Hershey Heartwarming Young Heroes Youth Grants

Hershey Heartwarming Young Heroes Youth Grants is sponsored by Youth Service America in partnership with The Hershey Company. Small grants to youth changemakers (ages 5–25) for service projects—supports youth empowerment, community engagement, character education.

Hershey Heartwarming Young Heroes Grants Application | Youth Service America A New Era of Youth Service Stop Hunger Classroom Challenge (Submit by March 6) 38th Annual Global Youth Service Day (April 24-26, 2026) and Youth Service Month (April 10 – May 10, 2026) Hershey Heartwarming Young Heroes Grants – Apply by March 15, 2026 Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Youth Grants 9/11 Day of Service (September 11, 2026) Make a Difference Day (October 24, 2026) ServiceVote (Election Day: November 3, 2026) MLK Day of Service (January 18, 2027) Semester & Summer of Service Youth Service Knowledge Center Service-Learning Experience Toolkit Designing and Implementing a Service-Learning Experience Course Create-Your-Own Youth Service Institute Guides.

vote Nonpartisan Candidate Guides Everyday Young Hero Awards Connect with @YouthService Coalition for Service-Learning YSA Impact & Financial Reports Hershey Heartwarming Young Heroes GYSD Grants Application Application Deadline: March 15, 2026 at 11:59pm Your Local Time Check out the answers to Frequently Asked Questions about this program. Still have a question? Contact Scott Ganske, YSA’s Vice President of Education at sganske@ysa.

org . Use these tools from the YSA Knowledge Center to help you plan your project and work on your grant application. Youth Changing the World Toolkit Classrooms with a Cause Toolkit (for young adults ages 19-25) 2026 Hershey Heartwarming Young Heroes Grant Application Save my progress and resume later | Resume a previously saved form In order to be able to resume this form later, please enter your email and choose a password.

Password must contain the following: Please note: This application will NOT automatically save. You must click the "Save my progress and resume later" button at the top or bottom of this page to do so. Youth applicants, if you were awarded a 2026 Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Youth Grant, you are not eligible for this grant.

We recommend typing your responses into a Word Doc (or similar), then copying and pasting into the application when you're ready to submit your idea. We acknowledge that all of the responses provided above are original to the applicant and not AI-generated. (You may use AI as an editing or proofreading tool, but not to write your responses - we want to hear about your project/event idea in your own words.)

Yes, all responses are original to the applicants. Please fill out the following information about the Project Leader, the youth applying for this grant. Please fill out the following information about the parent or guardian of the youth applying for this grant.

Parent/Guardian First Name Parent/Guardian Email Address Parent/Guardian Phone Number Checking this box confirms that the parent or guardian listed above has given their permission for the youth applicant to apply for this grant and participate in this program. The Sponsoring Organization will support the youth leaders in implementing their awarded project.

The Sponsoring Organization will also accept the grant check on behalf of the youth and distribute the funds for project purchases outlined in the awarded budget. While Sponsoring Organizations are not required to have 501(c)3 status, they must be tax exempt. Province Please select...

Organization Phone Number The Project Mentor should be a staff member at the Sponsoring Organization. Their role is to work directly with the youth leaders to provide support and guidance as they plan and implement their program and, if needed, liaise between the youth and organization leadership/staff.

While your Mentor will help you and give you advice, please help your Mentor understand that you are in charge of making the important decisions about all parts of your project! Mentor Title/Role at Sponsoring Organization Choose a short project title (less than 10 words). Which grant type are you applying for?

Please select... Which of these best describes your proposed youth voice, leadership, or advocacy event?

- Youth Rally, March, or Protest - Youth Day at City Hall or State Capitol - Youth Voter Registration Drive - Youth Summit or Forum; Youth-Facilitated Candidate Forums/Debates - Youth Participation in Public Meetings (City Council, County Board, School Board, etc.) - Youth-Led Training; Leadership Training for Youth; Youth-Adult Partnerships Training for Adults - Youth Advisory Group Planning, Recruitment, Training, and Matching Event - Community Mapping and/or Needs Assessments Activities Which issue or community need best matches the focus of your project idea?

Please select... - Celebrating Diverse Cultures - Creating a Kinder Community - Protecting Mental Health Fostering Meaningful Connections - Building Intergenerational Relationships - Addressing Social Isolation & Loneliness Other (please list below) If you selected "Other", please tell us what issue area your project will address. Which grant size are you applying for?

Please select... $250 Mini-Size Grant (at least 25 youth engaged as volunteers/participants) $500 Standard-Size Grant (at least 50 youth engaged as volunteers/participants) $1,000 King-Size Grant (at least 100 youth engaged as volunteers/participants) Why is this issue / community need or providing more youth advocacy / voice / leadership opportunities especially important or meaningful to you?

Using facts, figures, and statements that you have learned from experts about the issue you're addressing, please explain why your project is needed in the community you are helping. Where did you get your information from? Describe your project / event idea in 5-10 sentences.

Make sure to include details about what you will do, who will be involved, when it will happen (including key preparation and planning steps), and where it will take place. This is the most important question in the application—we will need to understand exactly what you plan on doing!

Projects / events must be implemented during Youth Service Month (April 10 - May 10, 2026) and may take place primarily on one day or be recurring during that time. Global Youth Service Day (April 24-26, 2026) is strongly encouraged but not required. What will volunteers/participants do during your project/event?

