Heisman Trophy Youth Development Fund

The Fund supports charitable organizations that:

• Engage young people in academic achievement;
• Teach leadership, teamwork, sportsmanship, and integrity;
• Expand access to organized sports for young people up to the age of 18.

These sports must be structured, coach-led, and involve formal practice and competition. Examples include basketball, track and field, lacrosse, martial arts, tennis, football, and more. Programs must also provide at least four hours of academic services per week and prioritize underserved and high-need communities.

The Trust administers Heisman Trophy Youth Development grants to organizations in New York City, Long Island, Westchester, and Newark. We operate funds with community foundation partners in Atlanta, Dallas, Jacksonville, and Los Angeles.

In 2025, the Fund awarded over $1.7 million in grants to 51 groups to support year-round programs for nearly 13,000 young people. These investments have supported: 

• academic coaching in public schools; 

• equitable access to sports such as figure skating, cycling, lacrosse, and track; 

• character development, wellness education, and mentorship. 

Grantees include the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Queens, Northern Westchester, and Newark; East Harlem Tutorial Program; Bronx Lacrosse; and Figure Skating in Harlem. 

The Fund issues an annual call for letters of interest (LOIs). Grants typically range from $20,000 to $40,000 for one year. We strongly encourage small and emerging nonprofits to apply. Applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations or work with a fiscal sponsor. 

• Spring: Call for Letters of Interest opens 
• End of April: Proposals due 
• May: If the proposal merits further investigation, program director will schedule a meeting with the organization to discuss the project
• June: Grant recommendations submitted to the Heisman Trust
• August: Grant letters issued upon approval of the Heisman trustees

The Fund prioritizes programs that: 

• integrate academics with youth development and organized sports;
• have the potential to serve substantial numbers of young people;
• operate on a minimum of five public school campuses; and
• serve isolated or underserved communities, for example, Queens or the North Bronx in New York City and all of Newark.

The Fund does not: 

• provide general operating support; 

• support selective or exclusionary programs; 

• fund programs that offer only limited academic help, such as homework assistance. 

Applications begin with an LOI submission via The New York Community Trust’s Grantseeker Portal. For full application instructions and deadlines, visit our grants page.