Release Date: October 14, 2025
Letter of Intent Deadline: December 3, 2025
The bi3 Fund is seeking proposals from youth-serving, nonprofit organizations to foster social connection and belonging for youth, ages 12-24, by engaging youth in co-creating or reimagining community spaces and designing embedded supports, activities and resources.
The bi3 Fund envisions a day when all people in Greater Cincinnati have a fair and just opportunity to achieve their best health. To advance this vision, bi3 has prioritized fostering social connections for youth, particularly for those experiencing the greatest disparities in mental wellbeing.
Mental health and wellbeing include emotional regulation, a sense of meaning and purpose, the ability to manage stress, resilience, meaningful relationships, networks of support, and strong and thriving communities.[1]
Research into supportive factors for youth mental health and wellbeing highlights Social Support and Sense of Belonging as two critical pieces.[2] Youth who feel that there are people in their life who care about them are two times less likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety compared to those who don’t.[3] Similarly, feeling accepted and connected within groups such as family, friends, or school is crucial for wellbeing, yet nationally, 1 in 4 youth feel that they lack this sense of belonging. Historically marginalized populations—Black, Hispanic, and youth in low-income communities—are less likely to have access to safe, third spaces (outside of home and school) to build social capital and support.[4]
Locally, through the Hopeful Empowered Youth (HEY!) Cincinnati needs assessment, youth in our community highlighted exactly this need, identifying community as a primary influence on their mental wellbeing. Youth reported feeling disconnected from each other and adults in their lives, and shared a desire for safe, connected and supportive community spaces. The assessment noted that opportunities to address these needs included engaging young people in community building, organizing, and advocacy, as well as the creation of dedicated youth community or third (outside of home and school) spaces.[5] HEY!’s 10 Year Strategy also elevates the importance of trusted adults, defined by youth as those providing relationships on youth’s terms, prioritizing care and connection and being inclusive and trauma-informed. In order to build belonging and connection for youth, community spaces must provide both physical safety and trusted adults. HEY! Cincinnati’s Youth Fellows have further defined the characteristics of a safe community space in the Safe and Supportive Spaces Rubric.
The bi3 Fund is seeking grantee partners to improve youth social connection and belonging by collaborating with youth, ages 12-24, to create or reimagine safe and welcoming community, or third spaces, and design embedded supports, activities and resources. Projects must aim to build connections between youth and caring adults. Initiatives should prioritize populations most impacted by health disparities, including Black and Brown youth, youth involved in systems of care, LGBTQ+ youth, and/or youth in low-income communities. These initiatives must:
- Center youth leadership, priorities and decision-making to drive approaches, operations and strategies to ensure spaces, supports, activities and resources effectively meet youth needs
- Equip adults to promote safety, well-being and resilience for youth
The anticipated outcomes for funded initiatives may include:
- Youth feel heard and empowered
- More youth feel like they belong
- More youth report having a trusted adult
- More youth feel welcomed and safe in community spaces
- Adults have better tools to support youth
- Increased social connection for youth
bi3 anticipates awarding up to $5 million in flexible funding to support and respond to youth-led decision-making, goals and strategies.
Under this funding opportunity, bi3 will consider two types of grants:
- Planning Grants. The purpose of the planning grant is to provide time and resources to build a deeper understanding of youth social connection and belonging, design a youth engagement strategy, identify key partners, build trusted relationships with youth, and develop an implementation plan for future work. A planning grant is best suited to organizations that are building relationships with youth and do not yet have the deep connections to co-design a project. Planning grants are typically 12-18 months and range from $100,000-$250,000. Successful planning grants may have the opportunity to apply for implementation support following the grant period, but future funding is not guaranteed.
- Implementation Grants. Implementation grants aim to support youth leadership, project design, partnerships and the implementation of youth-led strategies. An implementation grant is best suited to organizations with existing, deep relationships with youth that are ready to launch a co-design process, identify and reimagine community space(s) and implement youth-led strategies. Implementation grants are typically three years and range from $750,000 – $1,500,000 in total, depending on the scope and scale of the project. No more than 35% of the grant funding requested can be allocated to capital expenses to build or reimagine community spaces, as driven by youth leadership.
