NFL Youth Football Fund Grassroots Program

Date Posted: 09/22/2011

The NFL Youth Football Fund Grassroots Program is a partnership of the National Football League Youth Football Fund (NFL YFF) and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to provide non-profit, neighborhood-based organizations, middle schools and high schools with
financing and technical assistance to improve the quality, safety, and accessibility of local football fields. Parks and ball fields can serve as tremendous community assets because they offer opportunities for recreation, education, and relaxation that contribute to the local quality of life, especially for young people. Since 1998, the Fields Program has awarded $30 million in grants for 241 projects with total development costs of $125 million in more than 70 cities across the country. Grants are announced and awarded annually in the early winter.

How the Fields Program Works 

The NFL and LISC issue a Request for Proposals (RFP), or an open invitation to all qualified
non-profit organizations in NFL markets to submit proposals for funding. LISC reviews the
proposals, requests additional information where necessary, and makes site visits to the finalist
organizations. Then LISC recommends to the NFL which organizations have the capacity, plans,
and partners to renovate their local football fields and to attract increased youth football
programming to the site. The Board of Directors of the NFL Youth Football Fund makes the
final funding decisions.

Once the NFL chooses the award recipients, LISC works with local NFL teams and the award
recipients to make press announcements and handle media events. LISC then manages the flow
of funding, making sure that projects move forward on a timely schedule. The proposal and
review processes are designed to make sure that the capital improvements to renovate older
fields and establish new football fields will have a stream of maintenance funds and the
community support needed to sustain the use of the fields over the long term.

In 2011, LISC will award $2.5 million in grants to support community football fields. The proposal deadline for this grant cycle is December 16, 2011.

Contact:

Brandon Holmes

LISC Program Officer

513.723.1026 x13

bholmes@lisc.org