With Youth For Youth (WYFY) Grant Opportunities for Western New York

Beginning in 2026, the WNY WYFY Youth Advisory Board will distribute just over $2 million in grants to support out-of-school time and youth sports programs that incorporate youth voice, equitable access, and systems-level improvements. Funding decisions will be made by the WNY WYFY Youth Advisory Board using a structured review process designed by youth.

Applications will be evaluated across the criteria below, with stronger and more detailed responses receiving higher consideration

Funding decisions will be guided by:

• Youth Voice & Leadership
   The extent to which young people meaningfully shape the program, including decision-making authority, leadership roles, and opportunities to influence design, implementation, and improvement.
• Youth Experience & Benefits
   How clearly the application describes the experience of participating youth and the direct benefits youth gain from the program.
• Mission, Values & Impact
   How well the program serves youth in the applicant’s community, reflects clear values and guidelines, and demonstrates positive impact on young people.
• Goals, Outcomes & Use of Funds
   The clarity of program goals, how requested funds will support those goals, and how the organization will ensure funds are used responsibly and as intended.
• Challenges & Solutions
   The applicant’s understanding of the challenges facing the youth they serve and the strength of the proposed solutions.
• Systems-Level Thinking
   The ability of the project to contribute to broader systems change—such as improving access, reducing silos, strengthening collaboration, or influencing how out-of-school-time programs are designed and delivered.
• Geographic Representation
   While not scored as a stand-alone category, the Youth Advisory Board will consider geographic representation across all nine counties when making final funding decisions, particularly when applications are similarly strong.

The goal of this process is not only to fund strong programs, but to ensure youth voice, equity, and systems change are meaningfully reflected in how resources are distributed across Western New York.

Definition: Out-of-School-Time (OST)

 For the purposes of this application, out-of-school-time (OST) is defined as any youth-serving program or service that takes place outside of the regular school day.

The WNY WYFY Youth Advisory Board intentionally uses a broad, holistic definition of OST to reflect how young people actually experience their lives. Youth do not move through separate systems — they move through connected spaces that support learning, well-being, leadership, and belonging.

OST includes, but is not limited to:

• Afterschool and drop-in youth programs
• Community-based youth sports (not school-sanctioned)
• Arts, culture, and enrichment programs
• Workforce development and career readiness
• Library-based youth programming
• Leadership development and civic engagement
• Prevention and restorative programs

By defining OST as an ecosystem rather than a single program type, WYFY aims to break down silos across youth-serving fields and support systems-level approaches that elevate youth voice across the full range of youth services.

WHY YOUTH VOICE MATTERS-In the voices of WNY youth

• Higher engagement and relevance
   “Research continues to prove that programs are more efficient when youth voice and participation are constantly present. Youth voice being implemented in programs helps engagement and relevance to increase.” — Willow (Warsaw)
• Stronger leadership and ownership
   “Integrating youth voice leads to stronger leadership skills development in programs because when young people are involved in making decisions, they invest more of themselves and feel like they have real ownership, which makes them want to take charge.”— Mellodi (Rochester)
• Innovative and fresh perspectives
   “Integrating youth voice leads to innovative and fresh perspectives; it’s a necessity when implementing creative and unique after-school activities.” — Leila (Buffalo)
• Better outcomes and long-term impact
   “Integrating youth voice leads to better outcomes because it ensures programs are relevant to youths’ real needs and experiences, increases their sense of ownership and trust, and strengthens engagement and retention. When young people are meaningfully involved in decision making, they develop leadership and self-advocacy skills, feel respected and valued, and are more likely to commit to and benefit from the program—resulting in more responsive, sustainable, and impactful outcomes.”— Abigail (Lyndonville)

Together, WNY WYFY and its partners are building a regional system where young people are not just participants—they are co-creators, decision-makers, and system leaders.

The goal is not only to improve programs— but to reshape how Western New York listens to and invests in its young people.

• Application available online January 20, 2026.
• Virtual Information Session- January 21, 2026, 3:30 p.m. Please click the link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88672441774?pwd=8qayf62kpJsZD478kMYG5cKxYqWELW.1
• Application due February 23, 2026, by 4 p.m.  No exceptions.
• Decision notification April 2026. 
• Estimated dates for distribution is June 2026 for one year programming.

Funds are allocated for youth programs that occur outside of school hours, specifically targeting young people in Western New York. Funding will be released after all grant requirements and obligations have been signed and returned.

