AO Application Tutorial — Transcript

Full transcript

1. 0:00Welcome to the 2026 aging out awards
2. 0:03application guide. In this tutorial, I
3. 0:05am going to walk you through the main
4. 0:07things applicants need to know before
5. 0:09submitting. We will cover the timeline,
6. 0:12eligibility, award categories,
7. 0:14application structure, and a few tips to
8. 0:16help strengthen your application and
9. 0:18make it easier for reviewers to
10. 0:20understand. The goal is simple. Help
11. 0:22your organization explain the work you
12. 0:24are already doing for youth aging out of
13. 0:26foster care as clearly as possible.
14. 0:29My name is Frank Curiel and I will be
15. 0:31walking you through this application
16. 0:33guide. Think of this as a step-by-step
17. 0:36overview. I will explain how to choose
18. 0:38the correct award category, organize
19. 0:41your answers, use data, and prepare
20. 0:43attachments. By the end, you should have
21. 0:46a better idea of what reviewers are
22. 0:47looking for, and how to submit with more
23. 0:50confidence.
24. 0:52The 2026 AO awards application opens on
25. 0:55June 1st and closes on July 31st. That
26. 0:58gives applicants June and July to
27. 1:00prepare, write, review, and submit.
28. 1:03Judging takes place from August through
29. 1:05October, and winners are expected to be
30. 1:07announced between November and December.
31. 1:10My recommendation is to start early.
32. 1:12Draft your answers outside the
33. 1:14application platform first. Have someone
34. 1:16review them and then paste the final
35. 1:18version into the portal before the
36. 1:20deadline. Award categories. The Flame
37. 1:23Award is for small organizations or
38. 1:25programs with zero to 10 full-time or
39. 1:28part-time employees. The FIRE award is
40. 1:30for organizations or programs with 11 or
41. 1:33more employees. Volunteers are not
42. 1:35counted in the staff total. The Phoenix
43. 1:38Award is the youth impact award. To be
44. 1:40considered for Phoenix, applicants must
45. 1:42first apply to either Flame or Fire. A
46. 1:45simple way to think about it is this.
47. 1:47Flame and fire are primarily based on
48. 1:49staff size while Phoenix focuses on
49. 1:51measurable impact on youth. When we talk
50. 1:54about measurable impact, we are not only
51. 1:56asking what services were provided. We
52. 1:59are asking what changed for youth as a
53. 2:01result of those services.
54. 2:03Strong examples include the number of
55. 2:05youth served, program completion rates,
56. 2:08housing stability, education progress,
57. 2:10employment outcomes, life skills
58. 2:12milestones, and follow-up results after
59. 2:14services. For Phoenix, reviewers want to
60. 2:17see that the organization collects data,
61. 2:20tracks outcomes over time, and uses that
62. 2:22information to improve the program.
63. 2:25Applicants should be clear about whether
64. 2:27they are applying as an organization or
65. 2:29as a program inside a larger
66. 2:31organization.
67. 2:32If the entire organization is dedicated
68. 2:34to serving youth aging out of foster
69. 2:36care, then count the staff connected to
70. 2:39the organization.
71. 2:40But if aging out services are only one
72. 2:43program inside a larger institution,
73. 2:45count only the staff tied to that
74. 2:47program. Do not count the entire parent
75. 2:50organization if only one program is
76. 2:52applying.
77. 2:54Before writing the application, confirm
78. 2:56the basic eligibility requirements. The
79. 2:58applicant must represent a United
80. 3:00States-based 501c3
81. 3:03nonprofit educational institution or
82. 3:06program within one. The applicant must
83. 3:08serve youth preparing to age out of
84. 3:10foster care or youth who have already
85. 3:12exited care. The services must have been
86. 3:14active for at least 3 years, meaning
87. 3:17they started on or before June 1st,
88. 3:192023. Also, previous winners are not
89. 3:22eligible unless their prior award was
90. 3:24made between 2019 and 2021.
