Girls Sports Grants

Girls Sports Grants is sponsored by 7 Strong Foundation. Provides financial assistance to female athletes in grades 8–12 and to nonprofit, community-based recreational sports organizations to support their participation in sports.

Sports 4 Life - Women's Sports Foundation The Equity Project Pledge Sports 4 Life offers community funding and seeks to effect sustainable improvement to the overall health and development of girls in these communities through grant making, leadership training and capacity-building efforts.

Sports 4 Life, cofounded by the Women’s Sports Foundation and ESPN in 2014, was created based on the knowledge that while sports participation offers tremendous life-long benefits – from improved physical health and self-esteem, to better grades in school and enhanced leadership skills – young girls do not have equal access to play. For example, African-American girls are less likely to be current players (28.

3%) and most likely to have never played sports (54. 5%) compared to other groups examined (Zarrett, Veliz, & Sabo, 2020). Additionally, girls of color are shortchanged in the public-school setting where they have far more limited opportunity to participate in physical activity/sports than boys of color and white peers (NWLC, 2015).

The program seeks to address the disparities in access to sports. 2026 funding is made possible by co-founding partner ESPN. Deadlines and Relevant Dates The Sports 4 Life grant application is closed.

If you would like to receive a notification when the 2027 grant cycle opens, please e-mail your contact information to Anne Peltier at APeltier@WomensSportsFoundation. org, and include Sports 4 Life in the subject line. In general, the applicant should be a non-profit school, parks and recreation department, non-profit organization or an amateur sports league.

Grants remain open to all applicants regardless of demographic identity. Eligible applicants must demonstrate that their program meets the following criteria: The ability to deliver structured, developmental sports programming for girls ages 11–18 through experienced and committed leadership, in service to the fund’s objective of increasing access and opportunity for underserved girls.

The ability to provide ongoing funding to implement sports programming after the life of the funding has expired Comply with all of the applicable Federal Civil Rights laws, including the requirements pertaining to developing and submitting an Equal Employment Opportunity Plan (EEOP), reporting Findings of Discrimination, and providing language services to Limited English Proficiency (LEP) persons.

Sports 4 Life Partners that have received prior funding should demonstrate how funding has resulted in the growth of girls participating in sports. Any subsequent funding is contingent upon receipt of a satisfactory final and/or mid-term report. Sports 4 Life Partners that have received three years of consecutive funding will not be invited to apply until 2028.

Funding can be used for coaching, curriculum, equipment, uniforms, transportation, facility rental, tournaments and/or team-building activities, all while fostering the Sports 4 Life benefits: leadership, self-esteem, confidence and perseverance. Partners will be required to use We Play Interactive (provided free of charge).

Hosted on a fully accessible digital learning platform, We Play Interactive is for program leaders, coaches and mentors looking to create a safe, welcoming, and engaging environment that empowers girls to explore, grow and thrive through physical activity and sport. This program is activity-based and includes best practices from the Women’s Sports Foundation’s award-winning GoGirlGo!

curriculum used for more than 20 years to help girls become more active. We Play Interactive is a flexible educational tool that can easily be integrated into any program. Learn more and register here .

Participation in a Women’s Sports Foundation program evaluation webinar by a designated program administrator. Completion of pre- and post-participation attitudinal surveys by the girl participants enrolled in the program. * Completion of post-program surveys by the designated program administrator.

If requested, provide your organization’s most recent audited financials or IRS Form 990 Completion of a final report detailing the impact of the program and how the funding was used. Recipients that request renewed funding will be asked to provide a mid- term report. If requested, participation in a site visit(s) by the Women’s Sports Foundation during the course of the program.

Appropriate acknowledgement of Women’s Sports Foundation and its partners support in one or more of the following: program events, publications, videos, display onsite at facility or website. Usage guidelines will be provided to recipients.

Regularly provide photos, videos, press clippings and other relevant publicity information about the projects, services, operations, activities or programs in which grant funds were used on an ongoing basis and as attachments to the required reports. Access to the program’s girl participants for evaluation and public education purposes.

