CDBG funds flow through cities and counties to nonprofits serving low-to-moderate income communities. Every AMB chapter city receives CDBG allocations — this is recurring annual funding AMB should already be receiving. Apply through each chapter city separately. Mayor Dickens' direct involvement in the Atlanta Summit is a powerful credential for the Atlanta application.
Transforms distressed neighborhoods through housing, schools, and community services. AMB cannot apply directly — but as a named community partner in a local housing authority's Choice Neighborhoods application, AMB can receive significant sub-grant funding. Chapters in HUD-designated distressed areas (Tuskegee, SF Western Addition) should approach their housing authority now.
Funds coordinated community approaches to end youth homelessness for ages 18–24, including employment and mental health services. AMB's 17–25 target demographic overlaps directly. Late-night programming keeps at-risk youth off streets during peak instability hours. Adding a housing navigation partnership component strengthens competitiveness.
Builds organizational capacity of nonprofits serving low-income communities. As a 40-year organization expanding to new cities with a proven model, AMB is an ideal candidate. Funds can cover staff, infrastructure, and program expansion across all chapters. Apply through LISC, Enterprise Community Partners, or NCDI intermediaries.
This is AMB's strongest CDC match. The CDC explicitly funds late-night recreational programs as a recognized Community Violence Intervention strategy. AMB has 40 years of documented CVI impact — the CDC's own research cites midnight basketball as effective CVI. This is a 5-year cooperative agreement with significant multi-year funding. Apply now — this NOFO is expected Fall 2026.
Primary violence prevention funding — programs that stop violence before it starts among youth ages 10–24. STRYVE specifically targets community-based organizations with proven reach into high-risk youth populations. AMB's entire model is primary prevention — structured late-night alternatives that redirect youth energy before violence occurs. Multi-city reach strengthens the application significantly.
Funds substance use prevention, overdose prevention, and mental health linkages in high-need communities. AMB chapter communities are heavily impacted by the opioid and substance crisis. AMB's mandatory life skills component and mental health programming (Broken Crayons) serves as overdose/substance use prevention at direct point of contact with at-risk youth. Recommend co-applying with a behavioral health partner.
Reduces health disparities in Black, Latino, and other minority communities — chronic disease, mental health, violence. AMB's participant base is predominantly Black and Latino youth in underserved communities — the exact CDC REACH target population. Physical activity through basketball, mental health awareness in Broken Crayons, and health education workshops all align with REACH objectives.
Byrne JAG flows through local police departments and cities for crime prevention, law enforcement programs, and community services. AMB's police engagement programming (SCARED STIFF delivered with law enforcement) is a direct fit. Every AMB chapter city's police department should be a co-applicant with AMB named as the community partner. The Atlanta Mayor Dickens press conference involvement is a major credential.
Perfect fit. OJJDP Title II explicitly funds late-night recreational programs as a delinquency prevention strategy. AMB's 40-year model is exactly what OJJDP looks for. Funds flow through state agencies — AMB chapters in AL, CA, GA, NC, TX should be applying through their state OJJDP offices immediately. Contact your state's juvenile justice office now.
Supports reentry programs that reduce recidivism through employment, education, and mentorship. AMB's Incarceration & Reentry simulation at the Broken Crayons summit is a direct hook. Many AMB participants have justice involvement. Adding a formal reentry track — job placement, mentorship from formerly incarcerated leaders, credential attainment — makes AMB highly competitive. Partnership with probation/parole offices is key.
Funds intervention, prevention, and suppression strategies targeting gang-involved youth. Late-night basketball as a gang diversion strategy has over 30 years of documented success. AMB chapters in high-gang-activity areas (SF Western Addition, Atlanta, Texas cities) are frontline organizations ideally positioned for this funding. Strong law enforcement partnership letters are critical.
Funds employment training, job placement, and mentoring for justice-involved individuals. With a formal job placement component added to AMB programming — employer partnerships, job fairs, resume workshops, credential attainment — AMB becomes highly competitive. This directly supports AMB's existing life skills and job readiness workshops with a justice-involved track.
The Kresge Foundation funds organizational capacity for established nonprofits with proven models seeking to scale. At 40 years old with 16+ active chapters, AMB National is perfectly positioned. Kresge explicitly supports organizations strengthening their infrastructure to expand access in low-income urban communities. Their Human Services & Community Development program is AMB's strongest fit. Awards are typically multi-year general operating support.
RWJF's Health Equity program funds organizations that address social determinants of health in underserved communities. AMB sits at the intersection of public health, criminal justice, and economic opportunity — exactly RWJF's sweet spot. Their Building Healthy Communities and Healthy Communities initiatives fund organizations building organizational infrastructure to deliver health outcomes at scale. The SCARED STIFF mental health partnership is a direct fit.
WKKF funds programs that create equitable communities where children thrive. Their focus on racial equity and economic opportunity in Black and Indigenous communities aligns precisely with AMB's mission. Kellogg is known for multi-year general operating grants to organizations with national reach and local chapter infrastructure. AMB's 40-year track record and expansion into multiple southern cities (Tuskegee, Huntsville) is highly compelling.
Highest-value federal capacity building opportunity for AMB. AmeriCorps VISTA places full-time members at nonprofits specifically to build capacity — not deliver direct service. AMB could receive 3–10 VISTA members annually to build grant-writing infrastructure, data systems, volunteer programs, partnership development, and chapter expansion operations. The federal government pays their living allowance (~$20K/year per member). This is effectively free professional staff for HQ.
The Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF) and the CDFI Fund provide capacity grants and low-interest loans for nonprofits in underserved communities. NFF specifically funds financial health — reserves, cash flow management, and infrastructure investments. As AMB scales nationally, building a financial reserve and improving grant administration systems are critical. The U.S. Treasury's CDFI Fund also has a Capacity Building Initiative for CDFIs and nonprofits serving low-income communities.
AECF funds organizations that help youth and families thrive, with a strong emphasis on leadership development and organizational effectiveness. Their KIDS COUNT data initiative and Race for Results framework align with AMB's equity focus. AECF often funds capacity building for organizations that can demonstrate sustained impact on youth economic mobility — AMB's job placement and GED outcomes are prime evidence. They prefer multi-year partnerships with established national organizations.