M.A.G.I.C. Grants Program Overview — The Small Magic Foundation

The Small Magic Foundation

Minor Acts Generate Immense Change

M.Minor

A.Acts

G.Generate

I.Immense

C.Change

Potential. Powered.

$500–$1K

Grant Range

Ages 13–19

Youth Served

2 Cycles

Per Year

Greater Tampa Bay

Service Region

About the Program

Youth-led grants for real community impact

The M.A.G.I.C. Grants program funds community service projects designed and led by young people across the Greater Tampa Bay region. Every project is built in partnership with a local school, nonprofit, church, or community organization. Students don't just participate. They lead.

Who Is Eligible Youth ages 13–19 in the Greater Tampa Bay region

Partner Required School, nonprofit, church, or community organization

Who Leads The young person, from idea through execution

Grant Award $500 to $1,000 per approved project

Project Guidelines

All funded projects must meet three core criteria. Every M.A.G.I.C. Grant project is built around a SMART goal framework, ensuring that young people design work that is realistic, focused, and achievable from start to finish.

SSpecific

MMeasurable

AAchievable

RRelevant

TTime-bound

Projects must be built around a SMART goal. Each proposal must clearly define what will be accomplished, how success will be measured, and why the project matters to the community it serves. Vague or open-ended projects are not eligible.

The grant must fund the project in full. Awards range from $500 to $1,000. Projects must be scoped so that the grant covers the entire cost. SMF does not fund a portion of a larger project; the full scope must be executable within the awarded amount.

Projects must be completable within the grant cycle. In keeping with the time-bound element of SMART, projects should be designed to reach completion within approximately one month. Projects that extend significantly beyond that window are outside the scope of this program.

Workshop included. SMF provides every participating cohort with a structured workshop covering how to identify community needs, build a SMART goal, and design a project they can execute with confidence. Students leave with the tools to develop a proposal they are proud of and a clear path to finishing what they start.

Who We Serve

Students with drive and a barrier between them and action

M.A.G.I.C. Grants are designed for young people who already see a problem and already want to solve it. The funding fills the gap that stops most of them from ever starting.

Pilot Program

Launching August 2026 with Frameworks

Pilot · August – December 2026

Frameworks Leadership Council

Greater Tampa Bay · Competitive Grant Model

SMF's inaugural M.A.G.I.C. Grant pilot partners with Frameworks, a local nonprofit whose 28-member youth leadership council will serve as the first cohort. Students will break into smaller project teams, develop community service proposals, and compete for a single $500 grant awarded to the strongest project at the end of the cycle. The pilot is designed to pressure-test the application and review process, build a replicable model, and produce the foundation's first cohort of M.A.G.I.C. Grant alumni before the program opens to the broader public.

Student participants

$500

Grant awarded

Aug–Dec

2026 cycle

Partner org

Application Cycles

Two funding windows per academic year

Applications open at the start of each semester. Students may apply for either cycle. Funding is disbursed through the partner organization at the beginning of the cycle.

Fall Cycle

Fall Semester

Applications accepted at the start of the fall semester. Projects run through the end of the term, with completion reports due at project close.

Spring Cycle

Spring Semester

Applications accepted at the start of the spring semester. Projects run through the end of the term, with completion reports due at project close.

How It Works

From idea to impact in five steps

Develop the idea

The young person identifies a community need and designs a project to address it. Projects must be actionable, specific, and tied to a real outcome.

Secure a partner organization

The applicant partners with a qualifying local organization that provides adult oversight and receives grant funds on the project's behalf.

Submit the application

The youth applicant submits a complete grant application covering the project plan, budget, timeline, and expected community impact.

Receive the award

Approved applicants receive between $500 and $1,000 in funding, disbursed to the partner organization to cover project expenses.

Execute and report

The young leader carries the project to completion and submits a final report documenting outcomes, spending, and community impact.

Requirements

What applicants and partners bring to the table

Youth Applicants

Ages 13–19 at time of application

Resident of or attending school in the Greater Tampa Bay region

Project addresses an identifiable community need

Parent or guardian consent required

Partner Organizations

Registered school, nonprofit, church, or community organization

Provides adult supervision and project oversight

Signs MOU with The Small Magic Foundation

Receives and manages grant funds on behalf of the project

Supports completion reporting at project close

What Makes a Strong Project

Funded projects share these qualities

Clear community need Youth-generated idea Measurable outcome Realistic budget Defined timeline Active partner role Replicable approach Local focus

Corporate Sponsorship

Fund the next generation of community leaders

Every sponsorship dollar goes directly toward expanding grant access for young people who need it most. Partners are recognized throughout the grant cycle and in all program materials.

Community

$500/yr

Entry level

Logo in digital impact report Social media recognition Grantee update newsletter

Champion

$1K/yr

All Community benefits

Named in press materials Employee volunteer day Co-branded grantee spotlight

Catalyst

$3K/yr

All Champion benefits

Named scholarship fund Grantee site visits Biannual impact report Panel participation

Magic Maker

$5K/yr

All Catalyst benefits

Advisory council seat Custom CSR storytelling Priority grant-making input

Named Grants

$10K+/yr

All Magic Maker benefits

Grants awarded in your name Co-branded impact campaign Priority grant-making input Customized partnership package

Why this program matters

Every M.A.G.I.C. Grant activates a young person who already has an idea and the drive to act on it. For students without financial resources or institutional access, the funding is the difference between an idea and an impact. Your support means more projects launched, more communities served, and more young leaders who know what they are capable of.