Artists & Youth Team
Mass Cultural Council believes that creativity plays a crucial role in helping young people lead healthy and fulfilling lives. We are proud to announce the FY27 application cycle of YouthReach, our long-running grant program supporting innovative Creative Youth Development (CYD) programs.
For more than thirty years, YouthReach has nurtured the creativity and leadership potential of young people through grants to CYD programs in the arts, humanities, and sciences.
CYD programs provide holistic support that addresses the complexity of challenges currently facing young people and their communities. By intentionally centering the values of youth leadership, racial equity, and social change, these programs help to catalyze systems change in collaboration with their community.
As part of Mass Cultural Council’s ongoing work to build more accessible and equitable programs, the YouthReach application has been streamlined this cycle to include:
- Broadened eligibility for schools and for nonprofits who work with schools to apply in any discipline
- Simplified application process removing the logic model and evaluative site visit requirements
- Two award ranges (both anticipated to be in the $20,000s), with a higher award to acknowledge the additional needs for young people and costs associated with organizations providing mental health and/or workforce development resources
- An end to the “YouthReach Partners” distinction. All former YouthReach grant recipients need to apply to be eligible for FY27 funding.
The application deadline is April 2, 2026 at 11:59pm (ET).
Program guidelines and FAQs are now available. The application opens on February 5, 2026.
Register for an information session on February 12, 2026. The session will be recorded and published on Mass Cultural Council’s YouTube Channel.
Virtual office hours and staff support are also available.