Western New York Youth to Award Over $2 Million in Grants for Afterschool and Youth Programs Through WYFY Initiative
Teen-led Youth Advisory Board will design and award grants supporting out-of-school time programs across nine counties
BUFFALO, NY - In a groundbreaking shift in philanthropy, a 24-member Youth Advisory Board of teenagers ages 13-17 will distribute more than $2 million in grants to out-of-school time and youth sports programs across Western New York. The effort is funded by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and part of With Youth For Youth (WYFY), a national initiative which puts decision-making power directly in the hands of young people to rethink how their communities invest in youth development programs, and ultimately, transform their educational opportunities by embedding youth voice into afterschool systems.
Beginning January 20, 2026, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and schools serving youth ages 5-18 can apply for grants ranging from $25,000 to $150,000. Applications for this one-time grant process are due February 23rd at 4:00pm, with funding decisions to be announced in April and grant distributions made through the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo beginning in June.
Unlike traditional grantmaking models, the Western New York WYFY Youth Advisory Board has designed the grant guidelines and will evaluate applications and make the grant award decisions. The initiative serves the nine-county region including Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming counties. Over the last year, the Youth Advisory Board, which has representation from across all nine counties, has participated in leadership development, experiential adventure-based learning, and designthinking sessions that prepared them to make strategic funding decisions.
"Research continues to prove that programs are more efficient when youth voice and participation are constantly present," said Willow, a Youth Advisory Board member from Warsaw. "Youth voice being implemented in programs helps engagement and relevance to increase."
The Youth Advisory Board will evaluate applications based on criteria including youth voice and leadership, youth experience and benefits, mission and impact, and systems-level thinking. Geographic representation across all nine counties will be considered to ensure equitable distribution of resources.
"When young people are meaningfully involved in decision-making, they develop leadership and self-advocacy skills, feel respected and valued, and are more likely to commit to and benefit from the program," explained Abigail, a board member from Lyndonville. Eligible programs include afterschool and drop-in youth programs, community-based youth sports, arts and cultural programs, workforce development, library-based programming, leadership development, and prevention programs.
The initiative is part of a national WYFY effort supported by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation in partnership with the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Five partner sites across the country are working with Youthprise to build sustainable youth leadership infrastructures rooted in equity, shared power, and design thinking.
For more information about eligibility requirements and to access the application and
information session link, organizations should visit https://www.cfgb.org/nonprofits/grants/with-youth-for-youth-wyfy-grant-opportunities-forwestern-new-york/or contact Tracy Bradshaw at tbradshaw@bgcea.org.
About With Youth For Youth (WYFY): Afterschool With Youth for Youth (WYFY) is a multifaceted initiative empowering young people to redesign afterschool programming from the ground up. Coordinated by Youthprise and funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, the project connects five partner sites across the United States: (Missouri, Minnesota, Southeast Michigan, Vermont and Western New York).
WYFY builds upon two earlier efforts: the Generator Z project, funded by the Wilson Foundation, and the Powered by Youth Voice project, funded by the Mott Foundation. Both projects aimed to uplift the voices of young people by promoting more channels for youth to contribute to decisions about program activities and practice leadership. Through collaborative design thinking sessions and paid youth participation, WYFY centers young people as creators and leaders of their own learning experiences. The goal is to develop blueprints from each partner site that will help afterschool systems amplify youth voices seeking to transform their educational opportunities.
About the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo: For more than a century, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo has enhanced and encouraged long-term philanthropy in the Western New York community. A 501 (c)(3) organization, the Community Foundation’s mission is: Connecting people, ideas and resources to improve lives in Western New York. Established in 1919, the Community Foundation has made the most of the generosity of individuals, families, foundations and organizations who entrust charitable assets to the Community Foundation’s care. Learn more at cfgb.org.
About the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation: The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is a grantmaking organization dedicated primarily to sustained investment in the quality of life of the people of Southeast Michigan and Western New York. The two areas reflect Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.’s devotion to his hometown of Detroit and greater Buffalo, home of his beloved Buffalo Bills NFL team. Prior to his passing in 2014, Mr. Wilson provided that a significant share of his estate be used to continue a lifelong generosity of spirit by funding the Foundation that bears his name. Based in Detroit, the Foundation began with a grantmaking capacity of $1.2 billion over a 20-year period, which expires January 8, 2035. This structure is consistent with Mr. Wilson’s desire for the Foundation’s impact to be immediate, substantial, measurable, and overseen by those who knew him best. For more information visit www.rcwjrf.org.