Please note that these grant amounts are expected to include indirect costs as well as direct project costs.
To be eligible to receive a bi3 grant under this RFP, organizations must:
- Be a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization*
- Be located in bi3’s geographic focus area, which includes Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren counties in Ohio
- Be a youth-serving organization with experience serving Black and Brown youth, youth involved in systems of care, LGBTQ+ youth, and/or youth in low-income communities
* Organizations that do not have nonprofit status may still seek funding through fiscal sponsorship.
For more information about fiscal sponsorship and ineligible activities under this funding opportunity, please see our Frequently Asked Questions. Any group looking to leverage a fiscal sponsor should contact Jennifer Zimmerman at bi3 (Jennifer_Zimmerman@bi3.org) before starting the application to vet basic alignment.
bi3 is committed to supporting the success of our grantees beyond the check. As an invested partner, bi3 will work to build trust and collaborate with grantees to co-create and refine project metrics, develop sustainability plans, address unexpected risks, and refresh work plans based on learning and interim results. bi3 will provide support, thought partnership and technical assistance to help advance project results and learning.
Through this funding portfolio, and in partnership with grantees, bi3 aims to explore the question: What would it take to strengthen social connections and belonging for youth in community spaces? In addition to regular learning sessions with the bi3 team, grantees will be invited to meet with other grantees to share insights, learning and support. To further explore this learning question, bi3 plans to hire a consultant to work with grantees to develop evaluation questions, learning strategies and metrics. The goal is to elevate the impact and learning of the portfolio of grants to contribute to the field of knowledge (including co-learning with HEY! Cincinnati), inform policy and systems change and advance the mental health and wellbeing of our region’s youth.
To support grantees’ participation in the learning and evaluation process, bi3 will provide $10,000 per year in addition to the grant funding.
NOTE:
As you write your application, please consider that, in line with the goals of the RFP, youth will be reviewing the Letters of Intent and full applications to ensure selected projects align with youth needs and vision.
bi3 will follow a two-step, competitive application process that includes a Letter of Intent phase (due Wednesday, December 3, 2025) and a full application phase (due Thursday, March 12, 2026, for invited applicants).
All Letters of Intent and full applications must be submitted through our online grants system, Foundant. Only a limited number of applicants will be invited to the full application phase. Any invitation to submit a full application does not guarantee funding. We provide the full content on both phases for informational purposes only. Content (including questions and evaluation criteria) is subject to change.
As noted above, the Letters of Intent and applications will be reviewed by a panel of youth who will determine their alignment with the evaluation criteria. We encourage applicants to write their LOIs for this audience. Please be sure you are using plain language and descriptions for your proposed work.
Letters of Intent and applications will be evaluated on the following criteria:
Letters of Intent
- Meets organizational eligibility requirements to be considered for funding (see above) and submitted all requested LOI materials
- Strength of alignment to funding priority to directly address social connection and belonging for youth, especially for the identified population(s) of focus
- Clarity of values and vision for how youth will be engaged in design and decision-making
- Clarity and feasibility of project purpose, goals and potential impact
- Clarity on how the organization tailors its services or approaches to different groups of people in specific, sensitive ways to address the issues, practices and conditions that affect their health
Detailed Application
Beyond the evaluation criteria for Letters of Intent, the full application will be evaluated for:
- Level of experience or expertise in youth mental health and wellbeing and the population(s) of focus
- Level of experience or expertise in engaging youth in decision-making
- Adequacy and appropriateness of budget and other resources and the capacity to carry out the proposed scope of work
- For planning grants:
- Clarity of goals and steps for the planning process
- For implementation grants:
- Clarity of process for co-creating with youth
- Potential for the project to be supported or resourced after the proposed grant period.
bi3 does not unlawfully discriminate internally (in its administrative and program operations) or externally (in provision of services and grants) on the basis of race, political orientation, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, or mental or physical disability or any other status prohibited by applicable law.
bi3 will host a virtual RFP Informational Workshop. All interested organizations are strongly encouraged to attend. The Informational Workshop will provide a brief overview of bi3’s application process, a deeper dive into the RFP and the opportunity to ask questions. A recording will be available on the bi3 website for those unable to attend the live session.
