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
The CRAYON Fund Central Baltimore Partnership Inc · Foundation Rolling · Up to $500 The CRAYON Fund provides event-based micro-grants that support activities and projects that broaden resident participation in neighborhoods, provide youth enrichment, strengthen community ties, and develop leadership capacity in Central…	Rolling	Up to $500
Forest Foundation Regional Grant Forest Foundation · Foundation Not published · $2K – $8K The Forest Foundation Regional Grant supports new and emerging non-profits in Greater Boston, focusing on leadership development for undergraduate students.	Not published	$2K – $8K
Student Grantmaking Program Denver Public Schools Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies DPS Foundation's first ever Student Grantmaking Advisory Committee, created in early 2024 to give DPS students a voice in grantmaking, help them effect change in their schools and communities, and return power to DPS students through…	Not published	Varies
Assembly Peer Leadership Program Recess Activities Inc · Foundation Not published · Up to $1K Peer Leadership is a paid program from January through August that offers opportunities for young people ages 18-26 to build upon their artmaking, leadership, and advocacy skills.	Not published	Up to $1K
Leadership Vestavia Hills (LVH) High School Scholarships Mercy Deliverance Ministries · Foundation Not published · Varies	Not published	Varies
CFOV: Community Impact Grants Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies While many of the charitable funds established at the Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley, Inc. have been either designated for a specific purpose or are otherwise restricted in their distribution, the Foundation has developed a pool…	Not published	Varies
Majestic Realty Foundation Grants Majestic Realty Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The Majestic Realty Foundation, established in 2002, champions active philanthropy by addressing critical community needs across eight regions in the U.S. Focused on youth, education, health, family support, and violence prevention, the…	Not published	Varies
AIM Ideas Lab (Youth Participatory Action Research) AIM Youth Mental Health · Foundation Not published · Varies Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) program bringing together young people to co-design and conduct research on youth mental health.	Not published	Varies
Visionary Leadership Fund Grant Valentine Foundation · Foundation Not published · Up to $3K The Visionary Leadership Fund Grant, managed by the Valentine Foundation since 2005, aims to support leadership development for women and aspiring leaders in the Greater Philadelphia area.	Not published	Up to $3K
Panera Bread Foundation Grant Panera Bread Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · $25K – $100K The Panera Bread Foundation Grant supports 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations focused on empowering underserved, at-risk youth.	Not published	$25K – $100K
Bucks County Youth Council BC Cares Educational Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies A leadership development program designed to provide high school students with the opportunity to learn how to sit on a Board of Directors and become community organizers.	Not published	Varies
Martha Beckenholdt Youth Philanthropy Award Grant Community Foundation of Hancock County Inc · Foundation Not published · $1K About The Community Foundation of Hancock County We are a nonprofit, public charity that encourages philanthropy, convenes and leads community initiatives, provides educational support, and supports nonprofit organizations.	Not published	$1K
Transform Investments New Profit Inc · Foundation Not published · $3M	Not published	$3M
Neighborhood Leadership Program The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven · Foundation Not published · Up to $3K	Not published	Up to $3K
ACCF Youth (TAG Team) Grants The Allegan County Community Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The ACCF Youth (TAG Team) Grants support youth development initiatives in Allegan County, inviting high school students to represent their peers through the T.A.G (Teens Aiding Growth) Team.	Not published	Varies
Promise Grants Dekalb County Community Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The Promise Grant program, funded by the DeKalb County Community Foundation, supports charitable organizations serving underserved populations in DeKalb County.	Not published	Varies
Sullivan Fellows Program Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies Flagship initiative of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation designed to foster leadership and service among a select cohort of college students.	Not published	Varies
Youth Leadership Institute Youth Fund Youth Leadership Institute · Foundation Not published · $5K The yli Youth Fund awards $5,000 each to youth-led projects across multiple California locations.	Not published	$5K
Nuclear Futures Fellowship Ploughshares Fund Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies A fellowship program that supports emerging leaders and diverse perspectives within the nuclear threat reduction field.	Not published	Varies
RFP Focus: Next Generation Power-Building Grant Polk Bros Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies RFP Focus: Next Generation Power-Building Fostering a Participatory, Multiracial Democracy With this RFP, Polk Bros.	Not published	Varies
CF Opportunity Youth Grants Columbus Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies In 1943, during the darkness of World War II, a group of passionate citizens, led by Columbus businessman Harrison M. Sayre, envisioned a way to improve the well-being of the community and the quality of life in central Ohio.	Not published	Varies
World Future Fund Grant World Future Fund Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies The World Future Fund Grant aims to create a sustainable future by addressing social and economic imbalances. It prioritizes funding organizations that promote social democracy and enhance public welfare, particularly in the USA and Europe.	Not published	Varies
Peace Fellowships: Master's Degree Programs Grant The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International · Foundation Not published · Varies The Rotary Peace Fellowships offer fully funded master's degree programs for early-career leaders committed to peace and conflict resolution.	Not published	Varies
Indigenous Lifeways Fund Na'ah Illahee Fund · Foundation Not published · Varies Dedicated to supporting Indigenous-led projects that foster healing, promote environmental justice, and uplift traditional knowledge in communities.	Not published	Varies

Showing 457–480 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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