* Acknowledge that public announcements of the funding award may be made by the Women’s Sports Foundation, ESPN and Gatorade. *The funded program is responsible for securing appropriate parental consent, as needed. Together, the Women’s Sports Foundation and its partners will award a minimum of $430,000 in 2026.

The Women’s Sports Foundation has developed a two-step application process that involves a letter of intent (LOI) application and a follow-up grant application. A selected group of organizations will be invited to submit a follow-up grant application. Please note that an invitation for an organization to submit a grant application does not guarantee that they will receive a grant.

During the program application period, an authorized representative must visit Foundant GLM, the Women’s Sports Foundation’s grant-management system, and follow the directions to register a new user profile or update an existing profile. Limit one (1) profile per person/email address. Once your profile is registered, you will be able to save and submit your LOI application on the website.

After your LOI application is submitted, you will need to be invited to submit a grant application in order to proceed in the application process. Please read carefully through the full eligibility requirements and program criteria before starting a Foundant account and applying. Applicants will be judged on what information is available or provided at the time of application submission.

Notification of Application Acceptance You will receive an e-mail at the e-mail address provided in your profile when your application has been received. Any application that is late, incomplete or requesting funds for an event or purchase of equipment that will occur before the applicant would receive the grant money will not be accepted.

Other conditions under which an application will not be accepted: Applications that are e-mailed or faxed Applications for programs that require compulsory religious participation Applications requesting funding towards the purchase of land, construction of buildings, event sponsorships, providing scholarships to individuals and/or the purchase/care of animals Applications requesting retroactive funding 318 Foundation Gaithersburg, Md.

A Place Called Home Los Angeles, Calif. After-School All-Stars, Los Angeles Los Angeles, Calif. Atalanta NYC New York, N.

Y. Athletics & Beyond Denver, Colo. Beat the Streets Chicago Chicago, Ill.

Black Girl Magic Educational Services, Inc. Madison, Wis. Boss Nation Inc. Flossmoor, Ill. Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket Pawtucket, R.

I. Charity Bounce Greenville, N. C.

ClockedIn Lakewood, Calif. Columbus Recreation and Parks Foundation Columbus, Ohio Dance Institute of Washington, Inc. Washington, D. C.

Directed Initiatives for Youth, Inc. dBA Excite All Stars New Orleans, La, EYTO Foundation, Inc. Lawrenceville, Ga. Fields & Futures Oklahoma City, Okla. Friends of Detroit Rowing Detroit, Mich.

Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena Waldorf, Md. Girls Inc. of the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area Washington D. C.

Gold Coast Volleyball Club Dania Beach, Fla. Kansas City Girls Preparatory Academy Kansas City, Mo. Karate For Change Yonkers, N.

Y. KiDsGyM USA, Inc. College Park, Ga. Kings County Tennis League Brooklyn, N.

Y. Let's Go 1-2-3 Philadelphia, Pa. Native American Advancement Foundation Tucson, Ariz.

Oakland Genesis Oakland, Calif. Palm Beach Rams Football and Cheerleading League Corp West Palm Beach, Fla. PeacePlayers Brooklyn, N.

Y. Play Rugby USA New York, N. Y.

Play Where You Stay Memphis, Tenn. Rainfall Ranch Rescue Lakebay, Wash. Redds & Kanuru, Inc. D.

B. A. Lee Lee Kiddz Baltimore, Md.

Skate Like a Girl Seattle, Wash. South Bronx United Bronx, N. Y.

The SCGA Foundation Studio City, Calif. The Skills Center Tampa, Fla. ThruGUIDANCE Los Angeles, Calif.

Wendy Hilliard Foundation Detroit, Mich. YMCA OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO Chicago, Ill. If after reading these guidelines carefully, you have any questions, please contact Anne Peltier: 646.

833. 0424 or APeltier@WomensSportsFoundation. org .

Published Aug 23, 2016 by Women’s Sports Foundation