Youth Team Sports Grant

The Dutchess County Division of Youth Services is administering the 2026 Youth Team Sports (YTS) Grant, funded by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (NYS OCFS). This program is part of the state’s initiative to support positive youth development and aims to increase access to organized team sports for youth under age 18, especially in communities that are underserved or lack sufficient resources. The funding is made available through a competitive application process and is structured as a reimbursable grant, meaning organizations must incur approved expenses first and then request reimbursement. This grant opportunity is designed exclusively for programs that offer free, structured team sports activities for youth in Dutchess County during the program year of January 1, 2026, through September 30, 2026. A team sport for the purpose of this grant is defined as a physical activity involving two or more individuals competing against two or more others. Eligible organizations must be either nonprofit 501(c)(3) entities or community-based organizations serving youth in Dutchess County. They must demonstrate operational competency in areas such as governance, partnership building, evaluation, financial management, and must meet the county's insurance requirements. Funded programs must integrate principles of Positive Youth Development and are expected to show evidence that staff working directly with youth have received relevant training. Additionally, programs must collect and report anonymized demographic data on participants in accordance with OCFS guidelines. The grant also requires alignment with the county's Path to Promise Initiative, a strategic youth framework. Organizations are required to elect specific OCFS Life Area and Services, Opportunities, and Supports (SOS) codes including Life Area: 2PEH Physical and Emotional Health, SOS: 0232 Year-round/seasonal activities, and associated performance measures covering participation rates, completion percentages, and skill improvements or knowledge gains. Applications will only be accepted through the Dutchess County Grant Portal. Organizations are instructed to create one shared account per organization using a general email to facilitate collaborative application work. Once logged in, applicants can start and save their application as a draft at any time before submission. The application window opens on August 26, 2025, and closes sharply at 1:00 PM on September 19, 2025. Late submissions will not be reviewed under any circumstances. The application requires several forms and supporting documents, including OCFS Forms 5001 through 5003, a logic model, outcome form, board list, full program budget (not agency budget), and memoranda of understanding if partnering with other facilities or service providers. New agencies must submit proof of 501(c)(3) status. A recent agency audit or IRS Form 990 is also required. Final evaluations are conducted by the Youth Board and Coordinating Council’s proposals committee, which reviews and scores applications before making funding recommendations to the County Executive. Applicants will be notified of award decisions in January, and no appeal process is available for denied applications. Contact inquiries related to the grant can be directed to Doreen Clifford at Doreen.Clifford@dfa.state.ny.us or Juliana Corbett at Juliana.Corbett@dfa.state.ny.us. Youth Services staff will not assist in developing program designs or grant narratives. The program does not provide for recurring support beyond the single-year grant term, though similar opportunities have been offered annually in the past.

Use the grant checklist PDF for guidance; ensure features of youth development responses remain within the 100-word limits; create a shared portal account for easier management; submit MOUs where applicable; use provided forms only.