Diapers 2 Deposits Is Applying to the Summer of Possibility Fund 2027
The Baltimore Children and Youth Fund is putting $2 million into youth summer programming for 2027, and Diapers 2 Deposits, Inc. is applying. Applications close October 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT.
The case D2D is making is simple. Summer is when Baltimore teens start working, and the first paycheck is when money decisions stop being hypothetical. The Summer of Possibility Fund is built to pay for programs that meet young people in exactly that window.
Key Takeaways
The Baltimore Children and Youth Fund's Summer of Possibility Fund 2027 will award $2 million in grants of $25,000 to $100,000 to Baltimore City organizations serving youth ages 0 to 24, with applications due October 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT.
BCYF says it will target Summer of Possibility investment toward programs serving youth ages 14 to 24 with leadership development, workforce readiness, and career pathway opportunities.
BCYF's 2026 Summer of Possibility cohort was 30 organizations sharing about $1.98 million, with awards from $30,000 to $90,000 and a median award of $75,000, based on BCYF's published 2026 grantees list.
Diapers 2 Deposits ran its Game of Life financial simulation for 166 MOED YouthWorks participants at six Baltimore City locations in Summer 2026, and retirement outcomes in a single room diverged by six figures from identical $1,000 starting balances.
D2D is applying to take that summer workforce financial literacy programming to more Baltimore sites in summer 2027.
What is the Summer of Possibility Fund 2027?
The Summer of Possibility Fund 2027 is a $2 million grant program from the Baltimore Children and Youth Fund (BCYF) that pays Baltimore-based organizations to run summer programming for youth ages 0 to 24. Awards range from $25,000 to $100,000. The grant period runs April 1 through September 30, 2027, and the programming itself runs June 14 to August 31, 2027.
BCYF is a nonprofit, city-funded initiative headquartered at 10 E. North Avenue in Baltimore. Its model pairs direct grants with training and capacity-building support. The fund's stated focus areas are learning, leadership, wellness, creativity, workforce development, and youth engagement.
Detail | What BCYF lists |
|---|---|
Total funding | $2 million |
Award range | $25,000 to $100,000 |
Who it serves | Youth ages 0 to 24 in Baltimore City |
Application deadline | October 1, 2026, 11:59 PM EDT |
Review period | October 1 to November 15, 2026 |
Award notifications | December 15, 2026 |
Grant period | April 1 to September 30, 2027 |
Summer programming window | June 14 to August 31, 2027 |
The full funding opportunity announcement, application toolkit, and support schedule are on BCYF's Summer of Possibility Fund page.
Who can apply, and who BCYF will prioritize
The Summer of Possibility Fund is open to Baltimore City-based, youth-centered organizations that are 501(c)(3) nonprofits or fiscally sponsored, with an annual operating budget of $750,000 or less. BCYF also requires that at least 51% of employees live in Baltimore City, and that the organization has existed for a year and run youth programs for a year.
Eligibility is the floor. BCYF has also published commitments for the 2027 cycle that shape who actually gets funded:
Grassroots first. Organizations with budgets under $750,000 are prioritized.
Older youth pathways. Investment is targeted at programs for ages 14 to 24 that offer leadership development, workforce readiness, and career pathways.
Leadership priority. At least 80% of funding goes to Black- and Brown-led organizations, which BCYF defines as both executive leadership and a board majority.
A 50/50 mix. Funding is split between current BCYF grantees and new organizations.
Budget-based awards. Smaller programs may receive closer to 100% of their request, while larger programs may receive partial awards.
BCYF also says up to five multi-year grants may be awarded through its President's Fund, subject to funding availability.
What the 2026 cohort tells applicants
BCYF's 2026 Summer of Possibility cohort gives the clearest picture of what an award actually looks like. According to BCYF's 2026 grantees list, 30 organizations received Summer of Possibility grants totaling about $1.98 million, each on a six-month award term.
The spread is worth studying before you write a budget:
2026 award amount | Number of grantees |
|---|---|
$90,000 | 6 |
$75,000 | 10 |
$50,000 to $70,000 | 11 |
Under $50,000 | 3 |
The median 2026 Summer of Possibility award was $75,000, and no 2026 award went above $90,000. Eighteen of the 30 grantees received either $50,000 or $75,000.
BCYF also ran a pilot out of that cohort. Four 2026 summer grantees are receiving a second year of summer funding for 2027 through the President's Fund, so BCYF can test whether support beyond one summer improves program quality and youth outcomes.
Why the Game of Life fits the fund's older-youth priority
D2D's Game of Life workshop fits the Summer of Possibility Fund because it was already delivered inside Baltimore's summer youth workforce system. In Summer 2026, D2D served as an approved MOED YouthWorks worksite host and ran the simulation for 166 YouthWorks participants across six Baltimore City locations between late June and July 31.
