BYFY members identify issues impacting youth in Dane County. They establish funding priorities, review grant proposals, and recommend funding from County and City grants. BYFY is a collaborative program organized by UW-Madison Extension, the City of Madison, United Way of Dane County, and the Dane County Youth Commission.

“BYFY is a program where youth are given the opportunity to impact their community by funding different youth programs in the area. It’s a great program to be a part of and helps you understand the needs of our community along with helping others.” – Past BYFY Member

“BYFY is an opportunity to work as part of team to fund youth-led social justice projects in Dane County. The program lets you gain experience in evaluating grant proposals and making funding decisions, which is a very impressive thing to have on your resume as a teen. BYFY is an incredible way to have an impact on issues you care about.” – Past BYFY Member

By Youth For Youth 2025/2026 Youth Cohort applications are now closed. If you are interested in receiving information about participating for 2026/2027, please add your information to this google form.

BYFY grant applications are open! Please use this link to apply, and review the details and requirements below.

2025/2026 Important Dates:

• Grant applications open: October 8, 2025
• Grant applications due: December 19, 2025
• Applications reviewed: January – February 2026
• Applicants notified, funding received: March 2026
• Awards Ceremony: April 27, 2026
  6:00-7:30pm @ UW-Madison Extension (3500 University Ave, Madison)

Who Can Apply for a Grant:

• If you are a youth, youth-serving organization, and/or school located in Dane County.
• If your program or project serves K-12 youth in Dane County.
• If you have non-profit status or a fiscal agent. (If you do not have a fiscal agent, please still submit your grant application. We will attempt to identify a fiscal agent for you if your proposal is selected for funding.)

Grant Requirements:

• The program or project can happen outside of Dane County, as long as the program or project serves K – 12 youth from Dane County.
• Youth must be included in the project planning, proposal writing, and project implementation.
• Youth applicants, youth organizations, and schools can request up to $3,000.
• Program and project proposals should correspond with at least one funding priority to be considered for funding. The funding priorities chosen by the 2025/2026 BYFY cohort are:
  • Mental Health
  • Food Security
  • Positive Experiences Inside & Outside of School
  • Immigration
  • Sexual Violence
  • Climate Change

Staff Contact Information:

Taylor Seale, UW-Madison Extension
seale.taylor@danecounty.gov

Nathan Beck, City of Madison
nbeck@cityofmadison.com

Michelle Van Asten, United Way of Dane County
michelle.vanasten@uwdc.org

Bonnie Erikson, Dane County Youth Commission
Erickson.Bonnie@danecounty.gov

Program Partners:

Thank you to our partners! By Youth For Youth is a collaboration between:

• UW-Madison Extension
• City of Madison
• Dane County Youth Commission
• United Way of Dane County