Youth Empowerment Fund
Teens – Ages 13-18 Urban Services YMCA
The Youth Empowerment Fund (YEF), a program of Urban Services YMCA, is funded by the Department of Children, Youth and their Families (DCYF). For over 20 years, YEF has created opportunities for San Francisco’s youth to become leaders and citywide change-makers. In the past decade, YEF has awarded more than $1.3 million in grants to support youth-led initiatives. And we are committed to continuing our service to the city’s young people by providing them with resources to address the issues they see in their communities.
The Vision
We strive for youth grant makers to develop skills and confidence as leaders. By enabling youth to plan and administer community grants, the program supports not only youth transitioning into thriving adulthoods but also keeps San Francisco a great place to grow up. YEF-funded projects address one or more of the following focus areas.
grant focus areas
YEF-funded projects address one or more of the following focus areas.
Youth Trends and Needs: Grants in this content area focus on projects that seek to address the evolving interests and issues of concern for youth in San Francisco.
Community Improvement Projects: Grants in this content area focus on projects that seek to understand and address the root causes of community needs or issues.
Youth Entrepreneurship: Grants in this content area focus on supporting youth in launching new business ventures.
Grant timeline
YEF awards over $100,000 annually in mini-grants supporting projects initiated and led by youth citywide. Young people in San Francisco can apply for funding up to $10,000, three times a year, to fund their unique ideas and vision addressing important community issues and need.
- App Release: Mon 7/14/25
- App Deadline: Mon 9/15/25
- Interviews: Sat 9/27/25, Week of 9/29/25, Week of 10/6/25
If selected…
- Orientation: Sat 10/25/25
- Onboarding Paperwork Deadline: Mon 10/27/25
- Projected Spending Start Date: Fri 10/31/25
- Financial End Date: Mon 3/16/26
- Grant End Date: Mon 3/23/26
- App Release: Mon 12/1/25
- App Deadline: TBA
- Interviews: TBA
If selected…
- Orientation: TBA
- Onboarding Deadline: TBA
- Projected Spending Start Date: TBA
- Financial End Date: TBA
- Grant End Date: TBA
Get involved
Sign up for an info session.
YEF is not possible without the support of our Fiscal Sponsors and Adult Allies. If you are interested in learning about ways to help our program, please reach out to YEF Director, Susy Dubon at [email protected] for more information.
An Adult Ally is a mentor who provides guidance and support to the youth Grantees as they navigate the grant cycle. Adult Allies serve as one of the main points of contact for a youth project. They do not take over leadership of their young people’s project, but they are another pillar of support to the Grantees. Some of the ways Adult Allies assist the youth are by keeping the young people accountable for the monthly reports and paperwork they are required to get done, attending meetings with YEF, and staying in the loop with the project’s progress.
A nonprofit organization or for-profit organization that manages grant funds on behalf of the project and provides financial oversight. A Fiscal Sponsor pays for a youth project expenses, and YEF reimburses the organization.
A Fiscal Sponsor must be able to pay for youth project purchases up front. They also must submit paperwork such as a Certificate of Insurance, W-9, and a Memorandum of Understanding. For a more detailed list of requirements, please click here.
meet the team
YEF Community Funders
The Community Funders are essential to the program’s success. They are the young people who oversee the grant making process by assessing community needs, determine how to allocate resources, and administer and support grants to their peers for youth-led social impact, community improvement, or entrepreneurial projects.
Our Community Funders reflect the diversity of this beautiful city. As young people who live and attend school in San Francisco, they are well-versed in the unique challenges people face in this everchanging city.
Schools represented:
June Jordan High School
ICA Preparatory High School
Raoul Wallenberg High School
George Washington High School
Lowell High School
Adult Staff
Susy J. Dubon – YEF Director
Email: [email protected]
Amber Ly – YEF Specialist
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours
Urban Services YMCA
1530 Buchanan St. San Francisco CA 94115
Monday & Wednesdays: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Thursdays & Friday: Available through appointments only
Please no drop-ins