Children & Youth Investment Trust Corporation

The DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation (the Trust Corporation) is an independent non-profit organization incorporated in June 1999 to increase the quality, quantity and accessibility of services for children, youth and families in the District of Columbia. The Trust Corporation is the result of a group of concerned stakeholders determined to improve the approach taken to providing services to children and youth in the District. Out of this year-long convening of young people, parents, caregivers, service providers, community leaders, school officials, corporate partners, foundations and federal and District government officials, the ideal for a new entity was born.

The goal of the Trust Corporation is to create a sustainable network of effective programs for children, youth, and families across the District that encourages their healthy development through support for quality out-of-school time programs and opportunities. The Trust Corporation leverages public and private funds and to disburse these funds through grants to community organizations in the District that provide direct services to children, youth and their families.

The Trust Corporation funds programs in three categories: out-of-school time program for school-age children and youth, youth entrepreneurship programs, and early childhood development program/parent centers. In two years, we have made grants totaling more than $17 million to 71 programs, providing programming in all 8 Wards. The initial grants were made to 49 programs, with the commitment to continue funding for three years, pending availability of funds and grantee performance. In February of 2002, we granted funds to 22 community-based organizations (CBOs) in support of the DCPS "T-9 Schools" initiative and underserved populations such as adjudicated youth and special needs children and youth. A complete listing of all grantees is included on this website, under Grantee Partners.

Another key component of our mission is to bring services to scale in the District, so that opportunities are available to every child in every community. To achieve this goal, we must address the ability of CBOs to expand their services to children and youth. In response to the need for sustainable CBOs, we initiated a Pilot Outreach Program designed to rapidly expand the capacity of service providers in the city. Our first target for this program has been East of the River in Wards 6, 7 and 8.

The Trust Corporation remains committed to the stakeholders that came together more than five years ago. Through public hearings, partnership meetings and focus groups, we continue to reach out to the community and incorporate new ideas, respond to challenges and build new partnerships.