Youth Development & Leadership Grants

Last updated October 13, 2026

Grantable tracks 651 active youth development & leadership grants in its free grants database, drawn from foundation sources and updated daily. 5 of them have a verified open deadline or accept applications on a rolling basis. 264 list an award amount, with a median of $5,000.

Grants tracked: 651; from 514 funders
Median award: $5,000; middle half $1,896–$25K
Total listed funding: $25.4M; across 264 grants that list an amount
Rolling deadlines: 3; 53 with a published date

On this page: Foundation · Updated daily

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Grant	Deadline ▲	Amount
Peter Chortek Leadership Award (PCLA) Community Foundation Charitable Real Estate Fund · Foundation ~January · $540 – $5K The Peter Chortek Leadership Award recognizes Jewish high school students in San Diego who are making a difference in their community through innovative leadership and Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) projects.	~January	$540 – $5K
Youth of the Year Scholarship Program Boys and Girls Club of the Twin Cities Foundation · Foundation ~January · $5K – $100K Since 1947, Youth of the Year has been the Boys & Girls Clubs of America's premier recognition program, celebrating the extraordinary achievements of Club teens ages 14-18.	~January	$5K – $100K
Peter Chortek Leadership Award (PCLA) The Beth El Endowment Foundation · Foundation ~January · $540 – $5K	~January	$540 – $5K
Peter Chortek Leadership Award JFS Foundation · Foundation ~January · $540 – $5K Recognizes Jewish high school students in San Diego who are making a difference in their community through innovative leadership and Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) projects.	~January	$540 – $5K
Peter Chortek Leadership Award (PCLA) The Endowment for Federation · Foundation ~January · $540 – $5K	~January	$540 – $5K
Youth of the Year Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica Inc · Foundation ~February · Up to $50K Youth of the Year provides opportunities for young people to gain future-ready skills, share their stories, and compete for scholarships. The program runs throughout the fall with the final competition held in February.	~February	Up to $50K
Burke Scholars, Marquette University The Burke Foundation Inc · Foundation ~February · Varies	~February	Varies
Bobby Gunn Student Leadership Award Mid-Atlantic Athletic Trainers Assoc · Foundation ~February · Varies Award designed to recognize students who take leadership roles in the field of Athletic Training either on or off their campus and have never had an opportunity to experience a NATA Annual Clinical Symposia & AT Expo.	~February	Varies
Indigenous Scholars of Promise (ISP) Hopa Mountain Inc · Foundation ~February · Varies A college preparation program providing Native American and Latino high school juniors and seniors in Montana with training, mentoring, and support services to help them prepare to apply to colleges/universities of their choice.	~February	Varies
Beverly Beaird Young Woman Leadership Scholarship The Junior League of Tyler Inc · Foundation ~February · Varies The scholarship is designed for a young woman in her senior year of high school in Smith County who:	~February	Varies
Downtown San Diego Lions Club Scholarship Fund Lions Club of San Diego · Foundation ~February · $2K The Downtown San Diego Lions Club offers scholarships to support local high school students who are committed to serving their communities while pursuing higher education.	~February	$2K
Youth Development Committee Grant The Kids Fund Inc · Foundation ~March · Up to $5K	~March	Up to $5K
Leadership Development Grant MARTIN de PORRES FOUNDATION CO MCCLOSKEY FINANCIAL GROUP · Foundation ~March · Varies	~March	Varies
Maynard Bauer Leadership Fund Bay Village Educational Foundation Inc · Foundation ~March · Varies Fund grants focused on the development and encouragement of leadership skills and motivation in students of Bay Village Schools.	~March	Varies
Zonta Young Women in Leadership Award Hershey Charitable Trust · Foundation ~March · $1K – $5K The Zonta Club of Denver awards scholarships to young women demonstrating exceptional leadership in their schools and communities.	~March	$1K – $5K
Zonta Young Women in Leadership Award (YWLA) Zonta Club of Denver Foundation Inc · Foundation ~March · $1K The Zonta Club of Denver awards this scholarship to recognize young women leaders in their school and community.	~March	$1K
Zonta Young Women in Leadership Award Zonta Foundation Inc · Foundation ~March · $2K – $5K	~March	$2K – $5K
St. Tammany Pro-Life Youth Leadership Award Louisiana Right to Life Federation · Foundation ~March · $500 To encourage and support the growth of pro-life student advocates into pro-life young adults as they enter the world beyond St. Tammany Parish.	~March	$500
The Pattis Family Foundation Summer Leadership Program Women Employed · Foundation ~March · $3K Women Employed's paid summer internship provides professional skill building and practical experience through leadership training, front-line research, and exposure to barriers experienced by low-paid workers.	~March	$3K
Freedom Fellowship Chicago Freedom School · Foundation ~April · $1K A paid 6-month intensive social justice leadership program for Black and Brown youth ages 14-17 from Chicago.	~April	$1K
Charles Z. Flack Jr. Community Leadership Award Robert & Janice McNair Educational · Foundation ~April · Up to $8K The Robert and Janice McNair Educational Foundation established the Charles Z. Flack Jr. Community Leadership Award in 2010 in memory of Mr. Charles (Chuck) Z. Flack Jr., a businessman, community leader, and founding member of the…	~April	Up to $8K
Change Ripley County Grant Ripley County Community Foundation Inc · Foundation May 2, 2027 · Up to $10K The Change Ripley County Grant, initiated by the Ripley County Community Foundation, empowers local youth aged 13-23 to engage with their communities.	May 2, 2027	Up to $10K
Kent Lage Leadership Award Massachusetts 4-H Foundation Inc · Foundation ~May · $500 – $2K An annual scholarship award recognizing aspiring 4-H leaders as they embark on their college careers. Named after the late former president of the Foundation's Board of Trustees, Kent Lage.	~May	$500 – $2K
Outstanding Youth Leaders of the Year Scholarship Movement of Youth Incorporated · Foundation ~August · $5K – $20K	~August	$5K – $20K

