Service League Grant

The Service League Fund is a charitable initiative rooted in over five decades of community service by the Service League, a local organization historically known for its commitment to supporting the youth of Washington County. Originally, the Service League operated the Youth Canteen as a safe social venue for teens, awarded scholarships to local students, and supported various youth initiatives. It sustained its operations through activities such as managing the Bargain Box Annex and hosting the Kitchens & More Tour, both of which contributed to the organization's long-standing philanthropic legacy. Today, the Service League Fund continues to uphold its mission by offering grants aimed specifically at organizations and programs that benefit youth and children in Washington County. These grants are available to qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations that deliver services directly impacting young people within the county. The grants are structured around biannual application cycles—spring and fall—providing flexibility for applicants to align funding requests with their programmatic timelines and needs. Applicants may request up to $5,000 per fiscal year (defined as July through June) and must choose one of four eligible funding areas. These include general operating support, which requires applicants to explain how their mission aligns with youth support and how the grant enhances their ability to achieve this mission; support for current programming that benefits youth, with an emphasis on outcome-driven impacts; funding for launching new initiatives, including a sustainability plan post-grant; and training grants for staff development, which may cover courses, certifications, conferences, or on-site instruction that strengthen organizational capabilities. Importantly, organizations are limited to one grant award per fiscal year from the Service League Fund, emphasizing the need for strategic and thoughtful applications. The program does not provide detailed timelines for when applications open or close for each cycle, but based on its recurring structure, applicants can expect spring and fall rounds annually. Contact for the grant is managed through the Bartlesville Community Foundation, and applicants with questions are encouraged to reach out via phone at 918.337.2287. While there is no publicly posted application form within the source material, the Service League Fund offers a tip encouraging applicants to draft their answers in a Word document before submitting them through the online portal. This method ensures applicants retain a copy of their submission and can reuse core responses in future applications. This practical guidance supports efficient and effective application management, especially for recurring projects. Although the exact evaluation criteria are not detailed, proposals are expected to clearly articulate their alignment with youth-focused outcomes, particularly in the context of operating support, new initiatives, and training investments. The Service League Fund serves as a critical funding source for small and mid-sized nonprofits in Washington County aiming to scale, sustain, or innovate in service to children and teens.

Go through the application and copy all requested information onto a word document. Save the document for reuse in future submissions.