Program Overview

To address the negative economic impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency on youth-serving organizations, Dutchess County is investing in youth-serving libraries and other youth-serving organizations that promote learning, art enrichment, and sports activities. The intent of the grant funding is to enhance and empower opportunities for children to learn, play, and create, while filling an educational, financial, social, and/or emotional void as a result of the quarantine and stay-at-home orders necessitated by COVID-19.

Funding Information & Limits

The estimated availability is $3,000,000. Funding will be awarded as a one-time advance payment on a first come, first-served basis until all funding has been allocated. Applicants will be notified if their request has been approved or denied within 45 days of receipt of their application.

Eligible Applicants

Any youth-serving non-profit organization with a federal tax ID or EIN whose primary mission aligns with providing a service or administering a program for youth in Dutchess County in the focus areas of libraries, expanded learning, arts, and sports.

Clubs can partner with other eligible non-profit organizations to make a request if they do not have a federal tax ID or EIN.

Ineligible Applicants

School districts, private and religious schools, including school-affiliated clubs and/or programs, as well as municipal-funded/sponsored departments or clubs are not eligible to apply, since school districts, private and religious schools, and municipalities are eligible to receive American Rescue Plan funds.

Eligible Expenses

• Equipment, supplies, or other one-time future expenses (e.g., athletic uniforms, sports equipment, theater supplies, computers, e-books, pop-up event/program, etc.)

Examples of possible funding awards include:

• A youth sports league’s purchase of new uniforms for its teams, enabling the league to lower its registration fee and making it more affordable for families whose income was negatively impacted by the pandemic or offer a skills clinic for player development at no cost for participants;
• Scenery and sets for a youth theater organization that was unable to fundraise for their cost during the past year;
• Materials and/or supplies for a library to market a “pop-up” educational event/program, such as back-to-school prep, or new skill development, such as computer coding; and
• Building a concession facility to enhance event experience, as well as create future fundraising revenue for program sustainability.

Ineligible Expenses

• Ongoing/operating expenses
• Ongoing Programming
• Restoring Fund Balance/Reserve Accounts

Other Information

• Only one application per organization will be accepted.
• Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, beginning June 30, 2021.
• All organizations receiving funds from the County must ensure they have adequate insurance for the activities they provide.
• Organizations will have 12 months to expend all awarded funds after contract execution.
• Invoices/receipts must be obtained for all expenses. Expenses without appropriate invoices/receipts may be subject to recapture.
• Invoices/receipts for expenses must be uploaded to the Dutchess County Grant Portal within two months of expenditure.
• The department will not reimburse for any sales tax incurred by a tax-exempt organization, except when exempt status is not recognized out-of-state.
• RECAPTURE: Outstanding grant funds will be recaptured.
• Pictures of what was purchased and/or an event/program in action are required. Photos must be uploaded to the Dutchess County Grant Portal prior to the end of the grant term.

Application Review

All applications will be reviewed for eligibility by the Dutchess County Department of Planning and Development with final funding approval recommendations made by the County Executive.

Grant Portal Instructions:

1. Use this link to navigate to the Dutchess County Grant Portal webpage where you will create an account.
2. Please only create one account per organization; therefore, you should consider using your organization’s general email and a shared password to be used by anyone within your organization who might work on an application within the grant portal, now or in the future.
3. Once on the Logon Page, select ‘Create New Account’ and complete all required* fields marked with an asterisk* symbol.
4. After successfully creating an account, you will be brought to the ‘Apply’ page where you can click on the blue ‘Apply’ button that will bring you to the grant application.
5. Once you begin an application, it will be saved as a draft. You can re-enter the portal any time prior to the submission deadline to complete the application.

   Download the Application Instructions & Guidance Document (.pdf)

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Q: If my organization wants to rent an ice rink for hockey practice or a pool for swim practice, can I apply for funding?

Yes, if it can be demonstrated that the funding will be used to offset and cover another expense for youth and their families. (e.g., Funding received for practice time at an ice rink will lower or eliminate the registration fees for youth participants in a hockey clinic.)

Q: Can an organization apply for funding under multiple categories (i.e. arts and sports)?

Yes, but an organization can only submit one application. An organization could submit for funding that encompasses multiple categories. (e.g., Supplies for an arts class and sports equipment for a recreation clinic.)

Q: Are studies eligible for funding?

No, requests should be tangible and clearly demonstrate a direct and immediate benefit to youth.

Q: Are vans or vehicles used to transport youth eligible for funding?

While the purchase of a vehicle is not eligible, the costs (e.g., mileage reimbursement, bus rental fee, etc.) related to transporting youth to and from a venue (e.g., museum, clinic, tournament, etc.) are eligible.

Q: Are broad equipment purchases eligible for funding? (e.g., playground equipment/construction, lights for soccer fields)

Equipment purchases need to be connected to a specific youth program to be eligible. While not eligible under this grant program, broader agencywide equipment purchases or equipment purchases having a broader organizational or communitywide impact will be considered under the Agency Partner Grant (APG) Infrastructure Program. Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations who wish to be added to the distribution list for the APG Infrastructure Program can email: communitygrants@dutchessny.gov

Q: Are construction-related or infrastructure-related projects eligible for funding? (e.g., building expansion or upgrades, building costs such as materials and labor, electrical upgrades, ADA accessibility improvements, etc.)

No; however, furniture, fixtures, and equipment that will be used by youth for a specific activity in a newly constructed space are eligible for funding.

Q: Are costs related to fundraisers eligible for funding?

No, the Learn, Play, Create grant program is made possible by funds received through the American Rescue Plan Act. Federal funds cannot be used for expenses related to fundraising and they cannot be given directly to an organization for the purpose of hosting a fundraiser.