Sports 4 Life

Sports 4 Life is a national initiative founded in 2014 by the Women's Sports Foundation in collaboration with ESPN to promote sports participation among girls, particularly girls of color, who face systemic barriers to access. The program is grounded in the understanding that sports participation can foster long-term positive outcomes in physical health, academic performance, leadership skills, and overall self-esteem. However, national studies indicate that African-American girls are significantly underrepresented in sports programs, making them a key demographic for outreach and support. Sports 4 Life seeks to bridge these gaps by providing targeted funding and capacity-building resources to organizations that can implement structured sports programming. The program aims to support nonprofits, public schools, amateur sports leagues, and parks and recreation departments that can deliver developmental sports programs for girls aged 11 to 18. Grant recipients are expected to offer experienced leadership and demonstrate a commitment to sustainable programming beyond the grant period. The program places a strong emphasis on equity and compliance, requiring all partners to adhere to Federal Civil Rights laws, including the development of Equal Employment Opportunity Plans and support for limited English proficiency participants. Funding through Sports 4 Life in 2026 will be awarded in the amount of $10,000 per grant, supported by co-founding partner ESPN. Eligible expenses include coaching, curriculum, uniforms, equipment, transportation, tournaments, team-building activities, and facility rentals. The program also mandates the use of “We Play Interactive,” a free digital platform developed from the Women’s Sports Foundation’s GoGirlGo! curriculum. This educational component is designed to help coaches and program leaders create an empowering and inclusive environment for girls in sports. The application process is a two-step procedure beginning with a Letter of Intent (LOI). For the 2026 cycle, LOIs are due by April 16, 2026. Feedback on LOIs will be provided by May 13, 2026, and only selected applicants will be invited to submit a full grant application. Final decisions will be made by late July 2026. Applications that are late, incomplete, or request funding for expenses incurred before receiving the grant will not be considered. Additionally, applicants cannot use funding for religious programming, construction, land purchases, scholarships, or retroactive costs. Sports 4 Life places high value on transparency and outcome measurement. Grantees must complete various reporting requirements, including pre- and post-participation surveys from girls, post-program evaluations from administrators, and a final impact report. If seeking renewal funding, a mid-term report may be required. Past recipients are expected to show measurable increases in girl participation, and those who have received three consecutive years of funding are not eligible until 2027. Contact for the grant is Anne Peltier, who can be reached at 646.833.0424 or via email at [email protected]. All applications must be submitted through the Women’s Sports Foundation’s grant-management portal, Foundant GLM. Notifications regarding application receipt and acceptance will be sent via email. The program explicitly disallows faxed or emailed submissions and will publicly announce awarded grantees through its partners, including ESPN and Gatorade.

Funding not guaranteed even if invited; sustainability and leadership are key selection criteria; impact data strengthens future funding chances.