Up to $105,000 in state-funded grants is available for youth organizations in Westchester County, and local nonprofits, community organizations and municipal programs in Scarsdale, Eastchester and Bronxville have until Sept. 24, 2026, to apply.
The Westchester County Youth Bureau released three Requests for Proposals on Tuesday, Aug. 4, covering the 2026-27 funding cycle. The money flows from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, not county tax dollars, and is split across three categories:
- Youth Development Programs — up to $30,000. Open to nonprofits only. Covers mentoring, life skills, dropout prevention, out-of-school-time programming and career development for youth 21 and under.
- Youth Team Sports Programs — up to $50,000. Open to nonprofits and community-based organizations. Funds team sports operations, wellness and leadership programming for youth under 18.
- Youth Sports & Education Programs — up to $25,000. Open to nonprofits, municipalities and local youth bureaus. Supports noncompetitive movement activities like yoga, hiking, dance and outdoor pursuits for underserved youth ages 6 to 17.
That third category is the only one that allows municipal applicants. The Town of Eastchester and Village of Scarsdale could apply directly as government entities rather than through a nonprofit partner.
Local programs that have received funding before
A 2021-22 Youth Bureau program directory shows Scarsdale had two county-funded programs: the Scarsdale Community Youth Service Project, a partnership between Scarsdale Village, Scarsdale Schools and Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service providing mental health and counseling services to teens, and the Scarsdale Youth Sports Program run by the Village's Department of Parks. Eastchester had a Youth Employment program offering paid on-the-job training as summer camp counselors.
Bronxville is not listed in that directory as having a standalone Youth Bureau-funded program, though local organizations can apply regardless of prior funding history.
The bigger picture
The Youth Bureau, led by Executive Director Ernest McFadden, funds close to 200 programs annually across the county. At a July 23 Westchester Soccer Club ceremony honoring youth award recipients, Deputy County Executive Joan McDonald said the county "support[s] programs to the tune of $1.17 million that provide a variety of sports/physical fitness opportunities for a broad range of youth up to 18 years of age, in under-resourced communities."
Those 49 existing sports programs serve communities including Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Peekskill, White Plains and Port Chester.
How to apply
Proposals are due by 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. Submit by email to [email protected]. In-person drop-off is accepted only if email submission is not possible, at the Westchester County Youth Bureau, 112 East Post Road, 3rd Floor, White Plains.
Full RFP documents are posted at youth.westchestercountyny.gov. The bureau's general phone number is (914) 995-2745.