Site | Participants |
|---|---|
Keys Dev | 55 |
Baltimore City Recreation and Parks | 34 |
MERIT Health Leadership Academy | 25 |
Baltimore Police Department | 22 |
Wildwood Elementary School | 21 |
D2D headquarters (facilitator cohort) | 9 |
Every Game of Life player starts with the same $1,000. Each one moves through the same four stations: Payday, Housing, Investing, and Life Happens. By the time the simulation reaches retirement, the gap between the top and bottom finishers in a single room runs into six figures.
Nothing separates those players except the decisions in between. That divergence is the lesson. The full YouthWorks recap has the site-by-site detail, and the four-station structure is broken down here.
The delivery model matters too. D2D's nine youth workers trained for five weeks as facilitators, then taught the workshop to their peers at partner sites. That is youth leadership in the literal sense, which is one of the fund's named focus areas.
Financial literacy is workforce readiness
Financial literacy is workforce readiness because a first paycheck arrives with decisions attached. A young person who understands gross versus net pay, recognizes what minimum credit card payments cost, and has made a housing decision under a real income constraint before day one shows up better prepared than one who hasn't.
That preparation does not happen by accident. It happens when programming lands during the window when it can stick: summer, when workforce programs run and paychecks are new.
The Game of Life numbers hold up under a calculator, which is why they land with teenagers:
Credit. In D2D's Game of Life, a $296.90 credit card balance paid at the $25 monthly minimum takes 15 months to clear and costs about $356 in total at a 29.99% APR.
Investing. At an assumed 8% annual return, $200 invested monthly from age 20 grows to roughly $1.05 million by age 65, compared with roughly $459,000 for the same saver starting at 30, a gap of about $596,000.
Pay. D2D's nine youth workers received their first MOED paycheck on July 17, 2026, and were teaching peers what to do with a paycheck the following Monday.
Anyone can check the investing figure against the SEC's compound interest calculator at Investor.gov. For the gross-to-net piece, D2D's guide on how to read a pay stub walks through every line on a sample Maryland stub.
What a Summer of Possibility grant would let D2D do
A Summer of Possibility award would let D2D expand its summer workforce financial literacy programming to more Baltimore sites in 2027. That means bringing the Game of Life and D2D's broader FinancialField Trips® curriculum to more young people during the months when workforce programs are most active.
D2D is not asking BCYF to fund something new. The pieces are already in place:
The curriculum. The four-station Game of Life runs digitally at d2dmoneyhub.com/game-life, alongside the FinancialField Trips® program.
The partnerships. D2D hosted as a MOED YouthWorks worksite in 2026 and delivered at five partner sites across the city.
The facilitators. A peer model in which trained youth workers teach other youth.
The follow-on. Participants who want more can continue through D2D's Investors Club in Baltimore City schools.
The documentation. The 2026 delivery is recorded site by site, with participant counts and partner feedback.
The calendar lines up as well. BCYF's 2027 programming window runs June 14 to August 31, and YouthWorks 2026 ran June 29 to July 31. Those are the weeks when a financial simulation meets a real deposit.
D2D founder Whitney Ramirez, AFC, is also leading a working session at BCYF's convening in November on AI for youth programs and grant reporting at The Gathering 2026, so the organization is already part of the ecosystem the fund is built to strengthen.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Summer of Possibility Fund 2027 deadline?
The deadline is October 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT. BCYF's question submission deadline was September 29 at 5 PM EDT, and its final virtual office hours were scheduled for September 30.
How much can an organization receive from the Summer of Possibility Fund?
Awards range from $25,000 to $100,000. BCYF says smaller programs may receive closer to their full request, while larger programs may receive partial awards so funding reaches more of the city.
Can organizations outside Baltimore City apply?
No. Applicants must be Baltimore City-based, youth-centered, and have at least 51% Baltimore City resident employees, along with an annual operating budget of $750,000 or less.
When will Summer of Possibility applicants hear back?
BCYF lists an application review period of October 1 to November 15, 2026, with award notifications on December 15, 2026. BCYF has said awards made between July 1 and December 31, 2026 will be announced publicly in January 2027.
Can my organization host the Game of Life workshop?
Yes. Diapers 2 Deposits delivers the Game of Life to workforce programs, schools, nonprofits, and government agencies, whether or not the Summer of Possibility grant comes through.
What happens after October 1
D2D's application goes in before the October 1 deadline, BCYF reviews through mid-November, and decisions arrive December 15. If the award comes through, D2D will spend the spring preparing more Baltimore sites for summer 2027.
Either way, the work continues. Baltimore summer youth programs, recreation centers, and schools planning for 2027 can bring the Game of Life to their young people through D2D's FinancialField Trips® program. Organizations still finishing their own applications today can find BCYF's free support materials on the Summer of Possibility Fund page.
