Build youth projects to improve your community

Last updated on Monday, 13/09/2021

Are you thinking about starting a youth project, by young people and/or for young people, but don’t know exactly where to start? We have made this guide to help you get organised, no matter where you are in your project journey.

Coming up with a project idea: here are 5 key elements to address.

1. Set a clear aim

Coming up with a project idea can at first seem terrifying but if you take your time to reflect on what it is you want to change or support you will essentially come up with the aim of your project. The aim is the overall intention of your project, what you hope to impact and the results you wish to see at the end. It’s what will guide you through your project and give you a vision and direction to head towards. 

2. Smart objectives

Once you have the aim, you have to start thinking about your objectives. They can be seen as the steps you need to take and the things you need to accomplish to make your aim a reality. Don’t forget to create S.M.A.R.T goals to make your objectives easy to evaluate. For example, if your aim is to create a dialogue between young people and decision-makers, your objectives could be to inform 2000 young people about how they can voice proposals to decision-makers, initiate a dialogue to set up a permanent consultation body, etc. 

3. Specific target groups

Who are the target groups that you would like to involve? Is it young people in general, young people from a specific region or a specific group? What is their age, interests, habits? Be specific in narrowing down your target group, it will be easier to define the activities and channels to use to reach them. 

4. Relevant activities 

This is the ‘how’. What are the activities you want to carry out to reach your objectives? If your project is about creating a dialogue between your regional authority and young people, activities could comprise organising meetings with the region to have them on board, a communication campaign to inform and engage young people, etc.

Don’t forget to add specific activities related to communication as part of your communication plan. It shall answer questions like:

• What is your message and what is the goal of your communication?
• Who do you want to reach and how will you know if you’ve reached them?
• Through which channels will you reach them? 

Make sure to evaluate your visuals and text and make it readable, understandable and attractive for your target group. 

5. Monitor and evaluate your results

The evaluation is something that should not only come at the end but be integrated at different steps of the project. By evaluating your progress you are able to identify potential risks, adjust your methods and activities to make sure you reach the aim of your project. At the very end, make sure to evaluate and collect feedback from those who have participated or come across your project. It will not only help you realise how you could have improved the project but also draw lessons for future projects. 

Need inspiration?

There are tools to support you in the reflection of how to implement your project activities, how to make your activities more inclusive and participative and how to tackle potential risks along the way. 

• The Q-App web application helps you develop quality projects by guiding you through the different stages of your project planning and supporting you and your team in reflecting about how to increase the quality of your project. You can try the “16 steps to a perfect project!” guide and see where you land at the moment.

If you would like to get some inspiration you can always turn to the following databases, most of them allow you to search with keywords and you can find what has already been developed in your country.

• Erasmus+ Project Results Platform
• Example of EU Funded Projects
• European Solidarity Corps projects database, check the Solidarity Projects and follow the steps

Looking for funding

There are many resources you can turn to from the local to the European level to help you run your project. Make sure to consult your local and regional authorities, visit their website or ask your national youth council about grants that can support your project. 

Here is a list of EU programmes that can support you with project funding:

• If you are looking to create a training event or a youth exchange - check the Erasmus+ Key Action 1 that supports travel and exchange between young people.
• If your project has a dimension of consultations or dialogues to support policies in your community, have a look at Erasmus+ Key Action 3 support for policy reform. 
• Perhaps you are organising a local project with a social dimension, then the European Solidarity Corps (Solidarity Projects) is your go-to reference. This programme provides funding for local initiatives with a social dimension and also supports organisations who want to host volunteers for their projects.
• Erasmus+ Students and Alumni Association give smaller project grants to projects around Europe on internationalisation, intercultural learning and mobility of young people. 

You can also look for private funding. There are several sites where you can set up your own crowdfunding and ask individuals and businesses to help fund your project. European pages such as whydonate.eu and Ulule are some examples but there are often national crowdfunding pages to help you crowdfund in your community. 

Another option is to ask for sponsorship from organisations and companies in your region who might be interested in funding your idea or reaching the same target group as your project.

We hope that these tips will guide you in the creation of your project. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your local Eurodesk point, your national youth council or national agency to receive more support for free.