Hennepin Youth Sports Grant
Thank you for your interest in the Hennepin Youth Sports Program. The program makes awards to local government units to improve youth athletic/recreation facilities and purchase capital equipment. The grants are funded by the 0.15% sales tax surcharge in Hennepin County that enabled the construction of Target Field.
Since 2009, the program has awarded over $23 million to communities throughout Hennepin County. These projects have spurred over $90 million in matching funds.
HYSP has separate applications for facilities grants (awards from $10,000 to $300,000), capital equipment grants (up to $10,000), and playground structure grants (up to $25,000).
- Facilities grants are awarded once per year in December.
- Equipment grants are awarded twice per year, once in December and once in March.
- Playground structure grants are awarded once per year in March.
The Hennepin Youth Sports Program awards allow municipalities, park districts and school districts to create, expand or improve athletic or recreational facilities and to purchase new equipment. Individual equipment such as balls, bats, gloves, uniforms or protective gear are not eligible for equipment grants.
The grants are administered by contract through the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission (MASC), which evaluates the applications and provides recommendations to the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners.
Media coverage: Hennepin County has awarded $23 million in youth sports grants in last decade. By David Chanen Star Tribune, March 15, 2019
2020 Fall Equipment Application and 2020 Fall Facility Application
(NOTICE: ALL SPRING APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN MOVED TO THE FALL FOR AWARD)
THE SPRING APPLICATION SUBMISSION DEADLINE HAS CHANGED
The Fall Equipment and Playground Grant Application is open. Submission date for application is Monday, November 2, 2020.
Contact information:
- Program Administrator: Spencer Arvold
- Phone: 763.717.3234
- Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission – 1700 105th Ave NE, Blaine, MN 55449
- Email [email protected]
You have two options on how to submit your grant this year (Deadline Monday, November 2, 2020 at 5:00pm). We suggest both email and mail.
For mail, please submit 3 copies (One for our records, one for Hennepin County Commissioners, and one for review) your application via mail to:
- Attn: Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission – 1700 105th Ave NE, Blaine, MN 55449
Or send via email to
- Email [email protected]
Below are the application documents for the 2020 Spring equipment and playground. For playground grants, please include a bid from a playground vendor that describes the playground structure and their cost.
Playground Grants
Purpose
The purpose of the playground grants is build playground structures throughout Hennepin County.
Criteria
These criteria will be among those considered in evaluating playground grant applications:
- New installations are favored over replacement or renovation
- Number of yearly visits estimate
- Partnerships between local government units and with non-profit organizations
- Ratio of the amount of matching funds to the total cost
- Support of the local community
- Grants will be distributed to communities throughout Hennepin County
Application
Attach information addressing the criteria listed above. Partnerships between local government units can include playgrounds co-located on school and park facilities or other operating arrangements. Partnerships with non-profit organizations can include matching funds from a source outside the LGU making the request or volunteering hours for community build installations. Community support can include letters from parent or neighborhood groups, a public process for seeking community input, or other evidence of community engagement with the project.
Awards
All Awards Are For Reimbursement
All awards are reimbursement to be paid after completion of the facility or purchase of the equipment. Award recipients will submit reimbursement payment paperwork according to processing guidelines provided after the awards are announced. Hennepin County will reimburse the local government unit once this paperwork is processed.
In-Kind Donations
If a facility grant application includes in-kind donations of materials or labor, please list the full retail value of the in-kind donation in both the project budget and the local matching funds sections. In the local matching funds section, note which funds are in-kind donations.
A local government unit (LGU) – a city, public school district, or park district – may submit an application for a facility that is located on private land on the behalf of a private entity, such as a charter school, private school or other non-profit organization that will operate the facility. The County Board resolution establishing the Hennepin Youth Sports Program grants does not require a project to be owned by a LGU or to be on public property. The resolution does however require that the applicant be a LGU.
Therefore, in cases where a local government unit is awarded a grant for a facility located on private land, the private land owner must agree to a covenant with the LGU that ensures long-term public access to the facility. It is suggested that the private land owner come to a verbal agreement about this covenant before the application is submitted. Details about the covenant can be found here.
Previous Grant Round: 2019 Facility and Fall 2018 Equipment Awards
The 2019 Facility and Fall Equipment awards were authorized by the Hennepin County Board on December 11, 2018. The resolution and list of awards are below.
View the Board Resolution document here.
Previous grant applications and awards are listed here:
Contacts
General inquiries: [email protected]
Program Administrator: Spencer Arvold, 763.717.3234, [email protected]
Program Analyst: Jayme Murphy, [email protected]
Fiscal Coordinator: Lynda Lynch, 763.785.5631, [email protected]