The Youth At Every Decision-Making Table Grant 2026 is a new funding opportunity from Youth Service America (YSA), supported by an AmeriCorps MLK Day of Service grant, designed to help organizations create or strengthen formal structures through which young people can participate in leadership, decision-making, community service, and civic engagement.
The grant will provide $2,000 to selected organizations that want to develop a new Youth Council or a similar youth leadership structure, or expand an existing one. In addition to establishing or strengthening youth leadership structures, grantees will be expected to organize a citywide, regional, or statewide Youth Leadership Summit around Martin Luther King Jr. Day and create continuing opportunities for youth voice, leadership, and decision-making through The Civic Season, from Juneteenth through July 4.
The program is particularly focused on ensuring that young people are not simply consulted occasionally but have meaningful opportunities to participate in organizational and community decision-making. YSA states that the grant program is intended to support the development or expansion of youth councils and similar structures while engaging at least 200 youth and adults in training or youth voice, leadership, and decision-making opportunities.
Youth At Every Decision-Making Table Grant 2026: Overview
Youth Service America is accepting applications from eligible U.S.-based organizations seeking funding to strengthen youth participation and leadership.
The opportunity is connected to the MLK Day of Service, which will take place on January 18, 2027. YSA’s MLK Day of Service campaign describes the holiday as a national day of service focused on community action, service, and honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
For this particular grant, organizations will use the funding to create or expand structures that give young people a more formal role in organizational and community decision-making.
Key details at a glance
- Opportunity: Youth At Every Decision-Making Table Grant
- Organizer: Youth Service America (YSA)
- Funding: AmeriCorps MLK Day of Service grant
- Grant amount: $2,000 per selected grantee
- Total funding available: $50,000
- Number of organizations expected to receive grants: 25
- Required local match: $1,000 in cash or in-kind support
- Minimum engagement requirement: 200 youth and adults
- Main focus: Youth voice, leadership, decision-making, youth councils, youth leadership structures, and community service
- MLK Day of Service: January 18, 2027
- Application deadline: Sunday, October 25, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. local time
- Geographic eligibility: United States organizations meeting the program’s organizational eligibility requirements
- Application format: Online application
- Contact: Mike Minks at mminks@ysa.org
YSA’s official MLK Day of Service page confirms that the program will award $2,000 grants, with $50,000 available overall and 25 citywide, regional, or statewide organizations expected to receive funding.
What Is the Youth At Every Decision-Making Table Grant?
The Youth At Every Decision-Making Table Grant is designed around the idea that young people should have meaningful opportunities to contribute to decisions affecting their organizations and communities.
Rather than supporting only a one-time service event, the grant focuses on developing or expanding ongoing youth leadership structures. These can include Youth Councils or other formal youth leadership groups that allow young people to contribute ideas, participate in planning, advise organizations, and take part in decision-making processes.
According to YSA, grant recipients will use the funding to support the development of new Youth Councils or similar youth leadership structures, or the expansion of existing ones.
This makes the opportunity relevant to organizations that already have some youth engagement experience but want to create a more formal mechanism for youth participation, as well as organizations that are ready to establish a new youth leadership structure.
What Will Grant Recipients Be Expected to Do?
Receiving the $2,000 grant comes with specific expectations. Organizations should therefore consider whether they have the capacity to develop a youth leadership structure and sustain youth engagement beyond a single event.
1. Create or Expand a Youth Leadership Structure
Applicants will need to describe their plans for establishing or strengthening a formal youth advisory or leadership board, council, or similar group.
The application asks organizations to explain:
- Their current programs and organizational work.
- Their existing experience with youth engagement.
- Their experience with youth voice and leadership.
- Their experience involving young people in decision-making.
- Whether they plan to create a new youth advisory structure or expand an existing one.
- What they hope the youth leadership structure will accomplish.
- How youth participation could strengthen the organization.
The emphasis is therefore not simply on recruiting young people for an event. Applicants are expected to demonstrate how youth leadership can become part of their organization’s continuing work.
2. Organize a Youth Leadership Summit Around MLK Day
Each grantee will be expected to organize a citywide or statewide Youth Leadership Summit on or around MLK Day.
YSA indicates that the Summit should be organized with the organization’s youth leadership group. The program is therefore designed to give young people an active role in shaping the event rather than having adults independently plan the entire experience.
