NFL Foundation’s Grassroots Program – Jun 30

Posted by Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) on June 3, 2025

Local Initiatives Support Corporation invites applications for NFL Foundation’s Grassroots Program

Together with residents and partners, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) aims to help forge resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity across America—great places to live, work, visit, do business, and raise families.

LISC invites applications for the NFL Foundation’s Grassroots Program, which provides nonprofit, neighborhood-based organizations with financial and technical assistance with the goal of improving the quality, safety, and accessibility of local football fields. Nationwide, the program has committed more than $63 million to support 437 fields in over 100 cities—all areas where NFL teams have a home base. Fields are newly built or significantly renovated, with improvements that include irrigation systems, lights, bleachers, scoreboards, goal posts, and turf.

The program provides grants of up to $250,000 for capital improvement projects to community-based organizations, middle schools, or high schools serving a neighborhood consisting of low- and moderate-income families and individuals. Applicants must have been in existence for at least three years, have at least one-full time staff member who will manage and oversee the project, and have a proven history in real estate development and recreation programming.

Strong preference will be given to those proposals that (1) seek to upgrade existing facilities that are in poor condition or otherwise underutilized; (2) demonstrate active use of the fields; (3) attract matching funding that exceeds the minimum required match of 1:1; (4) involve local partnerships with nonprofit community partners (e.g., USA Football, Parks and Recreation Departments, YMCA branches, etc.) to promote youth sports safety and community programming on the fields; (5) provide for continuing maintenance and field safety; and (6) involve youth football programs that are currently registered and compliant with USA Football’s Football Development Model education program.

To be eligible, projects must be sponsored by nonprofit community-based organizations registered as exempt from Federal Income Tax under Internal Revenue Service Code Section 501(c)(3) or middle or high schools. In addition, all organizations applying for funds must be located specifically and exclusively within NFL target markets and serve low- to moderate-income areas within those markets.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the Local Initiatives Support Corporation website.

Deadline: June 30, 2025