We’re on a mission to make working together for the common good the common expectation and common experience of every young person in America.
Youth Service America channels most of its grantmaking into youth-led service, civic participation, and volunteer mobilization, with a pattern that reaches from small youth grants to larger lead-agency awards. In the recent grants list, the two largest amounts went to broad internal grant lines in Washington, DC, while named partners received funding for state and local service infrastructure across the country. The foundation’s programs repeatedly connect young people to national days of service, including Youth Service Month, Global Youth Service Day, MLK Day of Service, and 9/11 service activities. The organization also uses grants to support youth leadership and community organizing models. Examples include a $22,500 award to GenerationNation in Charlotte for National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and Youth Service Zone Grant work, and a $20,500 award to My Sister’s Keeper in Highland Park for the same combined purpose. Other grants support volunteer centers, schools, civic education groups, and youth-development organizations that host service activities or train young people to lead them. Across the grant list, Youth Service America funds only U.S. recipients.
Youth Service America supports several linked cause areas rather than a single program silo. In civic engagement, it gave $14,000 to Young Women’s Preparatory Network in El Paso for National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant work, and $10,000 to Norte Vista High School in Riverside for a National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant. Its service-learning work shows up in youth-serving institutions and local intermediaries. The foundation awarded $19,500 to Perry Local Schools in Perry for a Youth Service Zone Grant, and $19,500 to Volunteer Center of South Jersey in Sewell for the same grant type. Youth voice and leadership also appear in program-specific youth grants. The Hershey Heartwarming Young Heroes Grants support awareness, service, philanthropy, youth voice, leadership, and advocacy events during Youth Service Month and Global Youth Service Day, with awards of $250, $500, or $1,000.
Youth Service America’s typical grant size sits in a narrow band: the 25th percentile is $7,250, the median is $9,000, and the 75th percentile is $12,875. The recent grants list also shows a mix of larger lead-agency awards and smaller local grants, including recurring program lines such as Youth Service Zone, 50by250 Lead Organizer, and National Days of Service grants. Some recipients appear in multiple years, including the United Way of Genesee County, which received grants in both 2023 and 2024. The foundation funds individuals through recognition and youth awards as well as organizational grants. It also accepts unsolicited applications for some named programs, including Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Youth Grants, We Serve to Remember 9/11 Day of Service Grants, and Hershey Heartwarming Young Heroes Grants.
$726K
$556K
$2M
$2M
Most grants fall between $7K and $13K, with a median of $9K.
25th Percentile
$7K
Median
$9K
75th Percentile
$13K
About 3% of grants go to recipients in NC.
Steven A Culbertson
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Grantmaking is national, and the distribution of named recipients shows activity across many states. North Carolina appears most often by grant count, with examples including Charlotte and Winterville. Other repeated locations in the recent grants list include Baltimore, Maryland; Flint and Lansing, Michigan; and Houston, Texas. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 70 grants in the United States. The foundation’s headquarters are in Washington, DC, but only 3% of grants go to recipients in DC.
It funds youth service, civic engagement, volunteering, service-learning, youth leadership and capacity building, and hunger-relief projects through youth grants and programs. The active program list also includes National Days of Service, Youth Service Zone, ServiceVote, MLK Day of Service, and Global Youth Service Day.
The grant-size distribution is centered around small project grants: the 25th percentile is $7,250, the median is $9,000, and the 75th percentile is $12,875. Active youth-grant programs also include fixed awards such as $1,000 youth grants and Hershey Heartwarming Young Heroes awards of $250, $500, or $1,000.
It funds individuals as well as organizations. The active programs include recognition and awards for youth service project leaders, alongside organizational grants for lead agencies, youth service zones, and local partners.
The top state by grant count is North Carolina. Recent recipients there include Charlotte and Winterville, while the foundation also gives broadly across the United States.
