About Point Source Youth
Point Source Youth will prevent and end youth homelessness by researching, advocating for, and implementing youth-centered solutions that empower young people facing housing insecurity, invest in local communities, and advance prevention strategies.
Focus Areas
Youth homelessness preventionDirect cash transfers / unconditional cash assistanceHousing stability and homelessness preventionYouth empowerment and youth-led program designFinancial empowerment and educationProgram design, implementation, and evaluation
Who They Fund
people at risk of homelessness or housing instabilitylow-income individuals and familiescommunity-based organizations and advocacy groups
Funding Style
program implementation support
About Point Source Youth
Point Source Youth Inc centers youth homelessness prevention through direct cash transfers, housing stability support, and youth-led program design. In 2024, its largest recent grants went to The Door in New York and Henry Street Settlement in New York, each receiving $222,500 to support the development and implementation of the Direct Cash Transfers as Prevention initiative. That initiative shows the funder’s core approach: pairing one-time cash payments with local community-based services to help young people carry out individualized housing plans. The foundation’s recent record also points to a multi-site implementation strategy. It has backed partners in places such as Austin, Grand Rapids, Jonesboro, and Tucson for the same cash-transfer model, while earlier grants supported host homes implementation and advocacy/community funding. Across those awards, Point Source Youth Inc appears to fund both direct service delivery and the organizational work needed to test, refine, and scale prevention models for young people facing housing insecurity. The grantees are community-based organizations and advocacy groups rather than individuals, aligning with its focus on program implementation and youth-centered infrastructure.
What Point Source Youth Funds
A defining theme is direct cash assistance as a homelessness-prevention tool. Point Source Youth Inc gave $155,000 to Lifeworks Austin, $155,000 to Aya Youth Collective, $155,000 to Yess (youth Empowerment), and $155,000 to Youth on Their Own for support of the Direct Cash Transfers as Prevention initiative. Those grants show the funder’s emphasis on youth-driven interventions paired with local service partners. The foundation also supports host home implementation. In 2023, it awarded $40,000 to Bagly Inc for host homes implementation, which connects to its housing-stability and youth-homelessness-prevention priorities. Advocacy and community funding is another visible lane. In 2023, it distributed $18,333 grants to organizations including Youth Improvement Services, Avenues for Youth, and Safe Place for Youth for advocacy/community funding, indicating support for community-based organizations working on prevention and empowerment.
How Point Source Youth Gives
Typical grants cluster at two levels: p25, median, and p75 are $18,333, $18,333, and $155,000. That distribution suggests a mix of standardized smaller awards and larger implementation grants. The recent record also includes repeated support for the same organizations across years, including Aya Youth Collective, which appears in both 2024 and 2023, indicating some recurring relationships. Point Source Youth Inc is a regular funder rather than a DAF, and it does not fund individuals. Its recent grants are all to U.S. recipients. The active programs show a mix of unsolicited and partner-seeking RFPs, with several initiatives marked as accepting unsolicited proposals and others structured around lead CBO selection or partnership funding.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.1M
Total Assets
$7.1M
Total Revenue
$6.5M
Total Expenses
$6.6M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $18K and $155K, with a median of $18K.
25th Percentile
$18K
Median
$18K
75th Percentile
$155K
Geographic Reach
National12 states funded
About 13% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
LAWRENCE COHEN
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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