Purpose

This bill changes how Minnesota funds youth intervention programs by updating the state statute to create and regulate grants to nonprofit agencies that run these programs. The goal is to provide early, community-based support to youth and families facing personal, family, school, legal, or chemical problems, with a focus on resolving current problems and preventing future ones. It also aims to ensure ongoing funding sources for local, community-based interventions.

Main Provisions

• Grants to youth intervention programs

  • The commissioner may, and must, (subject to available appropriations) award grants to nonprofit agencies that administer youth intervention programs in communities where these programs exist or may be established.
  • Each grant may not exceed $75,000.
  • A youth intervention program is defined as a nonresidential, community-based program offering advocacy, education, counseling, mentoring, and referral services to youth and their families with the goal of addressing problems and preventing future issues.

• Local matching requirement

  • Grants are contingent upon the recipient obtaining local matching funds equal to the grant amount from the community where the program is located.
  • The purpose of the local match is to leverage state and community dollars to support early intervention services.

• Application process

  • Agencies must apply to the commissioner using a form and process established by the commissioner.
  • Applications must describe eligible contributions beyond cash that qualify as local matching money, and criteria for review.

• Allocation formula

  • A portion of the appropriations (described as up to about 5-6%) may be used for an additional grant to the Minnesota Youth Intervention Programs Association to cover:
  • collaboration, program development, professional development, training, technical assistance, and tracking/reporting outcome data for community-based grantees.
  • The Minnesota Youth Intervention Programs Association is not required to meet the local matching requirement.

• Reporting requirements

  • By March 31 each year, the Minnesota Youth Intervention Programs Association must report to legislative leaders on:
  • the implementation and administration of the grant program,
  • grant recipients and their locations,
  • the number of individuals served (disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and gender),
  • the number of individuals who completed programming (disaggregated by age, race, ethnicity, and gender),
  • total funds awarded and remaining,
  • amounts granted to each recipient,
  • grantee workplans and how funds were used (based on quarterly reports and financials),
  • and summarized outcomes using the Search Institute Developmental Assets Framework.

• Administrative costs

  • The department may use up to 10% of the biennial appropriation to cover administrative costs for administering the youth intervention program.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Establishes a formal grant program for nonprofit youth intervention providers, with a hard cap of $75,000 per grant and a required local match.
• Introduces a dedicated funding stream to the Minnesota Youth Intervention Programs Association for activities related to program development, collaboration, and outcome tracking/reporting, with a specified (up to 5-6%) share of the appropriation.
• Adds detailed annual reporting requirements to track program reach, demographics, completions, financials, and outcomes using a standardized framework.
• Clarifies administrative cost limits for the implementing department.

Definitions and Key Terms (as used in the bill)

• Youth intervention program: a nonresidential, community-based program offering advocacy, education, counseling, mentoring, and referral services to youth and families with the aim of resolving current problems and preventing future ones.
• Grants-in-aid: funding provided to nonprofit agencies administering youth intervention programs.
• Local matching money: funds from the community (in addition to the grant) used to support the program.
• Minnesota Youth Intervention Programs Association: a statewide association designated to support collaboration, program development, training, technical assistance, and data reporting for grantees.
• Developmental Assets Framework (Search Institute): a framework used to measure program outcomes.

Relevant Terms - Grants, grants-in-aid, nonprofit agencies, youth intervention programs, local matching money, community-based, nonresidential, advocacy, education, counseling, mentoring, referral services, applicable to youth and families, appropriation, maximum grant amount ($75,000), matching requirements, application process, review criteria, outcomemeasurement, developmental assets, Search Institute framework, Minnesota Youth Intervention Programs Association, collaboration, program development, professional development, training, technical assistance, reporting requirements, quarterly reports, financial reports, administrative costs.