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Youth Development in Arts & Sports Grant

CLOSED
  • Communities Foundation of Texas is seeking grant applications from nonprofit organizations that support the enrichment and well-being of North Texas youth through arts-based or sports-based programs. The grant application opened Friday, March 17, 2023, and closed Friday, April 14, 2023. Grant decisions will be made by the end of June 2023.

    Applications focused on sports-based programs will also be considered for an additional grant opportunity through the Heisman Trophy Trust, which is partnering with CFT to fund sports-based youth development programs as part of a multi-region expansion of the Heisman Trophy Trust funding model. Eligible organizations that qualify for and receive grants for Heisman Trophy Trust will be notified by the end of August 2023.

    CFT’s 2023 Youth Development in Arts & Sports Grant will prioritize organizations that:

    • Expand access to arts or sports programming for youth up to age 18, regardless of athletic or artistic ability, and who reside in under-resourced and under-served communities.
    • Leverage sports or arts programming to connect youth up to age 18 to other beneficial programs and experiences beyond sports or arts.
    • Clearly define how success and impact of programming is measured.

    Funding Levels:

    CFT will award grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 to nonprofit organizations who support youth development through arts-based or sports-based programs.

    Who is Eligible to Apply?

    To apply for the Youth Development in Arts/Sports Grant, your organization must meet the following eligibility requirements:

    • have a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt designation in good standing from the Internal Revenue Service that has been active for at least two years as of March 1, 2023
    • At least 50% of the population served must reside in North Texas, which includes the following counties:
    Collin Cooke Dallas Denton Ellis
    Erath Fannin Grayson Hood Hunt
    Johnson Kaufman Montague Navarro Palo Pinto
    Parker Rockwall Somervell Tarrant Wise
    • Operate Arts-based and/or sports-based development programs for youth up to the age of 18
      • Arts-based youth development: age-appropriate creative expression including visual, performing, or literary art to impart social and emotional learning and/or life experiences leading to positive character development
      • Sports-based youth development: age-appropriate physical activity teaching fair play, integrity, teamwork, and exhibiting healthy leadership
    Who is NOT Eligible to Apply?
    • Organizations that do not directly provide arts-based or sports-based youth development programs
    • Individuals
    • For-profit businesses
    • Non-US based organizations
    • Church and religious organizations’ programs that are focused on evangelism
    • School Districts
    How do I apply?

    Proposals were accepted through an online submission form. You can reference the application under Resources on the right side of the page. 

    Will you be hosting a webinar?

    We will not have a webinar for this grant opportunity. We encourage you to read through the FAQs for clarifying information. If you still have questions, please sign up for office hours and we will be happy to discuss them. 

    My organization does not meet some of the funding priorities. Are we still eligible to apply?

    Organizations that meet all eligibility requirements are welcome to apply. However, organizations that address more of the funding priorities will be prioritized for grant funding. If you have questions, we encourage you to take advantage of our office hours.

    My organization provides out of school time programming focused on enhancing academic performance. Can I still apply for this grant opportunity?

    We only recommend nonprofits apply for this opportunity if they directly provide arts-based and/or sports-based youth development programming. If you partner with another nonprofit organization to deliver the aforementioned services, the partner organization should apply for this funding opportunity. 

    My organization offers arts-based programming as part of a STEAM curriculum. Should we apply?

    STEAM programs can apply as long as it is clear that funding is.

    How should we measure success or impact on youth development?

    Since there is a wide diversity of arts-based and sports-based programs, we expect applicants to explain how they measure effectiveness of their arts-based and sports-based programs. However, at minimum, we do want you to share data on the amount of time participants spend engaged in the program’s offerings.

    If my organization is selected for funding, will CFT fund operational support for staff?

    Grant funding can be used to fund anything related to the proposed program, including staff.

    How can we be considered for the Heisman Trophy Trust opportunity for sports-based applicants?

    CFT and Heisman Trophy Trust will use the same application to determine grants, so there is no additional documentation you need to provide to be considered for Heisman. However, since the Heisman notifications will not be made until August 2023, we encourage sports-based programs to focus their request on funding needs beginning in Fall 2023.

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Candace Thompson
Community Philanthropy Officer
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