Applications for the 2026-27 year are open, deadline to apply is March 31, 2027

YOUTH BUREAU ANNOUNCES THE AVAILABILITY OF YOUTH SPORTS AND EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIY FUNDING 

The Chemung County Youth Bureau is seeking applicants to provide sports programs and/or physical fitness activities to underserved children ages 6-17 via local nonprofit organizations.  Chemung County has allocated funding for local programs operating October 1, 2025 - September 30, 2026. 

Funds can be used to cover:

• Coaches/instructors/direct service staff/mentors (including training/professional development)
• Purchase of equipment or uniforms
• Educational programming costs
• Facility/field cost

Programs Eligible must meet the following criteria:

• Provide physical recreation and/or sports activities for youth ages 6-17
• Serve youth in New York State
• Demonstrate basic competency in the areas of governance, monitoring and evaluation, partnership, and financial stewardship 
• Have a child protection policy in place that includes adherence to local city, agency, school district, and state child protection guidelines
• Have the ability to collect registration data, including participant demographic information, as required by OCFS in a manner that allows for accurate reporting of anonymized aggregate data

Organizations, expenditures, and activities not eligible for funding are the following:

• For-profit organizations or businesses
• Private foundations, as defined in section 509(a) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code
• Organizations that discriminate based on age, ethnicity/race, political affiliation, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or other disability, national origin, or any protected characteristic under local, state, and/or federal law
• Research or project-planning activities
• Elite or private sports camps, programs, or teams
• Endowments, memorials, budget deficits, or fundraising activities
• Religious organizations whose sports programs do not have a secular and community focus
• Lobbying, political, or fraternal activities

Related documents can be found here: 

Universal Youth Sports Application

NYS OCFS YSEF LCM

Youth Athletic Programs-Keeping them safe and positive

Youth Sports Funding Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

All programs seeking funding must track outcome measures and provide data to the Youth Bureau

If you have any questions, please call the Youth Bureau at 607-737-2907