The Summit can be scheduled between January 11 and January 25, 2027, although YSA says it should take place as close as possible to MLK Day on January 18, 2027.
The Summit should provide training connected to:
- Youth-adult partnerships
- Youth voice
- Youth leadership
- Community service project design
- Future youth-led service opportunities
The 200-Person Engagement Requirement
One of the most important requirements applicants need to understand is the minimum engagement target.
Grant recipients are expected to engage at least 200 youth and adults through the Youth Leadership Summit and/or related youth voice, leadership, and decision-making opportunities.
The application specifically requires applicants to acknowledge this requirement and provide an estimate of how many youth and adults they expect to engage in relevant training or opportunities.
The goal is not simply to establish a small internal youth council. The youth leadership group should also help broaden youth participation and encourage other young people and adults to become involved.
YSA describes the program as requiring grantees to organize a Youth Leadership Summit and ongoing opportunities through The Civic Season while engaging a minimum of 200 youth and adults in commitments to future or ongoing service and related training.
Continuing Youth Engagement Through The Civic Season
The Youth At Every Decision-Making Table initiative extends beyond MLK Day.
Applicants are asked to explain how their youth leadership group could continue engaging other young people after the Summit during the remainder of the 2026–2027 academic year and through The Civic Season, from Juneteenth through July 4.
This means applicants should think about a longer-term engagement strategy rather than proposing a single event.
Potential activities described in an application could include continued youth leadership meetings, peer engagement, youth-led service projects, community conversations, leadership training, youth advisory activities, or other forms of participation that are consistent with the organization’s mission.
The key consideration is that the youth leadership group should help create opportunities for its peers as well.
Who Can Apply for the Youth At Every Decision-Making Table Grant?
The application identifies several types of organizations as eligible.
These include:
- K-12 schools
- Higher education institutions
- Out-of-school-time programs
- Afterschool programs
- Summer learning programs
- Positive youth development organizations
- Community-based organizations
- Faith-based organizations
- State governments
- Local governments
YSA’s official program information confirms these organizational categories as eligible for the Youth At Every Decision-Making Table Grants.
The application form also asks organizations to provide their organization name, organization type, contact information, mailing address, state, ZIP code, and website.
Youth Representation and Inclusive Recruitment
A major part of the application concerns how an organization will recruit young people who reflect the diversity of the community it serves.
Applicants are asked to explain how they will recruit youth who are representative of their organization’s or community’s youth/student population.
The application specifically identifies groups that applicants should consider reaching, including:
- Young people of color
- Young people from low-income families and neighborhoods
- Young people from rural areas
- Youth with disabilities
- Young people who are unhoused
- Young people in foster care
- Young people involved in the juvenile justice system
- Immigrants and refugees
- English Language Learners
- LGBTQ+ young people
- Young people from military families
- Other young people who are not typically asked to participate in leadership opportunities
This component is important because the application is not simply asking organizations to create a youth council. Applicants must also explain how they will ensure that the council and related activities include young people whose perspectives may otherwise be overlooked.
What Should Organizations Explain in Their Application?
The application contains several substantive questions. Organizations should be prepared to address each area clearly and specifically.
1. Describe the Organization and Its Youth Engagement Experience
Applicants must describe their organization, current programs, and previous experience with:
- Youth engagement
- Youth voice
- Youth leadership
- Youth decision-making
This section provides an opportunity to demonstrate that the organization understands the needs of young people and has some capacity to work with them.
2. Explain the Youth Advisory or Leadership Structure
Applicants must describe their plans and goals for creating or expanding a formal youth advisory board, leadership board, council, or similar group.
The application asks organizations to explain:
- What they want to establish or expand.
- What they are excited about doing.
- What the youth group will contribute.
- How the planned actions will strengthen the organization.
A strong response should therefore connect youth leadership directly to the organization’s existing work rather than treating the youth group as a completely separate activity.
3. Explain How Youth Will Be Recruited
Organizations must describe their recruitment strategy and explain how they will reach young people who represent the broader population they serve.
This includes thinking about barriers that can prevent certain young people from participating and explaining how the organization will reach people who are traditionally underrepresented in leadership opportunities.
4. Describe the Youth Leadership Summit
Applicants must provide preliminary ideas for a citywide or statewide Youth Leadership Summit taking place on or around MLK Day.
The application emphasizes that the plans are preliminary because the event will ultimately be planned with the youth leadership group.
