Summer Youth Program Fund Grant

Summer Youth Program Fund Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Arizona Community Foundation
Amount: US $5,000 - US $25,000
Last Updated: November 24, 2025

Summary

The Summer Youth Program Fund Grant aims to enhance summer programming for Maricopa County youth, providing essential financial support to organizations serving economically disadvantaged youth. Funded by local collaborators, this initiative focuses on promoting personal development and healthy lifestyle activities, while simplifying the grant application process for nonprofits. Organizations can request funding ranging from $5,000 to $25,000, with a total of approximately $615,000 available for distribution. This grant encourages creative programming that addresses childhood obesity and fosters community engagement.

Overview

Definition The Summer Youth Program Fund (SYPF) is an independent grantmaking program founded and managed by local funders who support, or are interested in supporting, agencies that provide summer programming for Maricopa County youth. The purpose of the SYPF is to supplement existing programs in order to enrich, enhance and expand summer offerings for children and youth. Grants will be made to organizations that match the criteria of individual funders participating in the collaboration. Collaborators include the Arizona Community Foundation (ACF), Arizona Republic Season for Sharing, BHHS Legacy Foundation, Helios Education Foundation, Hickey Family Foundation, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, Phoenix Suns Charities, The Steele Foundation, Thunderbirds Charities and The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. Some funders have restrictions on multiple annual requests. If you believe this may be applicable, we suggest you contact the funder directly. Why it is important The SYPF recognizes that summer programs, particularly those serving economically disadvantaged youth, require financial assistance to provide creative and recreational outlets while fostering personal development and life-long learning. During out of school time, young people tend to engage in the highest levels of health-harming behaviors. Targeted programs provide a continuum of care during the summer months and offer opportunities for youth to develop and sustain enriching and healthy lifestyle activities that will divert them from negative behaviors. Benefits The collaborative program simplifies grant seeking for nonprofit organizations. The program design makes grantmaking more efficient for local nonprofits to obtain the necessary funds for their summer programs by using a single application form, one collective process and a single report. Additionally, it will allow a large number of funders to become more familiar with organizations providing summer youth programming. Recognizing that many local nonprofits have small staffs, the SYPF collaborative effort allows staff to focus on youth programs by eliminating the duplication of efforts in applying separately to each funder. What types of programs may be funded? Program activities can be varied, centering on personal youth development, arts and culture, recreation and physical activity, environment/nature, disability or academic/educational. Organizations with a focus on artistic and academic programs are encouraged to apply with innovative ways to decrease sedentary activities and increase knowledge of healthy lifestyles. Recognizing that youth-serving organizations shape the environment of our youth, the SYPF will encourage all applicants to play a role in addressing the trend of childhood overweight/obesity through implementation of proper nutrition practices and opportunities to be physically active. The SYPF encourages collaborative efforts amongst organizations with similar goals, increase service capacities, and expand outreach to touch the lives of more youth of Maricopa County. Specific funding priorities Serve disadvantaged youth from neighborhoods with limited access to organized activitiesServe youth with disabilities or special health needsExhibit stable history of community support, outreach, and partnershipsDemonstrate ability to increase number of youth servedProvide age-appropriate, enriching activities and education componentsIdentify areas to improve quality of program and increase positive impact to participantsEstablish realistic outcomes for the program participantsCreate innovative methods to reach youth and instill healthy lifestyle behaviorsCollaborate among fellow grant seekers Funding request range The SYPF will award approximately $615,000 in grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000. The maximum grant is $25,000. The average grant award may vary based on the number of applications received and competitive nature of the cycle.

Eligibility

We've imported the main document for this grant to give you an overview. You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. SYPF applicants must meet the following criteria:Applicant organization must reside in Arizona and have documentation from the Internal Revenue Service of its charitable status (e.g. IRS Code Sections 501(c)(3) and 170(b)(1)(A).The proposed summer program must primarily (at least 80 percent) serve youth who are Maricopa County residents, although the service may be provided outside of Maricopa County.When two or more organizations are collaborating on a program, all organizations must meet eligibility criteria, while one organization would be the responsible applicant. The responsible applicant must submit the application and will be the designated contact organization for all communication purposes.The program for which the organization is requesting funds must have a minimum history of two years.Organizations are required to have a completed and visible profile on the ACF website.Incomplete organizational profiles will result in the declination of your application.Daily programs must be conducted for at least four hours per day, and residential programs must be conducted for more than one night.Faith-based organizations may apply, but the main purpose and content of the proposed summer program must not consist of inherently religious activities.

Ineligibility

Applicants should not request more than 50 percent of their total project budget from the SYPF.Organizations may not submit proposals under the 501(c)(3) umbrella of another agency. Applications from schools and municipalities will not be accepted.