How will your peers and other youth help you plan and implement your idea? Volunteers may include youth who help you plan your project, peers who serve in a leadership role on the day of your project, and peers who volunteer on the day of your project. What do you hope to achieve by the completion of your project/event and how did you set these goals?

Please include a number for each of your goals (For example, make 250 birthday bags or start a buddy reading program at 3 elementary schools) as well as how many people you think will be helped by your project. All grantees will be required to provide data on project outputs and number of people helped. How will you work with your Sponsoring Organization to make your project / event idea a reality?

If there are other groups or people you plan or hope to work with, share who they are and how you plan or hope to work with them. This may include organizations, businesses, and individuals who provide information about the issue you're addressing, who sponsor your project with money or supplies, or are benefitting from your project.

How can your idea continue to make a positive impact on your community and volunteers even after your project is done? If you use these grant funds to start or expand a project, what are your plans to raise local funds to continue it? The very best projects are ones that have a plan for long-term impact.

We’re really interested in projects that expand on or start something new that will continue to help people after your initial project is completed and that inspire volunteers to serve again and again. About Your Volunteers / Participants How many other young people, ages 5-25, will you be able to engage as project volunteers or active event participants?

Volunteers may include peers who help you plan your project; peers who serve in a leadership role on the day of your project; and peers who volunteer on the day of your project, but not in a leadership role How will you recruit youth from different backgrounds, as well as youth who have not served before, to volunteer with your project or participate in your event?

This may include young people of color (Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Indigenous); youth from low-income families or neighborhoods; youth who are homeless; youth who are in foster care; youth who have disabilities; youth who are in the Juvenile Justice System; youth who are asylees, refugees, or immigrants; youth who are English language learners; youth who live in rural areas, youth who are in military families; youth who are LGBTQIA+; younger youth; and youth who have experienced or are experiencing the issue your project is addressing Will any Hershey employees be involved with your project?

If so, please write down their name(s) and the name of the location(s) where they work. It's okay if you do not know any Hershey employees, especially if you are not in the areas where most Hershey employees live and work: Austin, TX; Charlotte, NC; Boulder/Denver, CO; Robinson, IL; Hazleton, PA; Lancaster, PA; Hershey/Harrisburg, PA; Memphis, TN; Stuarts Draft, VA; and Bentonville, AR.

Will any public/elected officials or other VIPs be involved with your project / event? If so, please share their name(s), title(s), and describe how they will be involved. Will any local media be invited to your project / event?

If so, please share which reporters or outlets you will reach out to. How will you, your partners, and caring adults who supported your work share the story of your project in ways that recognize and celebrate your volunteers and inspire others to get involved in the future? If your plan involves media groups and/or community leaders, let us know which ones you might reach out to.

How will you make sure your project helps youth project volunteers / event participants feel more connected to their community by providing opportunities for youth to meaningfully connect with their peers, caring adults, or community organizations and/or by providing opportunities to build a more inclusive, empathetic, and kind community in the future?

Opportunities to build a more inclusive, empathetic, and kind community could include activities that promote inclusion, celebrate diverse cultures, build racial equity, teach empathy, encourage acts of kindness, protect mental health, foster meaningful connections, build intergenerational relationships, or address social isolation How will you spend the grant funding?

Please list the items you will purchase, how many of each item, the cost per item, and the total cost of that item. The total budget should equal the amount you requested above. If you've already secured financial or supply support from other groups, please include that as well.

For example, 10 yards of fleece to make stuffed animals for children in hospitals x $5/yard of fabric = $50 Expenses that we are able to fund include : Recognition items (such as t-shirts, certificates, plaques) and snacks/refreshments are allowed but should not cost more than 40% of your budget ($100 for $250 grants, $200 for $500 grants, $400 for $1,000 grants).

Things you need to complete your service (art supplies, seeds to plant, baskets to transport meals for hungry people, etc.); Local transportation for youth doing service; Postage, copying, and printing directly related to your project. Expenses that we CANNOT fund include : Food or supplies that will be directly donated to project recipients as part of a one-time event, including as part of a meal preparation or packing event.

Examples: - You cannot purchase cans of food for a food drive, but you can purchase food that will be used to teach a budget-friendly cooking class - You cannot purchase ingredients to prepare meals to be donated, but you can purchase backpacks/bags or other reusable supplies.

- You cannot purchase items to be included in a packing event, but you can use funds for transportation or other costs to support volunteers’ participation in a packing event. Expensive equipment that will be used only once, such as a GPS.

If the equipment will be used many times in the future, be sure to explain that to us in your budget; Direct payments to people, like hiring a DJ or paying someone to speak at or attend your event; Anything called "miscellaneous expenses" that you do not fully explain; Funding of daily operations for ongoing programs; Expenses NOT directly related to the proposed project.

If awarded a 2026 Hershey Heartwarming Young Hero Grant, we understand that at least one representative of the awarded project will watch a required program orientation video. Yes, we understand. If awarded a 2026 Hershey Heartwarming Young Hero Grant, we understand that we are required to submit final project/event details by Thursday, April 9 and submit a post-project/event impact report by Sunday, May 31 .

Yes, we understand. Save my progress and resume later | Resume a previously saved form