Applicants should also explain how they intend to provide training to at least 200 youth and adults and encourage participants to commit to future or ongoing service.
5. Explain How Youth Will Engage Their Peers
The application specifically asks organizations to consider what happens after the Summit.
Applicants should provide ideas for how members of the youth leadership group can engage other young people throughout:
- The remainder of the 2026–2027 academic year
- The Civic Season from Juneteenth through July 4
This requirement reinforces the program’s broader objective of expanding youth participation beyond a small leadership group.
Grant Amount and Available Funding
Each successful organization will receive a $2,000 grant.
YSA states that $50,000 in total funding is available and that 25 citywide, regional, or statewide organizations will receive grants.
The grant is funded through a federal AmeriCorps MLK Day of Service grant.
Required $1,000 Match Funding
Organizations applying for the grant must also be prepared to provide a $1,000 local match.
The match can consist of:
- Cash contributions
- In-kind contributions
- Donated event supplies
- Food
- Recognition items for youth leadership group members or Summit participants
- Meeting space
- Event space
- Equipment
- Other qualifying local contributions
Applicants must indicate whether they agree to meet the matching requirement and identify potential sources of the match.
This means an organization applying for the $2,000 grant should consider how it will document an additional $1,000 in local support.
What Can the $2,000 Grant Be Used For?
The application asks applicants to submit a tentative $2,000 budget.
A full budget will be submitted later if the organization is selected and enters into a grant agreement.
However, the application clearly states that grant funds cannot be used for staff salaries and benefits.
The funds also cannot be used for AmeriCorps-prohibited activities, including:
- Lobbying
- Partisan political activities
- Voter registration
Applicants should therefore ensure that their proposed budget is directly connected to allowable activities supporting youth leadership, youth voice, decision-making, training, and related program implementation.
Application Deadline
The deadline for the Youth At Every Decision-Making Table Grant is:
Sunday, October 25, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. local time.
YSA’s official MLK Day of Service page confirms the October 25 deadline and specifies that the deadline is based on the applicant’s local time.
Organizations should not wait until the final day if they need time to develop their youth leadership plans, identify match funding, prepare the preliminary budget, and collect organizational information.
How to Apply
Applications are submitted through the Youth Service America online application.
The application requires organizations to provide organizational and contact information and answer questions about their current programs, youth engagement experience, proposed youth leadership structure, recruitment strategy, Youth Leadership Summit, continuing engagement plans, anticipated participant numbers, budget, and match funding.
The application also provides options to:
- Save progress and return later.
- Resume a previously saved application.
Applicants with questions about the application can contact Mike Minks at mminks@ysa.org.
Apply through the Youth At Every Decision-Making Table Grant application
Important Note About AI and the Application
The application itself contains a specific request that applicants not use AI to prepare their application responses.
YSA says it wants to hear about the applicant organization and its own ideas in the organization’s own words. It also states that it does not use AI to review applications.
Applicants should therefore treat the application questions as an opportunity to describe their actual organization, existing youth engagement work, local community, proposed plans, and ideas rather than submitting generic or AI-generated responses.
For this reason, organizations should make sure that their final application responses genuinely reflect their own experience and plans.
MLK Day of Service and the Wider Program Context
The Youth At Every Decision-Making Table Grant is part of YSA’s broader MLK Day of Service programming.
The next MLK Day of Service will take place on January 18, 2027. YSA describes MLK Day as a federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service and encourages Americans to participate in service and community action.
YSA’s broader work focuses on helping young people find their voices, take action, develop civic skills, and contribute to their communities. The organization says its campaigns and events have engaged more than 3.2 million young people in service over the past decade.
The Youth At Every Decision-Making Table Grant fits within this broader approach by emphasizing not only youth service but also youth voice, leadership, participation, and decision-making.
Why the Youth Council Component Matters
One of the distinctive features of this opportunity is its emphasis on establishing a formal youth leadership structure.
A one-time event can create an opportunity for young people to participate on a particular day. A youth council or similar structure can provide an ongoing mechanism through which young people can:
- Share perspectives with organizational leaders.
- Help identify community needs.
- Participate in planning.
- Develop leadership skills.
- Help design service projects.
- Engage their peers.
- Build relationships with adult partners.
- Continue participating in decision-making beyond MLK Day.
The grant therefore combines organizational development, youth leadership development, community service, and ongoing civic participation.
