Since 1995, the Foundation has awarded grants to more than 530 organizations in all 50 states. Our Grants support projects throughout the U.S. that focus on keeping children in vulnerable communities active, healthy and safe from the dangers of the streets. The Foundation awards grants to help pay for field development, uniforms, player equipment, travel costs, facility rental, registration costs, and training for players, coaches and referees.

Apply Now >>

Important Dates

• October 5, 2009 - Grant Application Opens
• October 30, 2009, 5:00 PM, Eastern Time - Grant Application Closes

Who is Eligible for a Grant?

To be eligible for consideration for a grant of any type, applicants must:

• Be a not-for-profit organization, school, municipality, college or university, public school, or sovereign tribal nation that meets the established focus for the 2010 Grant Cycle.
• Apply for a soccer-specific program or field building project.

To be eligible for consideration for a Field or Synthetic Field Grant, applicants must:

• Own or have a minimum 10 year lease/land use agreement on the land where the field building project will take place.
• Have written authorization from the community where the field building project will take place to add lights to the field(s) (if applying for lights as part of the project).

The Foundation will not consider requests to fund:

• a program or project that discriminates by race, creed, color, sex, or national origin.
• a single individual.
• foreign projects or individuals.
• for-profit organizations.
• pass-through-grants, i.e., grants awarded to one organization for the purpose of granting to another.
• political campaigns.

Applicants must be a single entity. Applications submitted indicating “joint” or “co-applicants” will not be considered for funding.

Focus

For the 2010 Program and Field Grants Cycle, the following focus will guide the Foundation's funding decisions:

With the exception of Synthetic Field projects, grants will be awarded exclusively to projects and programs that develop players, coaches, and referees in economically disadvantaged urban areas encompassing populations of 50,000 or more.

The Foundation is especially interested in organizations that meet the above focus and incorporate a youth development element such as anti-violence, anti-drugs, healthy lifestyles, etc. into their soccer programs.

Although Synthetic Field Grants are available to all communities, the highest priority will be given to projects serving players in economically disadvantaged urban areas.

Grant Types

The Foundation's Annual Grants Cycle includes the following Grant types.

PROGRAM – A project that meets the Foundation's 2010 focus and does not contain a construction element. For the 2010 grant cycle, there is a $100,000 maximum request amount for Program Grants. The following Program elements will be considered for funding:

• Uniforms
• Player Equipment (shoes, shin guards, uniforms, etc.)
• Team Equipment (travelling goals, balls, cones, etc.)
• Travel Costs for Games and Practice (excludes expenses for professional games)
• Facility Rental Costs
• Registration Costs
• Training Fees for Coaches
• Training Fees for Referees  

FIELD – A project that meets the Foundation's 2010 focus and includes a construction element such as field renovation, addition or improvement of irrigation equipment, field equipment, lighting, installation of a futsal court or indoor structure, etc. This grant type does not include upgrading an existing field with a synthetic grass surface; these fall within the parameters of the Synthetic Field Grant type. For the 2010 grant cycle, there is a $100,000 maximum request amount for Field Grants.

The following Field grant elements will be considered for funding:

• Field Equipment (permanent goals, benches, etc.)
• Futsal Court (indoor or outdoor)
• Graphic Signage (field boards, banners, etc. for recognizing sponsors)
• Indoor Building Structure 
• Irrigation
• Lighting
• Maintenance Equipment (ex. Toro Groundsmaster, Workman Utility Vehicle, etc.)

SYNTHETIC FIELD – A project that includes the installation of a synthetic field surface. This grant type includes both new field construction and the upgrading of existing fields with a synthetic field surface. For the 2010 grants cycle, there is a maximum $200,000 request amount for Synthetic Field Grants.

The Foundation does not award funding to assist with the purchase of land or to offset (or retire) an existing mortgage or note for land.

Additionally, the Foundation does not generally award funding for the construction of non-field specific elements such as concessions stands, restrooms, storage buildings, parking lots, and post-construction landscaping, etc., unless it can be demonstrated that funding for these elements will directly increase the number of soccer participants and fields.