I set up The Mentoring Lab for you and hope this guide to writing strong Youth Mentoring funding applications helps you to secure the funding you need.
This guide aims to help you articulate the value and quality of your youth mentoring work in funding applications. The questions below will help you demonstrate your expertise and commitment to quality youth mentoring, enabling funders to better understand the vital role you play in supporting young people and strengthening communities. We want to help you secure the resources you need to continue and expand your essential work.
We understand that you are operating in increasingly challenging times. As statutory services face cuts and young people's needs become more complex, your organisations often fill critical gaps in support - sometimes being the only lifeline for vulnerable young people in your communities. You are the hidden heroes, working tirelessly with limited resources to keep young people safe, supported, and hopeful for their futures.
We see how you go above and beyond, often working unpaid hours, using your own resources, and carrying the emotional weight of supporting young people through increasingly difficult circumstances. Your deep understanding of your communities and your commitment to young people makes you invaluable, yet we know how challenging it can be to secure the funding needed to sustain your vital work.
The youth mentoring you provide is often holding statutory services together at the seams - preventing crises, supporting young people who fall through gaps in the system, and providing the consistent, integral relationships that can transform young lives. While your work might not always fit neat funding categories or traditional service models, its impact is profound and far-reaching.
The questions below will help you demonstrate your expertise and commitment to quality youth mentoring.
Key Areas to Address in Your Funding Application
Your Understanding of Youth Mentoring
How does your organisation define youth mentoring?
What makes your approach distinct from other youth support services?
How does your mentoring model reflect your community's specific needs?
What evidence or experience informed your mentoring approach?
Delivery Model
Which type of mentoring delivery do you use and why is it most appropriate?
How did you determine the duration and frequency of sessions?
What influenced your choice of setting and context?
How do young people access your mentoring service?
Mentor Support and Development
How do you recruit and select mentors?
What training do mentors receive initially and ongoing?
How do you support and supervise mentors?
What boundaries and guidelines do mentors follow?
Youth-Led Approach
How are young people involved in designing your mentoring programme?
How do you ensure mentoring is responsive to individual needs?
What role do young people play in evaluation and improvement?
How do you maintain youth voice throughout the mentoring relationship?
Safety and Quality Assurance
What safeguarding measures do you have in place?
How do you assess and manage risks?
What procedures exist for addressing concerns or challenges?
How do you maintain consistency across different mentoring relationships?
Impact and Learning
What changes do you see in young people through mentoring?
How do you track and measure progress?
What feedback do you gather from young people and mentors?
How do you use learning to improve your practice?
Tips for Strengthening Your Funding Application:
Use Specific Examples Instead of just describing your approach, include brief examples that demonstrate how it works in practice. This helps funders understand the real-world application of your model.
Highlight Your Community Knowledge Emphasise your understanding of local needs and how your mentoring model has developed in response to these needs. Share insights from your experience working with young people in your community.
Show Your Learning Journey Don't be afraid to discuss how your approach has evolved through trial and error. Demonstrate your commitment to continuous improvement and responsiveness to feedback.
Focus on Quality Even if your approach is unconventional, clearly explain how you maintain quality and safety standards. Detail your support systems, training, and monitoring processes.
Centre Youth Voice Throughout your application, demonstrate how young people shape and influence your mentoring programme. Use quotes or examples from young people where appropriate.
Address Potential Concerns Anticipate and address common concerns or risks funders might have about youth mentoring. Explain how you maintain boundaries, ensure safety, and distinguish mentoring from other services.
Remember:
Be clear and specific about your approach
Use evidence from your experience
Demonstrate professional standards
Show your understanding of youth mentoring best practice
Highlight your community connections
Emphasise your commitment to quality and safety
Your expertise in working with young people in your community is valuable. Use these questions and tips to help funders understand the quality and impact of your mentoring work.
By answering these questions thoroughly in your application, you'll demonstrate your organisation's capability to deliver high-quality youth mentoring that makes a real difference in young people's lives.
