WORCESTER—The City of Worcester’s Division of Youth Opportunities is calling on nonprofits and community organizations to submit letters of interest for the next round of funding through the Shannon Community Safety Initiative (Shannon CSI), which supports youth violence prevention and intervention efforts.
Eligible groups can apply for up to $100,000 in funding for programs to be implemented during the 2026 calendar year. Letters of interest must be submitted by May 23, 2025, and are a required first step for organizations wishing to submit a full proposal.
According to the city’s announcement, “Only organizations that submit an LOI, are deemed eligible, and are aligned with the grant goals will be invited to submit a full proposal.”
The Shannon CSI grant supports a range of community-based strategies to reduce youth violence, including outreach, mentoring, case management, and educational or recreational programming targeted at at-risk youth.
The full grant application will open on June 6, with proposals due by July 18. Funding decisions are expected to be announced in January 2026, with awarded projects running through the end of that year.
The grant is open to nonprofit organizations and youth-serving community groups, including those working with a fiscal agent. Questions can be directed to the Division of Youth Opportunities at youth@worcesterma.gov, and applications can be submitted online via the city’s website.