Yes. The active program list marks Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Youth Grants, We Serve to Remember 9/11 Day of Service Grants, and Hershey Heartwarming Young Heroes Grants as accepting unsolicited applications.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Other Grantees | Washington, DC | $197,650 | 2024 | All Other Grants |
| State of Michigan MCSC | Lansing, MI | $29,500 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grants and Youth Service Zone Grant and Harris Wofford Award |
| United Way of Genesee County | Flint, MI | $25,000 | 2024 | Youth Genesee Serves Subgrants |
| GenerationNation | Charlotte, NC | $22,500 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and Youth Service Zone Grant |
| My Sister s Keeper | Highland Park, MI | $20,500 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and Youth Service Zone Grant |
| Volunteer Center of South Jersey | Sewell, NJ | $19,500 | 2024 | Youth Service Zone Grant |
| Perry Local Schools | Perry, OH | $19,500 | 2024 | Youth Service Zone Grant |
| Engage Arkansas | Little Rock, AR | $19,500 | 2024 | Youth Service Zone Grant |
| Massachusetts Service Alliance | Boston, MA | $19,500 | 2024 | Youth Service Zone Grant |
| Volunteer Iowa | Des Moines, IA | $15,500 | 2024 | Youth Service Zone Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant and Harris Wofford Award |
| CAVALRY | San Antonio, TX | $14,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant |
| United Way of the Plains | Wichita, KS | $14,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant |
| Young Women s Preparatory Network | El Paso, TX | $14,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant |
| Amazing Testimonies | Gaston, SC | $14,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant |
| Maryland Civic Education Coalition | Baltimore, MD | $13,000 | 2024 | Youth Service Zone Grant |
| The 5th Inc Youth Development Group | Hollywood, FL | $12,500 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant |
| SWAT Foundation Inc | Augusta, GA | $10,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant |
| Norte Vista High School | Riverside, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant |
| Gamebred Youth & Families | Miami, FL | $10,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant |
| United Way of the Dutchess-Orange | Poughkeepsie, NY | $9,500 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant |
| Green House International Church | Houston, TX | $9,500 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant |
| Morning Bishop Theatre Playhouse | Gary, IN | $9,500 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant |
| Let s Thrive Baltimore | Baltimore, MD | $9,500 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant |
| Volunteer Center of Morgan County | Decatur, AL | $9,500 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant |
| John Marshall High School | Oklahoma City, OK | $9,500 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant |
| Young Women of Promise | Winterville, NC | $9,500 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant |
| Democracy Prep Public Schools | New York, NY | $9,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant |
| Indiana FCCLA | Sunman, IN | $9,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant |
| Louisiana 4-H Foundation | Baton Rouge, LA | $9,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant |
| Minnesota FCCLA | Roseville, MN | $9,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant |
| Organized Youth | Saugus, MA | $9,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant |
| Learn and Serve Tampa | Tampa, FL | $9,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant |
| Houston School District Foundation | Houston, TX | $9,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant |
| S C R A P Gallery | Cathedral City, CA | $9,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Blue Ridge | Martinsville, VA | $9,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant |
| Anne Arundel County Public Schools | Annapolis, MD | $9,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant |
| Coahoma Community College | Clarksdale, MS | $9,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant |
| Manor High School | Portsmouth, VA | $9,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant |
| Cobb Collaborative | Smyrna, GA | $8,000 | 2024 | 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant and ServiceVote Fellows 2022 Grant |
| The Red House Arts Center | Syracuse, NY | $7,000 | 2024 | 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant and Afterschool Grant |
| University of Maryland | College Park, MD | $6,500 | 2024 | Youth Service Zone Grant |
| East Central High School | Saint Leon, IN | $6,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant |
| Big Walnut Middle School | Sunbury, OH | $6,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant |
| After-School All-Stars Hawaii | Honolulu, HI | $6,000 | 2024 | Afterschool Grant |
| Detroit Public Schools District | Detroit, MI | $6,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant |
| Montana FCCLA | Bozeman, MT | $6,000 | 2024 | National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant |
