Afterschool with Youth for Youth (WYFY) is a multifaceted initiative empowering young people to redesign afterschool programing from the ground up.
Donor Name: Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
State: Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Vermont
County: Selected Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 02/23/2026
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Coordinated by Youth rise 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 of these 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.
Beginning in 2026, the WNY WYFY Youth Advisory Board will distribute just over $2 million in grants to support out-of-school time and youth sports programs that incorporate youth voice, equitable access, and systems-level improvements. Funding decisions will be made by the WNY WYFY Youth Advisory Board using a structured review process designed by youth.
OST includes, but is not limited to:
- Afterschool and drop-in youth programs
- Community-based youth sports (not school-sanctioned)
- Arts, culture, and enrichment programs
- Workforce development and career readiness
- Library-based youth programming
- Leadership development and civic engagement
- Prevention and restorative programs.
Funding Information
- Minimum: $25,000
- Maximum: $150,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- Western New York Youth Serving organizations (ages 5-18) including 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and schools.
- Western New York is defined as the nine counties of:
- Allegany, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Erie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming.
- The intent of this fund is not to replace public funding, but rather to augment, strengthen, and leverage existing resources to expand opportunities for young people.
For more information, visit CFGB.
