The Milwaukee Youth Sports Authority grants funds for organizations that wish to develop athletic activities for youth ages 6-18 who live in Milwaukee County.

What can Sports Authority funding be used for?

• Clinics and Training for Coaches, Youth Coaches, Referees, and Umpires (revised) (maximum $500)
• CPR and First-Aid training for volunteers (maximum $500)
• Equipment
• Health checkups (maximum of $30 per participant) (NEW)
• Leadership and self-discipline activities
• Nutritious food – no soda, chips, or candy (maximum $500)
• Referees
• Registration fees (These are fees to enter teams/participants in a tournament or competition among teams that is coordinated by some entity other than the funded organization, not out-of-state.)
• Stipends for youth coaches (maximum of $1,000) (NEW - to age 24, verified by student or photo ID, birth certificate, or letter from current school)
• Transportation
• T-Shirts, trophies, medals, ribbons
• Uniforms (revised - youth participants only, not coaches, referees, or youth coaches)

• Administrative overhead
• Fundraising
• Grant-writing fees
• Hotels and lodging
• Office equipment
• Out-of-state travel
• Pay for adult coaches
• Speaker fees (entertainment vs. education)
• Banquets and "eating out"
• Any expenses on behalf of youth coaches except for their stipend (NEW)

What are the steps in the grant process?
A letter is mailed to everyone on the Sports Authority's mailing list. The letter contains the deadline, general instructions, and times for the Grant Application workshop. (NEW) This workshop is mandatory for any group submitting a grant application.

Submitted applications go through the following process:

• The Planning Council for Health and Human Services, Inc., reviews all applications for completeness.
• All completed applications and additional historical information are forwarded for review by the Sports Authority Board of Directors, which makes recommendations for funding.
• The Sports Authority Board of Directors' recommendations for funding are submitted to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors for final approval.
• After final approval by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, the Planning Council sends award letters and Grant Agreements to funded applicants, and notifications to non-funded applicants.
• Funded applicants must return a signed copy of the Grant Agreement with attachments, a signed copy of the project budget, and a completed Financial Information Form.

Funded applicants must attend a Grant Agreement Workshop. It covers:

• The language of the Grant Agreement
• Clarification of terms such as "nutritious food"
• Reporting requirements
• What is acceptable as financial documentation
• Forms that can be used for team rosters, volunteers, and coaches
• Various Payment Forms

After the Grant Agreement Workshop and after any special conditions have been met, the funds are disbursed.

What guidelines must be followed in writing an application?

The application must be typed.

Do not alter the format of the form by, for example, enlarging the spaces for responses, or by creating your own "identical" form.

In fairness to all applicants, late applications, incomplete applications, and applications not completed on the current application form will not be considered.

The application must be for one sport only, unless the project is a multi-sport camp. The same sport offered to both boys and girls is considered one sport.

Grants must be submitted on the provided forms (current form is January 2008). Any application that does not use these forms will be rejected.

Attachment A (Project Budget Details) must be included. Be as specific as possible – describe items and costs.

The application must be accompanied by a cover letter which includes a description of the proposed project, why it is important, and who will benefit from the project; it must also be signed by a person authorized to sign contracts.

How will grant applications be evaluated?

Applications will be evaluated using the following criteria:

• Developmental sports programs that target low-income and/or disadvantaged youth ages 6-15 that live in underserved areas of Milwaukee County, with special emphasis on females;
• New or expanded programs that will increase the number of youth involved in sports, particularly sports with low participation rates in under-served areas, for example, girls' volleyball, boys' and girls' swimming, boys' and girls' soccer, and wrestling;
• Programs coordinated by volunteer support;
• Programs providing long-term plans for the development and training of youth participants as coaches and/or referees;
• Programs which promote a healthier lifestyle, including the benefits of balanced nutrition, the negative impact of smoking, drugs, and alcohol; and
• Programs which promote the development of positive interpersonal behavior and leadership skills.

Note that the application now asks, in Question 5a, if there are any participant restrictions and also asks for details about those restrictions.

The evaluation of applications and selection of grantees will be based on the information submitted in the applications. Failure to respond to each of the questions on the application form may be the basis for not approving an application. Late applications will not be accepted.

What is required of funded applicants?
Funded applicants must return a signed copy of the Grant Agreement with all required attachments, a signed copy of the project budget, and a completed Financial Information Form.

Funded applicants must attend a Grant Agreement Workshop and comply with any special conditions stated in the Grant Agreement.

When are applications due and where should they be turned in?
Grant Applications must be received at the address below by noon on the due date; applications received after that time will not be accepted. There is a slot in the office door for after-hours; the building is open until 8 p.m.

Planning Council for Health and Human Services, Inc.
1442 North Farwell Avenue Suite 300
Milwaukee WI 53202-2913

Emailed or Faxed applications will not be accepted.

How can I be sure that I will receive an announcement letter?
If you are already on the Sports Authority mailing list, you will receive a letter.

If you are not on the mailing list, please email your contact information including name, organization, street, city, state, ZIP Code, and any other contact information to mailinglist@milwaukeeyouthsports.org.

Instructions for Completing the Sports Authority Grant Application

IMPORTANT: The MSWord form can be used only with Word 2000 or later. Otherwise, you can complete the printed .pdf form, or request a printed copy from the Planning Council. You MUST use the current form (below), not an old one.

If the Word form is usable for you, save it to a working directory.

This form permits you to enter information ONLY in the designated spaces — these can be seen as underlined spaces. You can navigate through the document using your tab key or your mouse. You will notice that, when you open the document, the first field is already selected.

If you look at the status bar (at the bottom left of your screen), you will see notes that will help you to answer the questions. You can also press your F1 key to get help for each field. Most of the notes tell you how many characters and spaces that field will accept.

Grant application as MSWord document

Grant application as .pdf document

Revised! Budget Builder Workbook
It will help you calculate what you need for your project.