Suggested Areas Organizations Should Think About Before Applying
Although the application requires organizations to provide their own responses, prospective applicants may find it useful to think through several practical questions before beginning.
Organizational readiness
Consider whether your organization already has:
- Youth programs
- Youth volunteers
- Youth advisory structures
- Adult staff or volunteers who work with young people
- Community partnerships
- Experience organizing service activities
Youth leadership structure
Consider:
- Whether a new Youth Council is needed
- Whether an existing youth group could be expanded
- How youth members would be selected
- How often the group would meet
- What decisions young people could influence
- How adult leaders would work with the youth group
Recruitment
Consider how the organization can reach young people who may not normally volunteer for leadership opportunities, particularly those identified in the application.
Summit
Consider:
- Where the Summit could take place
- Who should participate
- What training participants need
- How young people will help design the event
- How the organization can reach 200 or more participants
- How participants will be encouraged to continue serving afterward
Long-term engagement
Consider how the Youth Council could continue its work after MLK Day and through The Civic Season.
Budget
Consider how the $2,000 grant and $1,000 match could support allowable activities without being used for prohibited expenses.
Key Dates and Requirements
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Grant | Youth At Every Decision-Making Table Grant |
| Grant amount | $2,000 |
| Total available funding | $50,000 |
| Expected grantees | 25 organizations |
| Required match | $1,000 cash or in-kind |
| MLK Day of Service | January 18, 2027 |
| Youth Leadership Summit period | January 11–25, 2027, with the event encouraged to be as close to January 18 as possible |
| Minimum engagement | 200 youth and adults |
| Continuing engagement | Through the 2026–2027 academic year and The Civic Season |
| Application deadline | October 25, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. local time |
| Staff salary/benefits | Not eligible |
| Lobbying | Not eligible |
| Partisan political activities | Not eligible |
| Voter registration | Not eligible |
The dates and requirements above are based on YSA’s current official program information and the application details provided for the 2026 grant cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much funding does the grant provide?
Each selected organization will receive $2,000.
How much funding is available overall?
YSA states that $50,000 is available and that 25 organizations will receive grants.
Is matching funding required?
Yes. Applicants must provide and document $1,000 in local match funding, which may include cash or qualifying in-kind contributions.
Who can apply?
Eligible organizations listed by YSA include K-12 schools, higher education institutions, out-of-school-time/afterschool programs, positive youth development organizations, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, state governments, and local governments.
Learn more HERE
Does the organization need an existing Youth Council?
Not necessarily. The grant can support the development of new Youth Councils or similar youth leadership structures, as well as the expansion of existing ones.
Is there a minimum number of people that must be engaged?
Yes. The program requires engagement of at least 200 youth and adults through the Summit and/or related youth voice, leadership, and decision-making opportunities.
When is MLK Day of Service?
MLK Day of Service will be held on January 18, 2027.
When is the application deadline?
The application deadline is Sunday, October 25, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. local time.
Can grant money pay staff salaries?
No. The application specifically states that grant funds cannot be used for staff salaries or benefits.
Can the funding be used for lobbying or partisan political activities?
No. The application identifies lobbying and partisan political activities among the prohibited uses of AmeriCorps funding.
Conclusion
The Youth At Every Decision-Making Table Grant 2026 provides an opportunity for eligible U.S. organizations to strengthen how young people participate in leadership, service, and decision-making. With $2,000 available to each selected organization, the program is designed to support the creation or expansion of Youth Councils and other formal youth leadership structures while connecting those structures to a broader Youth Leadership Summit around MLK Day and continuing engagement through The Civic Season.
The opportunity goes beyond funding a single youth event. Applicants are expected to demonstrate how they will establish meaningful youth leadership, recruit participants who reflect the diversity of their communities, engage at least 200 youth and adults, provide relevant training, and continue creating opportunities for youth voice and leadership after the MLK Day period.
Organizations considering applying should pay particular attention to the $1,000 match requirement, the 200-person engagement requirement, the restrictions on how grant funds can be spent, and the expectation that youth leadership structures will contribute to ongoing engagement throughout the 2026–2027 academic year and The Civic Season.
The application deadline is October 25, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. local time, giving eligible organizations a clear opportunity to prepare their organizational information, youth leadership plans, recruitment strategy, Summit concept, preliminary budget, and match-funding plan before submission.
For more opportunities click HERE