| All Other Grants | Washington, DC | $355,250 | 2023 | All Other Grants |
| United Way of Genesee County | Flint, MI | $25,000 | 2023 | Youth Genesee Serves Grants |
| Girard College | Philadelphia, PA | $15,000 | 2023 | Youth Service Zone Grants |
| Kaho omiki | Honolulu, HI | $10,000 | 2023 | Youth Service Zone Grants |
All Other Grantees
$197,650All Other Grants
State of Michigan MCSC
$29,500National Days of Service Lead Agency Grants and Youth Service Zone Grant and Harris Wofford Award
United Way of Genesee County
$25,000Youth Genesee Serves Subgrants
GenerationNation
$22,500National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and Youth Service Zone Grant
My Sister s Keeper
$20,500National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and Youth Service Zone Grant
Volunteer Center of South Jersey
$19,500Youth Service Zone Grant
Perry Local Schools
$19,500Youth Service Zone Grant
Engage Arkansas
$19,500Youth Service Zone Grant
Massachusetts Service Alliance
$19,500Youth Service Zone Grant
Volunteer Iowa
$15,500Youth Service Zone Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant and Harris Wofford Award
CAVALRY
$14,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant
United Way of the Plains
$14,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant
Young Women s Preparatory Network
$14,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant
Amazing Testimonies
$14,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant
Maryland Civic Education Coalition
$13,000Youth Service Zone Grant
The 5th Inc Youth Development Group
$12,500National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant
SWAT Foundation Inc
$10,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant
Norte Vista High School
$10,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant
Gamebred Youth & Families
$10,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant
United Way of the Dutchess-Orange
$9,500National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant
Green House International Church
$9,500National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant
Morning Bishop Theatre Playhouse
$9,500National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant
Let s Thrive Baltimore
$9,500National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant
Volunteer Center of Morgan County
$9,500National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant
John Marshall High School
$9,500National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant
Young Women of Promise
$9,500National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant and 50by250 Lead Organizer Grant
Democracy Prep Public Schools
$9,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant
Indiana FCCLA
$9,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant
Louisiana 4-H Foundation
$9,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant
Minnesota FCCLA
$9,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant
Organized Youth
$9,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant
Learn and Serve Tampa
$9,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant
Houston School District Foundation
$9,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant
S C R A P Gallery
$9,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant
Boys & Girls Clubs of Blue Ridge
$9,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant
Anne Arundel County Public Schools
$9,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant
Coahoma Community College
$9,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant
Manor High School
$9,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant
Cobb Collaborative
$8,00050by250 Lead Organizer Grant and ServiceVote Fellows 2022 Grant
The Red House Arts Center
$7,00050by250 Lead Organizer Grant and Afterschool Grant
University of Maryland
$6,500Youth Service Zone Grant
East Central High School
$6,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant
Big Walnut Middle School
$6,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant
After-School All-Stars Hawaii
$6,000Afterschool Grant
Detroit Public Schools District
$6,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant
Montana FCCLA
$6,000National Days of Service Lead Agency Grant
All Other Grants
$355,250All Other Grants
United Way of Genesee County
$25,000Youth Genesee Serves Grants
Girard College
$15,000Youth Service Zone Grants
Kaho omiki
$10,000Youth Service Zone Grants
Current and upcoming funding from Youth Service America that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Teams of 2–5 youth between the ages of 5 and 25 based in the United States. Projects should address a root cause of hunger and engage other youth in volunteerism.
Deadline: Application Deadline: December 8 (annual)
Who can apply: Organizations, schools, and youth changemakers ages 5 to 25 may apply to lead service projects on or around September 11. Grantees must engage at least 100 youth as volunteers in planning and implementing the service activities, with an emphasis on youth who are not usually asked to serve and who face systemic barriers to participation.
Deadline: Application will open in late spring 2025.
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