Youth Development, Sports and Education Opportunity Funding Program

The Lewis County Youth Bureau is soliciting applications for youth programming supported by funding provided by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. The application covers three available funding categories: Youth Development Program funding, Youth Sports and Education Opportunity funding, and Youth Team Sports funding. Available funding is stated as $30,512 for the Youth Development Program, $20,000 for Youth Sports and Education Opportunity, and $15,187 for Youth Team Sports. The Youth Bureau has consolidated categories that previously used separate applications into one general application. Applicants submit one application, and the Lewis County Youth Bureau Advisory Board determines which funding category is best suited to the proposed program and the amount to be allocated based on the program request and available Lewis County funding. The funding supports programs operating during the October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026 program funding year. Funding is provided on a reimbursement basis. Claims must be submitted and determined eligible before the fiscal department processes reimbursement for expenditures. Applicants must provide a proposed Program Total Budget through Appendix C and a budget narrative explaining the various line items. Costs must be described in enough detail for proposal raters to determine whether they are reasonable and allowable. When the Total Funds Requested is less than 100 percent of the Total Program Amount, the applicant must explain the methodology used to determine which costs were included in the requested amount. No required cost share or matching percentage is stated in the supplied application materials. Applicants are expected to describe the local youth need or problem their program will address and the characteristics of the youth population to be served, including the number of youth, age range, and geographic area from which participants will be recruited. Program design information must address the program location, days and hours of operation, months of operation, expected length of youth participation, coordination or collaboration with community-based services, and how the proposed program differs from similar programs or services available to the target population. The OCFS-5001 form accommodates private not-for-profit, public, and religious corporation agency types, although the supplied materials do not provide a separate definitive list of eligible applicant organization categories. For YSEF programs specifically, the OCFS-5001 instructions state that the allocation is to serve children and youth ages 6 through 17. Applications must identify measurable participant outcomes and the activities intended to produce those outcomes. Applicants must project the number and percentage of participants expected to achieve the stated outcomes and describe the instruments that will measure achievement. Possible tools include behavior checklists, attitude questionnaires, pre- and post-tests, and satisfaction surveys, but a satisfaction survey alone cannot document outcome attainment and must be paired with another instrument measuring actual achievement of the expected outcomes. Applicants must identify the source of measurement tools, explain how often they will be used, identify who will ensure progress is tracked and documented, and submit copies of the tools. Form OCFS-5002 must address the eight Features of Positive Youth Development. Applicants must also describe monitoring procedures, personnel and volunteer qualifications and responsibilities, relevant youth development training, use of OCFS funds for staff, volunteer screening and supervision where applicable, and applicable child protection policies. Additional application requirements include a budget narrative, a Board of Directors list identifying names, board positions, employers, relevant professional or community affiliations, and youth members under age 21, as well as information on the agency mission, qualifications, organizational strengths, past accomplishments, additional program funding, and efforts to secure other funding. The required submission package consists of the application, Appendix C Budget, OCFS-5001, OCFS-5002, OCFS-5003, and OCFS-5011 if applicable. Applications and forms must be submitted as Microsoft Word documents rather than PDFs because information must be transferred into the Quality Youth Development System for OCFS review. A PDF submission will not be accepted and will have to be resubmitted in the required format. Applications must be completed anew each year and cannot be reused from previous years. Proposals are read and evaluated by youth and adult community members of the Lewis County Youth Bureau, and applicants are instructed to make proposals clear and concise. The stated submission deadline for the supplied funding cycle was September 5, 2025. Applications could be submitted to Caitlin Lawler at Caitlin.Lawler@dfa.state.ny.us, with the Lewis County Youth Bureau, Department of Social Services, 5274 Outer Stowe Street, Lowville, New York 13367 also identified as the proposal submission address. The Youth Bureau telephone number is 315-376-5546. The funded program period runs from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The materials state that applications must be completed new each year, supporting annual recurrence of the application process, but they do not expressly establish that September 5 will remain the deadline in future cycles or provide a confirmed future application date.

Make the proposal clear and concise for review by youth and adult community members; describe budget items sufficiently for raters to determine that costs are reasonable and allowable; use measurable participant outcomes and appropriate measurement tools; do not use a satisfaction survey alone to document outcome attainment; submit Microsoft Word documents rather than PDF; complete a new application each year.