Our Work Youth Development Youth Matter Grants
When young people feel like they matter, they are less likely to experience depression, consider suicide, or use substances. Only half of Anchorage youth feel valued by their community. Youth Matter Grants help to close that gap by funding youth-led projects that build safety, strengthen youth-adult relationships, and make a difference in the community.
For Anchorage youth ages 12–24
Youth Matter Grants provide Anchorage youth ages 12–24 with up to $5,000 to design and lead a project that builds well-being, enhances safety, strengthens youth-adult relationships, and makes a difference in their community. Projects are team-based and collaborative, and supported by an adult project advisor. Center for Safe Alaskans provides training, coaching, and funding. Youth drive the ideas and decisions from start to finish. Youth Matter Grant Applications open each fall and projects run January through May.
You can still apply. The Center for Safe Alaskans helps groups without an organization find a fiscal sponsor to receive and manage grant funds.
Staff can help you brainstorm your idea, work through questions, or build a budget. Email Rebekah Wilcox at rebekah@safealaskans.org any time before the deadline.
Yes, there is an optional info session on October 6, 2026, at 1–2 PM or 6–7 PM via Zoom. Email Rebekah for the link.
2027 grants
Every Youth Matter Grant project should help young people in Anchorage strengthen well-being in their community. That’s the umbrella every project sits under. This year, Center for Safe Alaskans is especially interested in projects about youth mental health, suicide prevention, and protective factors. A project doesn’t have to mention mental health to count. A basketball tournament that mixes up who plays together, a cooking night with elders, or a club for people who feel like they don’t have one can all build the same protective factors as a project that names mental health directly.
When youth feel that they matter, they feel seen, valued, and supported. Local youth say what matters most is physical and emotional safety, respect and fairness from adults, and real chances to contribute and lead change in their community.
Protective factors are the things in a young person’s life that help them stay well when things get hard. A friend who checks in, a coach who notices, a place to go after school. Some of the biggest are having at least one adult who shows up for you, close friendships, a sense of belonging, feeling connected at school, having something you’re good at, and knowing where to go for help.
For youth teams and project advisors
Any Anchorage youth ages 12–24 with an idea can apply. Every team needs a Youth Representative, age 12–24, who leads the project and is the main contact, and a Project Advisor, usually an adult over 25, who manages paperwork and supports the team. Groups don’t need to belong to an organization. The Center for Safe Alaskans can help find a fiscal sponsor. For-profit businesses, political or fundraising projects, and projects that exclude anyone are not eligible.
A project a team can actually finish is stronger than a big one that runs out of time or money. Teams have about five months and up to $5,000, so scoping a project down is a sign of good planning, not a weakness.
100
points, plus up to 5 bonus
25
youth leadership
20
belonging and access
Applications are scored out of 100 points, plus up to 5 bonus points for creativity. Youth leadership carries the most weight (25 points), followed by belonging and access (20). The rest is spread across project clarity, community need, impact, and feasibility.
Applications open
September 21, 2026
Applications due
October 25, 2026, at 11:59 PM
Grantees announced
November 16
Required orientation
November 19
Projects run
January through May 2027
Final reports due
May 28
Celebration event
June 15
85%
of youth agreed they matter to their community after their projects
5 · 150+
youth-led projects in 2026, reaching more than 150 community members
12 of 12
surveyed youth reported active leadership and a positive experience with adult mentors
94%
said their project’s environment was inclusive and supportive
17 · 25
organizations and projects funded across three cohorts since 2023
In 2026, Youth Matter Grants funded five youth-led projects reaching more than 150 community members across Anchorage. All 12 of 12 surveyed youth reported active leadership on their project and a positive experience with adult mentors, and 94% said their project’s environment was inclusive and supportive. After their projects, 85% of youth agreed they matter to their community, and 83% reported having at least three supportive adults in their lives, up from 54% before the program. Since 2023, the program has funded 17 organizations and 25 projects across three cohorts.
This program is made possible by the State of Alaska Division of Behavioral Health, Cook Inlet Tribal Council, and AYDC sponsors.