Wednesday, October 29, 2025 at 1 p.m.
Virtual (Zoom)
Registration is Required
Interested Organizations Meet & Greet (Optional)
Following the RFP Informational Workshop, bi3 will host an optional, informal opportunity for interested organizations to meet and network. bi3 will provide the meeting space and light refreshments. The purpose of this meeting is for potential applicants to talk with one another and explore possibilities for collaboration and partnership. bi3 staff will be on hand to support logistics, but will not be available to answer questions about the RFP or potential projects. The RFP Informational Workshop and Office Hours provide the opportunity to ask questions of bi3 staff.
Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at 2 p.m.
In-person meeting at ProKids, 222 W. 7th Street, Cincinnati, 45202
October 14, 2025 | RFP released |
October 29, 2025, at 1 p.m. EST | RFP Informational Workshop (virtual) |
November 5, 2025, at 2 p.m. EST | Interested Organizations Meet & Greet (optional) |
December 3, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. EST | Letters of Intent due |
January 30, 2026 | Letter of Intent decisions communicated
Invitations to submit Detailed Applications |
March 12, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. EST | Detailed Applications due |
Middle of June, 2026 | Application decisions communicated
Notice of awards |
Middle to end of June, 2026 | Onboarding meetings with grantee partners
First installment of grant payments made |
*Please note, the timeline for this RFP is slightly longer to accommodate the engagement of youth in the LOI and application review process.
To access bi3’s online grants management system:
- Go to https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=bethesdainc. Previous applicants can use their existing username and password to log in. New applicants will select “Create New Account.”
- Once you log in or create an account, you will be directed to the Applicant Dashboard.
- Click “Apply” at the top of the page to view the Application Page.
- Select the FY26 Fostering Social Connections for Youth.
- Click the “Apply” button on the far right to submit an LOI.
Please contact Marian Black with any questions about accessing the grants management system.
See our Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions will be updated weekly.
Office Hours
Applicants interested in dedicated time for a more in-depth conversation about this funding opportunity and/or your project idea can book a 20-minute slot during virtual office hours.
- Office hours will be held on Mondays and Fridays from October 31 to December 1, 2025.
- When booking, enter your organization’s name in the “name” field.
- Multiple team members can join a booked slot. A calendar invitation will be sent out following the booking of a slot; simply forward that invitation to the appropriate team members.
Contact Us
For general questions and inquiries, please contact Jennifer Zimmerman, Senior Vice President at Jennifer_Zimmerman@bi3.org or (513) 569-6673
For questions about accessing the grants management system, please contact Marian Black, Grants Manager at Marian_Black@bi3.org.
Social Connections: A continuum of the size and diversity of one’s social network and roles, the functions these relationships serve, and their positive and negative qualities (relationships and interactions with family, friends, colleagues and neighbors that are also informed by our neighborhoods, digital environments, schools and workplaces)
Community Spaces: Physical locations, or “third spaces,” outside of home and school, where youth can gather that are safe, supportive and free [Source – p. 15]
Sense of Belonging: The feeling of acceptance and connection within a group, such as friends, family, school or community, fostering a sense of community.
Social Support: The availability of emotional support from family, friends, and close relationships.
Resilience: The ability to adapt to difficult or challenging life experiences and adjust to external and internal demands. [Source]
Emotional Regulation: The process of managing emotions to maintain balance and respond appropriately to challenges. [Source]
Youth Agency or Youth-Led Programs: Programs in which youth are active leaders, decision makers and advocates and adults serve as mentors and work alongside youth, providing guidance and training. Youth are viewed as active and valuable participants in the process. [Source]