Making the Match: Finding Funding for after School Education and Safety Programs

This guide aims to help California leaders in schools, school districts, and community-based organizations meet the After School Education and Safety (ASES) Program matching requirement and secure funding. This guide is filled with practical information on how to attract and work with school and community partners; how to adopt a strategic financing approach; where to find funding, beginning with sources closest to home; and how to secure funding. Making the Match outlines four broad strategies for securing cash and in-kind resources to support ASES programs, and it highlights options for working with public- and private-sector partners to implement these approaches successfully. The guide offers examples of how these funding sources and financing strategies are being used to support after school programs in California communities. It also provides user-friendly tools, such as tables and worksheets, to help with planning and accessing public- and private-sector funding. The guide also presents examples of how the recommended financing strategies have been implemented in California communities by creative and committed after school leaders.