91. 3:28Now we will move into 10 tips for
92. 3:30completing the application. These tips
93. 3:32are based on common scoring patterns and
94. 3:34feedback from past reviewers. The big
95. 3:37themes are be detailed, tell a clear
96. 3:39story, answer the actual AO questions,
97. 3:42use the suggested headers, keep the
98. 3:44writing consistent, proofread, choose
99. 3:46only your primary service areas, include
100. 3:49actual data, focus on current work, and
101. 3:52use attachments that directly support
102. 3:53your application.
103. 3:56Tip one is to provide details. Reviewers
104. 3:59need enough information to understand
105. 4:00your program, not just a high-level
106. 4:03summary. A strong answer explains who is
107. 4:06involved, what services are offered,
108. 4:08where the work happens, when youth
109. 4:10participate, how the process works, and
110. 4:12why the approach is effective. Details
111. 4:15help reviewers picture the youth
112. 4:16experience, and understand how the
113. 4:18program actually supports young people.
114. 4:21Tip two is to tell a clear story. Try
115. 4:23not to only list services. For example,
116. 4:26saying we have a mentor program does not
117. 4:28tell reviewers much. A stronger answer
118. 4:31explains what happens when a young
119. 4:33person enters the program, how they are
120. 4:35matched, how staff support that
121. 4:37relationship, and what skills or
122. 4:39outcomes the program helps build. The
123. 4:41story should be clear and meaningful
124. 4:43while staying focused on youth support
125. 4:45and impact.
126. 4:47Tip three is to address AO's questions
127. 4:50directly. It is okay to use existing
128. 4:52grant language as a starting point, but
129. 4:54do not copy and paste old grant text
130. 4:56without adjusting it. Reviewers are
131. 4:59scoring the answers based on AO's
132. 5:01prompts and format. Make sure each
133. 5:03response answers the question being
134. 5:05asked, uses the recommended structure,
135. 5:07and gives the information reviewers need
136. 5:09to evaluate your program.
137. 5:12Tip four is to use AO's suggested
138. 5:14headers. This is one of the easiest ways
139. 5:17to keep the application organized. Copy
140. 5:19the headers into a working document.
141. 5:22Draft your answers under each header.
142. 5:24Proofread and edit outside the portal
143. 5:26and then paste the final version into
144. 5:28the application. Headers help reviewers
145. 5:30find the information they are looking
146. 5:32for and make the scoring process easier.
147. 5:35For each service area, applicants should
148. 5:38address the main themes shown here.
149. 5:40Explain the services offered, how youth
150. 5:42are engaged, the research or evidence
151. 5:44behind the work, and any partnerships
152. 5:46involved. also describe the knowledge
153. 5:49and skills youth gain, how the program
154. 5:51supports self-sufficiency, what
155. 5:53intangible strengths youth build, and
156. 5:55how success is measured. These sections
157. 5:57help turn a general program description
158. 5:59into a complete application response.
159. 6:02Tip five is to keep one consistent
160. 6:05writing style. It is completely fine for
161. 6:07multiple people to help write the
162. 6:09application, but the final version
163. 6:11should sound unified. Watch for changes
164. 6:13in language, such as using youth in one
165. 6:15section and clients in another. Also,
166. 6:18watch for sections that feel too
167. 6:20different in tone, grammar, or format.
168. 6:23Before submitting, have one strong
169. 6:24writer or editor review the full
170. 6:26application from beginning to end. Tip
171. 6:29six is to check grammar and spelling.
172. 6:31This may seem simple, but clean writing
173. 6:34makes a difference. Reviewers should be
174. 6:36able to focus on the strength of the
175. 6:37program, not spelling mistakes or
176. 6:39confusing sentences. Build in time for a
177. 6:42final proofread. Check spelling,
178. 6:44grammar, clarity, formatting, and
179. 6:46consistency before clicking submit. Tip
180. 6:49seven is to choose your primary areas of
181. 6:51service. Do not select every service
182. 6:54area just to make the application look
183. 6:55stronger. More service areas do not
184. 6:58automatically lead to a higher score.
185. 7:00Choose the areas that are truly central
186. 7:02to your mission and program design. It
187. 7:04is better to explain a few core services
188. 7:07well than to select too many and provide
189. 7:08weak or unclear answers.
