On February 27, 2025, Alignment Nashville's Out of School Time (OST) Collaborative hosted a Funders Panel that brought together key funders from the community to explore the critical role of financial support in OST program success. Seven representatives from local funding organizations shared insights on their priorities, emphasizing long-term youth engagement, year-round support, cross-sector collaboration, and data-driven decision-making. They also addressed common grant application pitfalls, such as vague objectives and weak budget justifications, while encouraging organizations to build relationships with funders beyond grant applications through networking, capacity-building, and strategic partnerships. The discussion concluded with a dynamic audience Q&A, covering nonprofit collaborations, multi-year funding eligibility, the role of arts programming, and strategies for securing government grants. With over fifty participants in attendance, it was an incredible opportunity for the Collaborative to bridge the gap between community needs and available resources.

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Click here to download a brief summary from the panel. If your organization would like to join the OST Collaborative, please contact Nathan Shulman (nathan@alignmentnashville.org).