Who May Apply

Eligible applicants include:

Western New York Youth Serving organizations (ages 5-18) including 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and schools.

Western New York is defined as the nine counties of:

Allegany, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Erie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming.

The intent of this fund is not to replace public funding, but rather to augment, strengthen, and leverage existing resources to expand opportunities for young people.

Ineligible Applicants or Requests

The following are not eligible for funding through this youth-led grant opportunity:

• Tackle football programs
• School-sanctioned athletic teams
• Requests for traditional sporting goods equipment
• Multiple applications from the same organization (limit: one application per organization)
• Multi-year funding requests
• Endowments
• Religious purposes
• Attendance at or sponsorship of events
• Schools not registered with the New York State Education Department

If You Need Sports Equipment

The WYFY Fund does not support requests for sporting goods equipment. Instead, we encourage organizations to apply directly to:

• Good Sports — a national nonprofit providing brand-new sports equipment to youth-serving organizations
• Leveling the Playing Field — located in Erie County, New York is an organization that redistributes new and gently used sports equipment to expand access in youth sports and recreation

If your program needs sports equipment, please:

1. Consult with Good Sports prior to submitting any WYFY request
2. Apply through their website
3. Or contact Leveling the Playing Field at:
   📧 wny@levelingtheplayingfield.org

A virtual Information Session will be held on Zoom on January 21, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. No registration is required. Please click the link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88672441774?pwd=8qayf62kpJsZD478kMYG5cKxYqWELW.1

If you have any questions about applying, please contact Tracy Bradshaw at tbradshaw@bgcea.org.

If you have any questions about Foundant application system, please contact Sarah Johnson at sarahj@cfgb.org.

NOTE: WNY WYFY funding may be used to strengthen existing programs or to support the development of new initiatives. Applicants are not required to be starting something new.

All funded projects—whether new or existing—should demonstrate a commitment to increasing and meaningfully integrating youth voice within the program or organization. This may include expanding youth leadership roles, sharing decision-making power, creating new opportunities for youth input, or engaging youth in the design of new programs or improvements to current ones.

Please keep responses clear and concise. Youth reviewers in grades 8–12 will be reading applications. 

Please answer the following questions to be considered for funding

• Organization Name
• Is your organization housed under a fiscal agent?
• Purpose of Organization
• Tell us how you would be using the funds. (150-250 words).
• Location of Program
• Amount Requested
• Annual Operating Budget for your current fiscal year

2026 WNY WYFY Youth Board Application Questions

Youth Involvement

• Do youth get to help lead or make decisions in this program, or do adults mostly decide? Guidance: Please describe who currently makes decisions in your program or organization and how youth are involved today. If youth leadership is limited or emerging, explain how this funding would help increase youth voice over time. This may include youth helping to design activities, serve in leadership or advisory roles, share decision-making power with adults, or co-create new programs or improvements to existing ones.(75–125 words)

Mission

• Tell us about the youth you plan to serve and how your program impacts youth in your area. (100–150 words)
• What values and guidelines are upheld in your program, and how do you demonstrate those values? (75–125 words)
• What goals would you like to accomplish, and how would our (funding) contribute to that success? (75–125 words)

Challenges

• What challenges does your program or organization face, who is affected, and how are they affected? If you are creating a new program, what challenges do you anticipate? (100–150 words)
• What solutions has your organization created to address these challenges? If you are creating a new program, what solutions are you proposing to address the anticipated challenges? (75–125 words)
• If awarded funding, how will your solution affect the youth you serve? How will you ensure funds are used as intended?(75–125 words)

Questions to be answered by youth in your program (in writing or via an attached video).

Written responses (50–75 words per question), Video option (30–60 seconds per question; Or 1–2 minutes total for all three). Youth responses should be brief and in their own words.

• What do you like, and how does it benefit you to be in the organization/program?
• What has been your experience with this program, and what could improve it for the betterment of the youth?
• How do youth share power in your program or organization? What decisions do youth help make, and how much influence do they have?

Funding Amounts

Min- $25,000

Max- $150,000

There will be a final report due at the end of the grant year, requesting the following information:

• Program Title
• Purpose of funding
• Reporting objectives from your specific project
• Status and timeline
• Results and Evaluation
• Budget Expenditures
• Lessons Learned
• We value your feedback about our role as a grantmaker, including the RFP process, our communication with you, the funding process, the reporting process, and any other aspect of our work together.
• What have we (WYFY youth) done well as a grantmaker?
• How can we (WYFY youth) improve as a grantmaker?”