190. 7:11Education may still be the program's
191. 7:13primary service area. Applicants can
192. 7:16describe wraparound supports without
193. 7:17selecting every support as a separate
194. 7:19service area. The primary service area
195. 7:22should reflect the program's main focus.
196. 7:24Secondary services are additional
197. 7:26supports that help youth succeed, but
198. 7:28they are not the main purpose of the
199. 7:30program.
200. 7:32For example, an education program may
201. 7:34also provide mentoring, employment
202. 7:36support, or life skills support.
203. 7:39However, if education is the main focus,
204. 7:41the applicant should select education as
205. 7:43the primary service area and describe
206. 7:46the other supports as part of the
207. 7:47overall education model. Tip eight is to
208. 7:50include actual data whenever possible.
209. 7:53Vague phrases such as many, some, or
210. 7:55often do not indicate measurable impact.
211. 7:58A stronger answer uses numbers,
212. 8:00percentages, time frames, and outcomes.
213. 8:03For example, instead of saying many
214. 8:05youth earned a GED, say how many youth
215. 8:08completed that goal, what percentage
216. 8:10that represents and what year or time
217. 8:12frame the data comes from.
218. 8:15For the Phoenix youth impact category,
219. 8:17applicants need to provide stronger
220. 8:19measurement and tracking details. This
221. 8:21includes the measurement plan, how often
222. 8:23data is collected, how goals connect to
223. 8:26the mission, and how outputs and
224. 8:27outcomes are tracked. Phoenix should
225. 8:30reflect the same program or service area
226. 8:32described in the flame or fire
227. 8:34application. The goal is to show not
228. 8:36only that services are happening, but
229. 8:38that the organization can clearly
230. 8:40measure youth impact. Tip nine is to
231. 8:42focus on the present. Reviewers want to
232. 8:45understand what the program looks like
233. 8:46today. Future plans can be mentioned
234. 8:49briefly when they are relevant, but do
235. 8:51not describe planned services as if they
236. 8:53are already operating. The strongest
237. 8:56application focuses on current services,
238. 8:58activities, youth experiences, and
239. 9:00measurable impact. Tip 10 is to include
240. 9:03relevant attachments. Applicants may
241. 9:06upload up to five files. These can
242. 9:08include videos, brochures, flyers,
243. 9:10annual reports, or program materials.
244. 9:13The key is that attachment should
245. 9:14support the written application, not
246. 9:16replace it. Explain the service first in
247. 9:19the narrative, then use the attachment
248. 9:21as evidence or support. Choose materials
249. 9:23that connect directly to the service
250. 9:25areas you selected.
251. 9:27AO membership through Glueup is highly
252. 9:29encouraged because it helps
253. 9:31organizations stay connected to updates,
254. 9:33resources, templates, trainings,
255. 9:36announcements, and community
256. 9:37opportunities.
257. 9:39However, membership is not required to
258. 9:41apply for or win an aging out award.
259. 9:43Applicants can still submit an
260. 9:45application without joining. Membership
261. 9:47is a support tool, not a requirement for
262. 9:50eligibility.
263. 9:51Before submitting, use this final
264. 9:53checklist. Confirm eligibility. Make
265. 9:56sure the correct award category is
266. 9:58selected. Use the suggested headers.
267. 10:00Provide detailed responses. Include
268. 10:02actual data. Focus on current services.
269. 10:06Upload relevant attachments. Finally,
270. 10:08proofread the full application. Taking
271. 10:10time to review before submitting can
272. 10:12make the application clearer, stronger,
273. 10:14and easier for reviewers to score. To
274. 10:17apply, visit agingoutawsplatform.com.
275. 10:22Thank you for the work you do to support
276. 10:24youth aging out of foster care. As you
277. 10:26prepare your application, remember to
278. 10:28start early, be specific, use data when
279. 10:31possible, and show the impact your
280. 10:33organization is already making. If you
281. 10:35have questions, please contact the
282. 10:37agingout awards support team at
283. 10:40[email protected]
284. 10:42or frankightwayfoundation.org.