At the Foundation we are always looking for new ways to grow the game and increase our impact on the lives of youth across the country. One of the ways that we grow the game is through our Program Grants, which are provided to fantastic organizations running youth soccer programming to bolster or expand such programming, and which impact many thousands of children each year.
With an eye towards the future, we are proud to unveil a new and exciting change to our Program Grants. Each year, the Foundation will focus on one specific category or theme for our Program Grants, and applications will be accepted from those organizations that fit within such a category. The Foundation will identify topical categories each year in the sports-based youth development world, and seek to support organizations that are related to such categories.
While the type of funding will remain the same (equipment and/or cash disbursements), we are also excited to announce that we will be offering multi-year grants. Multi-year grants are one of the most important ways to help organizations effectively achieve their goals, and the Foundation believes that by offering multiple years of support to its grantees, each organization will become more resourceful, sustainable, and impactful within its community.
Finally, we are pleased to announce this year’s category: Innovative and Non-Traditional Soccer Programming. For the 2017 Program Grants, the Foundation is seeking to fund organizations that are doing things a bit different from your standard soccer program. We invite any organization who is currently using innovative techniques or concepts in their youth programming, as well as any organization with plans to introduce innovative or non-traditional methods in the coming year. Applications open on January 3, 2017 with a deadline of February 10, 2017, so don’t delay!
