Hennepin County Youth Activities Grants

Hennepin County has partnered with the USA Swimming Foundation to offer grant funding to local swim lesson providers to remove barriers to swim lessons and water safety classes for metro-area children. The goal of the program is to promote water safety and reduce drowning disparities. Youth Learn to Swim Grants may be used by the swim lesson program to offer free or low-cost swim lessons and/or support transportation to the swim lesson locations.

Application

• The next round of learn to swim grants will be available mid-October to mid-December
• Awards will be announced in the spring of next year
• Questions: Youth Learn to Swim Grants Q&A

Who can apply

Interested applicants must be an approved provider within the Swim Lesson Provider Network prior to December 1.

Funding available

The minimum grant award is $1000.

Additional Info

Additional grant opportunities are available through State of Minnesota Water Safety Grants

The intent of the lifeguard services grant is to expand and improve lifeguard services in Hennepin County and increase the number of lifeguards available for employment in Hennepin County. This grant seeks applications that provide creative, innovative, and sustainable solutions to the lifeguarding shortage.

Application

11 grant recipients were selected for awards in 2023. The next grant opportunity for lifeguard services will be in 2025.

Who can apply

Applicants must be Local Government Units (LGUs).  LGUs are defined as governmental entities. For the purposes of this grant, eligible LGUs are park systems, cities, public school districts and watershed districts located or operating in Hennepin County. Charter schools and youth sports associations must enlist a local government unit to submit an application.

Funding available

Information on available funding will be communicated before the next round of lifeguard services applications in 2025.

Grants are awarded to local government units to improve youth access to sports and recreational activities.   There are two rounds of grants in the fall and spring of each year. Grant opportunities include:

• Play Area Grants: available every fall for sport facility complexes and playgrounds with awards up to $300,000 (Formerly Facility and Play Spaces Grants)
• Sport Equipment Grants: available every fall and spring for youth sports equipment with awards up to $10,000

Application

Applications for Fall sports grants are available August 1 – October 1, 2024.  Details and application materials are available on the Hennepin County Supplier Portal. 

Application previews:

• 2024 Equipment Grant Request for Application
• 2024 Play Area Grant Request for Application

Who can apply

Applicants must be Local Government Units (LGUs).  LGUs are defined as governmental entities. For the purposes of this grant, eligible LGUs are park systems, cities, public school districts and watershed districts located or operating in Hennepin County. Charter schools and youth sports associations must enlist a local government unit to submit an application. 

Pre-application conference

For organizations interested in learning more about the grant or application process, a pre-application conference is scheduled for Wednesday, August 21, 2024 at 10am. Access information and the link to join is available in the Request for Applications (RFA) in the Supplier Portal.

This grant program aims to support youth art and music programming and education in communities across Hennepin County.

Application

The next round of Arts and Music grants will be available in Spring 2025.

Who can apply

Applicants must be Local Government Units (LGUs).  LGUs are defined as governmental entities. For the purposes of this grant, eligible LGUs are park systems, cities, public school districts and watershed districts located or operating in Hennepin County. Charter schools and youth sports associations must enlist a local government unit to submit an application.

Funding available

Grants up to $25,000 are available for art projects with additional funding for music projects.

Grant awards will not be announced on this page. If you recently applied for one of the Hennepin County Youth Activities Grants, you will be contacted directly by the grant administrator with you award decision. 

Updated grant recipient list and map coming soon. Contact youth.grants@hennepin.us with questions or information requests.

View the Youth Activities Grant map 

Guidelines for facility or playground awards

The following information pertains to Youth Sports facility and playground awards. It does not pertain to equipment awards. 

Signage requirement

You must include recognition of the Hennepin County Youth Sports program on your facility signage.

• Option 1: If you are developing a sign, include the Hennepin County Youth Sports logo. Contact Maddie Ploessl at maddie.ploessl@hennepin.us for the art file.
• Option 2: Have a Hennepin County Youth Sports pennant sign mailed to you. Contact Maddie Ploessl at maddie.ploessl@hennepin.us for shipment. 

Notify Hennepin County of grant opening event 

Contact Maddie Ploessl at maddie.ploessl@hennepin.us.

If you are hosting a grand opening event, Hennepin County may attend and take photos.

Hennepin County is available to consult with you on event planning and communications. Below are options to consider if you are planning a grand opening event:

• Involve appropriate county commissioners to participate or speak
• Send a news release
• Share the information on your website
• Share via social media
• Include the award in email, newsletters or mailers
• Announce the award at a public meeting
• Reach out to local cable channels or newspapers