Jr PacersGrant How-To
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Delaware County Foundation

Our strongest local shot. A county community foundation that gave out $685K in 2025 to youth-serving groups. Small applicant pool, and we're a clean fit.

$2,500–$20,000  Deadline July 31, 2026

The Move

Ask for $5,000–$10,000 for a need-based scholarship fund + certified safety equipment. Frame it as Education + Basic Needs / access — not "we run football." The foundation funds youth development (2025 winners: Recreation Unlimited, Let Me Run, OWL Camp, Scouting). The sport is just how we deliver it.

How to Apply

  1. Watch the page. Go to delawarecf.org/community-grants-3. The 2026 cycle opens June 15. When it opens, two PDFs post: the Community Grants Overview and the RFP Questions.
  2. Download the RFP Questions PDF first. It has the exact narrative questions. Draft your answers in a Word doc before logging into the portal — these portals time out.
  3. Create a portal account. The foundation uses its own portal (not Foundant/Submittable), linked from that page. First-time applicants register an account. Single application — no Letter of Intent.
  4. Paste in your narrative from the drafts below + the Grant Packet.
  5. Attach the budgets. Two are required: our operating budget and a project budget (the scholarship/equipment line items). Also upload the determination letter, FY2023 990-EZ, and board list as a precaution.
  6. Submit before July 31. Awards announced late Nov/early Dec; spend within ~12 months.
Open the grant page

Drafted Answers

copy-paste, then tailor to their exact questions

⚠️ The one thing that wins this

A program officer's exact words on our draft: it needs a real scholarship-demand number. "We received __ scholarship requests and could fund __ — __ kids sat out due to cost" is the single most fundable sentence we can write. Bobby/Natasha: pull our actual 2024–2025 scholarship numbers. If we don't track requests, start now. Fill that in everywhere [brackets] appear below — and delete every placeholder before submitting.

Project descriptionJr Pacers Youth Football & Cheer requests $7,500 to fund need-based registration scholarships and certified safety equipment so that no Delaware family is priced out of youth sports. Specifically: [__] full registration scholarships (~$150 each) for families who cannot afford to enroll, plus certified helmets, shoulder pads, and Guardian Caps to replace aging gear. In [2024/2025] we received [__] scholarship requests and were able to fund [__]; [__] children sat out because we could not cover the cost. This grant closes that gap.
Community needFor the working families we serve, the cost of youth sports — registration, certified safety gear, and field time — is a real barrier. Delaware County's overall prosperity hides the households for whom $150 in registration plus equipment simply isn't there. Jr Pacers keeps fees as low as a volunteer budget allows and turns no child away, but every year families ask for help we can't fully provide: in [year] we received [__] requests and funded [__]. Without scholarship support, those children miss the development, friendships, and physical activity that organized sports provide.
OutcomesWith this grant we will: (1) fund [__] need-based scholarships, enabling [__] specific children to play in 2026 who otherwise could not; (2) outfit [__] athletes with certified, properly-fitted helmets, pads, and Guardian Caps; (3) track and report scholarship requests received vs. funded, so we (and you) can see the barrier shrink. As a 100% volunteer-run organization, every dollar goes directly to these athletes.

Project Budget ($7,500 ask)

Need-based scholarships: 30 × ~$150 = $4,500
Certified helmets: 10 × ~$200 = $2,000
Guardian Caps: 20 × ~$30 = $600
Shoulder pads (replacement): ~$400
Total request: $7,500
Match: none required

Adjust quantities to our real fee + scholarship demand. Pair with the org operating budget + mission + board list from the Packet. Keep all internal/board notes OUT of the submission.

Key Facts & Open Items

Award: $2,500–$20,000 (aim $5–10K)
Opens / Due: June 15 / July 31, 2026
Decisions: Late Nov / early Dec
Phone: 614.764.2332
Address: 110 Riverbend Ave #101, Powell OH
Framing: Education + Basic Needs

⚠️ Can't confirm until the 2026 PDFs post: exact questions, word limits, and the full in-portal attachment list. Call 614.764.2332 first to confirm whether a 990, determination letter, and board list are required, and whether first-timers must pre-register. The project + operating budgets ARE required — have them ready.