Youth Athletic Facilities Grants

The Youth Athletic Facilities Grants program, managed by the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office, supports the development and renovation of outdoor athletic facilities for youth. Eligible projects include ball fields, swimming pools, and skate parks, with a focus on serving communities of all ages. The program encourages innovative designs that enhance accessibility and promote diverse athletic activities. Grants are available for both small and large community projects, fostering inclusive recreational opportunities for young people.

The Youth Athletic Facilities program provides grants to buy land and develop or renovate outdoor athletic facilities such as ball fields, courts, swimming pools, mountain bike tracks, and skate parks that serve youth through the age of 18.
While the program focuses on youth, RCO strongly encourages grant recipients to design facilities to serve all ages and multiple activities.
An athletic facility is an outdoor facility used for playing sports or participating in competitive athletics and excludes playgrounds, tot lots, vacant lots, open or undeveloped fields, and level open space used for non-athletic play.
Typical Projects
Adding lights to a field to allow evening gamesChanging an underused tennis court to a high-demand basketball courtChanging the field surface, such as installing artificial turf, to allow more games per season or more seasons when the field may be usedExpanding a youth-sized softball field to accommodate broader community uses

Eligibility

Small Grants CategoryCities, towns, and park districts with a population of 10,000 residents or fewer.Counties with 60,000 residents or fewer. The project must be in an unincorporated area.Native American tribesNonprofit organizations. The population of the jurisdiction where the project lies will apply.Agencies Eligible for Small GrantsLarge Grants CategoryCitiesCountiesPark districtsNative American tribesNonprofit organizations active in youth or community athletic activities for at least 3 yearsEligible ProjectsArchitectural and engineering costsAreas associated with track and field eventsLand acquisition when combined with development or renovation of outdoor athletic facilitiesOutdoor athletic fields, such as baseball, lacrosse, and soccer fieldsOutside pools for competitive eventsSport courts outdoors such as tennis or basketball courtsSupport elements such as landscaping, restrooms, drinking fountains, bleachers, bike racks, scoreboards, signs, roads, driveways, fire lanes, and parking lots. These projects must include an “in bounds” item, which is an item found within the field of play or on the court or track and is essential for the competitive sport to occur.

Ineligibility

Ineligible ProjectsAcquisition or combination projects in the Small Grants CategoryAny facility intended exclusively or primarily for professional or semi-pro sports useAny work done on a facility not eligible for a YAF grantConsumable supplies such as light bulbs, toilet paper, fertilizer, chalk, and fuelElements that cannot be defined as fixtures or capital items, such as uniforms, bats, balls, and coolersIndirect costsIndoor facilities such as gyms, courts, pools, ice rinksMultiple Small Grant Category applications at the same facility or location in the same bienniumOrganizational operating expenses or overhead including staff salariesPurchase of maintenance equipment, tools, or suppliesRoutine maintenance such as lawn mowingSigns or displays promoting tobacco products or alcoholic beveragesStand-alone acquisitionsUtility payments such as monthly water or electric bills