employers

    Grant Search Resource:
    Candid Foundation Directory & Grant Resources

How Let’s Talk About Me (LTAM) Fits Across Implementation Settings

Let’s Talk About Me (LTAM) is intentionally designed as a setting-flexible, prevention-focused educational program that can be implemented with fidelity across schools, community organizations, and ministry-based environments. While the delivery context may vary, the core learning objectives, evaluation framework, and instructional safeguards remain consistent.

1. Implementation in Schools

Where LTAM Fits in the School Day

LTAM integrates seamlessly into existing school structures without displacing core academic instruction. Common placement options include:

  • Advisory or homeroom periods
  • Health education or wellness courses
  • SEL blocks or character education periods
  • Electives or enrichment programs
  • After-school or extended learning programs

Why LTAM Works in Schools

  • Aligns with SEL, Health Education, and Safe Schools standards
  • Addresses non-academic barriers to learning (peer pressure, safety concerns, emotional stress)
  • Uses non-disclosure, skills-based evaluation aligned with district ethics and privacy policies
  • Supports attendance, focus, engagement, and school climate goals

School-Specific Safeguards

  • No personal disclosures required
  • No student risk labeling
  • Data collected in aggregate, de-identified form
  • Facilitator-led, trauma-informed instruction

School Framing Language (Approved):

“LTAM functions as a prevention-focused educational support that strengthens the social-emotional and decision-making skills necessary for academic engagement and student well-being.”

2. Implementation in Community Organizations

Where LTAM Fits in Community Settings

LTAM is well-suited for organizations that serve youth outside the traditional school day, including:

  • Youth development programs
  • After-school and summer programs
  • Mentoring organizations
  • Nonprofit prevention initiatives
  • Girls’ empowerment or leadership groups

Why LTAM Works in Community Organizations


  • Modular session design allows flexible scheduling
  • Scenario-based learning is highly effective in group settings
  • Supports organizational goals related to youth safety, empowerment, and prevention
  • Complements mentoring and wraparound services without replacing them

Community Organization Benefits

  • Strengthens protective factors for at-risk populations
  • Provides a structured, evidence-informed curriculum
  • Supports grant reporting with built-in evaluation tools
  • Enhances staff capacity with facilitator guides and fidelity tools

Community Framing Language:

“LTAM provides a structured prevention curriculum that equips youth with practical safety, boundary, and decision-making skills in a supportive, community-based environment.”

3. Implementation in Ministries and Faith-Based Settings

Where LTAM Fits in Ministry Contexts

LTAM can be implemented within ministries while maintaining its educational and prevention focus, including:

  • Youth group programming
  • Girls’ ministries
  • Faith-based after-school programs
  • Community outreach initiatives
  • Parachurch or nonprofit ministry partners

Why LTAM Works in Ministries

  • Values-aligned focus on self-worth, responsibility, respect, and care for others
  • Emphasizes wise decision-making, accountability, and seeking trusted guidance
  • Can be delivered as a standalone educational series or alongside existing youth programming
  • Maintains grant-eligible structure when used in publicly funded initiatives

Important Distinction for Ministries

LTAM:

  • Is an educational prevention program, not religious instruction
  • Does not require theological teaching to be effective
  • Can be offered with or without faith-based discussion, depending on funding source

Faith-Based Framing Language:

“LTAM equips youth with practical life skills that support wise choices, personal safety, and healthy relationships, reinforcing values of respect, responsibility, and care for self and others.”

4. Consistency Across All Settings

Regardless of implementation setting, LTAM maintains:

✔ The same core learning outcomes

✔ The same prevention-focused instructional design

✔ The same trauma-informed, non-disclosure safeguards

✔ The same evaluation and reporting framework

✔ The same standards alignment

This ensures program fidelity, grant compliance, and comparable outcomes, while allowing organizations to meet youth where they are.

5. Why This Multi-Setting Fit Strengthens Grants

Funders and districts view cross-setting adaptability as a strength because it:

  • Expands reach without increasing cost
  • Supports sustainability beyond a single site
  • Allows collaboration between schools, nonprofits, and ministries
  • Increases community-level protective impact

“LTAM’s flexible implementation model allows the program to be delivered with fidelity across school, community, and faith-based settings, ensuring broad access while maintaining consistent outcomes, evaluation standards, and ethical safeguards.”