Youth Grants

Youth Grants is sponsored by Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation (in partnership with Youth Service America - YSA). Empower young changemakers (ages 5 to 25) to take action against childhood hunger. These grants support projects focused on awareness, direct service, advocacy, and philanthropy, helping youth drive real change in their communities.

Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Youth Grants Application | Youth Service America Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Youth Grants Application Application Deadline: January 25, 2026 Before you start your application, make sure you thoroughly review the Program Details, Budget Guidelines, and FAQs on the program landing page . Questions while working on your application? Contact Scott Ganske, YSA’s Vice President of Education at sganske (at) ysa.

org . Use the free planning toolkits in the YSA Knowledge Center to help you plan your project and work on your 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: 2026 Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Youth Grant Application 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. Please fill out the following information about the Project Leader, the youth applying for this grant.

When following up about your application, we want to make sure our language accurately reflects you and how we should refer to you if we do not use your name. Examples include, but are not limited to, she/her, he/him, they/them, they/she, and he/they. Why is the issue of childhood hunger especially important or meaningful to you?

Please fill out the following information about the parent or guardian of the youth applying for this grant. Parent/Guardian First Name Parent/Guardian Last Name When following up about this application, we want to make sure our language accurately reflects you and how we should refer to you if we do not use your name. Examples include, but are not limited to, she/her, he/him, they/them, they/she, and he/they.

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 program.

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

When following up about this application, we want to make sure our language accurately reflects you and how we should refer to you if we do not use your name. Examples include, but are not limited to, she/her, he/him, they/them, they/she, and he/they. Mentor Title/Role at Sponsoring Organization Choose a short project title (less than 10 words).

What type of project are you organizing? Please select...

Short-Term: Recover and Donate Surplus or Leftover Food Short-Term: Prepare and Serve Meals Short-Term: Organize a Food Drive Short-Term: Start a Backpack Meal Program Short-Term: Raise and Donate Money Long-Term: Build a Community Garden Long-Term: Host Healthy and Budget-Friendly Cooking Classes Long-Term: Teach People About Government Assistance Programs like SNAP and WIC Long-Term: Help Food Pantries Offer More Than Just Food Long-Term: Contact Your Elected Officials to Support Programs that End Hunger Long-Term: Create a Little Free Food Pantry Describe your project idea in 5-10 sentences.

Make sure to include what the service project you're leading is, key timeline milestones (ex. purchase all project supplies by March 15, contact local news stations by April 1, and host first cooking class on April 25), and where your project will take place. This is the most important question in the whole application—we will need to understand exactly what you plan on doing!

Projects must be implemented during the 2026 Sodexo Servathon from April 1 to May 31 and may take place primarily on one day or may be recurring during that time. Any preparation activities may take place before April 1. Some activity during Youth Service Month (April 10 – May 10, 2026) and/or Global Youth Service Day (April 24-26, 2026) is strongly encouraged, but not required.

What will volunteers do during your project? What are your volunteer roles and how many people do you need in each role?

For examples of roles and more information about who can and cannot be counted as a volunteer, check out our list of Frequently Asked Questions 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.

Using facts, figures, and statements that you have learned from experts about childhood hunger, please explain why your project is needed in the community you are helping. Where did you get your information from? What are the measurable goals of your project?

How will you measure and track the goals? Please include a number for your goal (For example, recover 500 pounds of food or organize 5 nutritious, budget-friendly cooking classes) 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, including number of meals or meal equivalents (we'll provide help on how to calculate meal equivalents) and number of people helped. How did you set your goals of what you will accomplish and how many people you will help? How will you work with your Sponsoring Organization to make your project 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 childhood hunger, who sponsor your project with money or supplies, or are benefitting from your project.

How can your idea start to prevent childhood hunger in the future or continue to help 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 the project? The very best projects are ones that have a plan for long-term impact.

We’re really interested in projects that bring new and creative solutions to the problem, accomplish things that an organization’s regular volunteers wouldn’t normally do, or start something new that will continue to help people after your initial project is completed. How many other young people ages 5-25 do you think you can recruit to volunteer with your project?

Please keep in mind that you will need to engage at least 100 youth as volunteers. How will you recruit at least 100 other youth to participate as volunteers in your project? Make sure to include youth who aren't usually asked to serve and youth who may not have volunteered before.

Youth not usually asked to serve includes, but is not limited to: young people of color (Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Indigenous); youth who have experienced or are experiencing hunger; 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; and youth who are LGBTQIA+.

Will any Sodexo employees or VIPs be involved with your project? If so, please write down their name(s) and the name of the location(s) where they work and describe how they might be involved.

An easy way to check if there are Sodexo employees in your community is to do a Google search using "Sodexo + Your City Name" How will you recognize your volunteers and tell the story of your project with groups like the media and community leaders? What media groups such as newspapers or tv news stations and community leaders (including city, county, and school district elected officials) might you reach out to?

How will you spend the $1,000 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. 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, 20 backpacks to start weekend feeding program x $10/backpack = $200 We're especially interested in funding start-up or expansion costs for projects that have a plan to raise additional local funds to continue.

Expenses that we are able to fund include: • Recognition items (t-shirts, certificates, etc.) and snacks/refreshments are allowed but should not cost more than 30% of the budget - $300 - in total; • Things you need to complete your service (promotional and recruitment materials, art supplies, seeds/plants and gardening supplies, baskets to transport meals, backpacks for weekend feeding programs, 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 (like cans of food for a food drive) or food/ingredients or supplies that will be used to create meals that will be served/distributed during a one-time 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; • Administrative cost or indirect rates percentages for sponsoring organization; • Expenses NOT directly related to the proposed project.

If awarded a 2026 Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Grant, we understand that at least one representative of the awarded project (this may be the Grantee, Parent/Guardian, Mentor or fellow youth project planner) will attend a required one-hour orientation call to be scheduled in late February.

Yes, we understand If awarded a 2026 Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Grant, we understand that we are required to register our project in mid to late-March and submit a post-project impact report by May 31. Yes, we understand We acknowledge that all of the responses provided above are original to the applicant and not AI-generated.

Yes, all responses provided above are original to the applicants How much grant funding do you need for your project? (Maximum $500) You must recruit at least youth volunteers to be eligible for the grant amount you've selected. Project Description for Synch This is the most important question in the whole application—we will need to understand exactly what you plan on doing!

Do you commit to reaching out to local media and public or elected officials to ask for their help with your project, and to sharing the results of your project? (YSA will provide resources to help you do this.) Yes, we will.

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