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Pacesetter Grants seek to strengthen and expand after-school physical activity programs with a demonstrated track record of a year of more serving young people from low income communities. Nonprofit organizations eligible to apply for Pacesetter Grants must be located in San Francisco, Alameda and/or Santa Clara Counties, have received prior support from foundations, and/or have paid employees on staff. (Volunteer-run organizations with little or no history of foundation or government support may be eligible for funding under the Small Grants Program.)
Team-Up is interested in funding organizations that seek to strengthen their sports programs through the pursuit of expansion, quality, and sustainability goals, as well as through the incorporation of youth development principles. We define “sports” broadly to include a wide range of physical activities, from team sports like soccer and basketball to programs such as circus arts, martial arts, and hip-hop dance.
1. Expansion: Getting More Young People into the Game
Team-Up aims to work with after-school sports organizations that serve children and youth from low-income communities. We are particularly interested in supporting sports programs for young people who often are not reached, including girls, teens, and children from immigrant families.
2. Quality: Making a Difference in the Lives of Young People
Team-Up has created The Building Blocks for Quality Youth Sports, a set of five guiding principles for achieving quality in physical activity programs and making a difference in the lives of young people. We support programs that are interested in incorporating these principles into their work, and we assist grantees in this effort in part through our Training and Education department.
Guiding Principles: 3. Sustainability: Building Internal Capacity to Support and Sustain Programs
Team-Up seeks to invest in organizations that have the ability to sustain youth sports programs over the long term. Therefore, we are especially interested in applicants that have the capacity to secure new funding sources, strategically utilize volunteers, and obtain in-kind support.
Team-Up looks for programs that do some or all of the following:
- Expose young people to non-traditional sports.
- Integrate sports into broader youth services (e.g., sports and tutoring).
- Engage young people in frequent sports experiences (at least twice a week, regularly and consistently for 12 weeks, and preferably longer).
- Have low and age-appropriate adult-to-youth ratios.
- Ensure that staff and volunteers receive appropriate training in structuring practice and playing time, and in promoting the healthy development of young people.
- Offer opportunities for communities to preserve and promote sports/physical activities that reaffirm cultural traditions.
- Engage parents and other community members in meaningful roles.
In assessing proposals, we also consider the following criteria:
- Appropriateness of budget and cost effectiveness
- Demonstrated community support through financial contributions, in-kind donations, or volunteer commitments
- Commitment to ethnic and gender diversity of program staff and volunteers
Pacesetter grants typically range from $10,000-$25,000 over a one-year term. The grants can support no more than 50% of the total physical activity program budget.
In determining grant size, Team-Up considers:
- The agency’s overall budget
- The amounts and sources of other support
- The organization's capacity to raise money and sustain programs
- Financial and administrative capacity
- Track record in delivering youth sports programs
- The number of young people to be served
Team-Up accepts proposals for direct program expenses, and may consider funding organzational capacity-building efforts in subsequent years, if those efforts are directly linked to achieving expansion, quality, and sustainability goals.
Examples of Allowable Expenses: - Staff salaries and stipends for coaches
- Equipment and uniforms
- Rental fees for equipment or facilities
- Local transportation costs within the Bay Area
- Staff and volunteer training and recruitment activities
- Outreach (e.g., recruitment of young people, volunteers, and parents)
- League fees, entry fees for local competitions, etc.
Team-Up does not fund: - School athletic programs
- General operating support
- Travel outside of the Bay Area
- Capital grants for buildings and other capital resources
- Individual scholarships and expenses
- Multi-year requests (however, organizations are free to reapply in the next year)
- Direct requests from training organizations
- Programs serving fewer than 20 young people
Eligible organizations must be located within the counties of San Francisco, Alameda, or Santa Clara. They must be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code and not classified as private foundations under Section 509(a) of the Code. Organizations also can submit applications through a sponsoring organization, if the sponsor has 501(c)(3) status, is not a private foundation under 509(a), and provides written authorization confirming its willingness to act as the fiscal sponsor.
New applicants should submit a 2-3 page letter of inquiry that includes:
1. A brief statement of the organization's mission and goals
2. A description of the proposed project, the need for the project, and the target population
3. Main project objectives and related activities
4. Information about the capability of those who will implement the project
5. Grant amount requested, line-item project budget and agency budget, if different
6. Information about other funding sources for the proposed work, specifying committed as well as projected sources of support, including in-kind and volunteer support
If we encourage a full proposal, we will send specific questions to address and a list of required attachments.
Renewal Applicants may be invited by Team-Up staff on an annual basis for up to three consecutive years. Renewals are not automatic. The decision to invite a renewal is based on grantees’ progress with meeting prior grant goals, the number of consecutive Team-Up grants already awarded to the grantee, and a continued fit with Team-Up’s program goals and priorities. Team-Up staff typically contacts grantees at least three months prior to the expiration of the grant term to discuss the possibility of renewal. Those encouraged to reapply are provided renewal proposal guidelines.
Team-Up typically responds to Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) within six weeks. The response is either to invite a full proposal or decline the LOI.
Barring unusual circumstances, Pacesetter proposals take approximately three months to process from receipt of proposal to approval by Team-Up’s Board of Trustees at a scheduled board meeting.
Application Review Process
Team-Up reviews LOIs year-round and schedules grant approvals around board meeting dates. Applicants may submit at any time. Applicants may apply electronically by emailing a completed LOI to grantmaking(at)teamupforyouth.org. LOIs may also be mailed to: Team-Up for Youth, 310 Eighth Street, Suite 300, Oakland, CA 94607. Team-Up determines deadlines for full proposals on an individual basis.
Contact
If you have questions regarding the guidelines or proposal process, please contact us at grantmaking(at)teamupforyouth.org or call Victoria Gevlin at (510) 663-9200, ext. 101.
Team-Up for Youth will not support organizations that discriminate in their leadership, staffing, or service provision, on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, political affiliation or religious belief.
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