Showing 25–48 of 648

About youth leadership grants

Youth leadership grants fund programs that build leadership, civic engagement, and decision-making skills in young people, often through service-learning, mentoring, and youth-led projects. Funders include national foundations such as the William T. Grant Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, along with corporate initiatives and community foundations that run youth-advised grantmaking funds. Many awards target middle and high school students and the organizations that serve them.

A long list is the starting point, not the shortlist. Our grant prospecting guide shows how to narrow youth development & leadership grants down to the funders most likely to say yes, using their giving records.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much money do youth development & leadership grants award?

Of the 651 youth development & leadership grants Grantable lists as of October 13, 2026, 264 publish an award amount. The median listed award is $5,000, and the middle half fall between $1,896 and $25K. The largest is $10M. Amounts are each grant's stated maximum, so a typical award can be smaller.

Which funders offer the most youth development & leadership grants?

By number of active listings, the leading funders are The Aspen Institute Inc (8), Morasha Olami Inc (6), First Alaskans Institute (5), One Young World (5), and Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin Inc (4). In all, 514 funders have at least one active grant in this category.

When are youth development & leadership grants due?

Of 651 grants listed, 3 accept applications on a rolling basis, 53 have a published upcoming deadline, 258 run on a stated cycle (such as annual or quarterly) without a published date, and 337 don't publish a deadline, so check the funder's site. Among dated deadlines, 51% fall in January–March.

What youth leadership grants are available?

Grants fund leadership training, civic-engagement and service-learning projects, youth-led community initiatives, and youth advisory programs. Some funders support organizations that build leadership skills among teens, while others, such as community-foundation youth funds, put grant decisions directly in the hands of young people. Awards range from small project grants to larger multi-year program funding.

Who funds youth leadership programs?

Funders include national foundations such as the William T. Grant Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, corporate philanthropy from companies that support youth entrepreneurship and leadership, and community foundations that operate youth-led grantmaking funds. National youth-serving organizations and local foundations also fund leadership development in their regions.

Who can apply for youth leadership grants?

Most grants are awarded to schools, nonprofits, and youth-serving organizations rather than to individual students, though some programs engage youth directly as decision-makers or fellows. Applicants usually need 501(c)(3) status or a fiscal sponsor and should confirm the funder's target age range and geographic focus. Check each program's guidelines for whether youth, educators, or organizations are the intended applicants.

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