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.

Grant application as MSWord document

Grant application as .pdf document

2012 Accounting Info Form

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?
An email is sent to everyone in the Sports Authority's database who have expressed an interest and who have applied before. The announcement contains the deadline, general instructions, and times for the Grant Application workshop. (NEW) Attendance at this workshop is strongly encouraged for any group submitting a grant application.

Submitted applications go through the following process:

• JFS/Fighting Back 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,JFS/ Fighting Back 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 acceptable payment forms
• New matching funds of 25% of grant award (this can be monetary, in-kind, and/or a combination of both)

Grant funds will be disbursed through a reimbursement process.

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 forms are attached on website). 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 under age 18, (if they are still in school, to age 19) 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 5b, 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 2pm on Friday, March 9, 2012; applications received after that time will not be accepted.

Jewish Family Services, Inc. - Fighting Back
1300 North Jackson Street
Milwaukee WI 53202

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 e-mail list, please email your contact information including name, organization, street, city, state, ZIP Code, and any other contact information to nbrown@jfsmilw.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 Fighting Back, Inc. 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.