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U.S. Soccer Foundation Awards $310,000 Social Innovation Fund Sub-Grant to the YMCA of Greater Dayto

7 March 2012

U.S. Soccer Foundation Awards $310,000 Social Innovation Fund Sub-Grant to the YMCA of Greater Dayton

Dayton, OH – On March 7, 2012 the U.S. Soccer Foundation awarded a $310,000 Social Innovation Fund Sub-Grant over two years to the YMCA of Greater Dayton to support the implementation of Soccer for Success, the Foundation’s after-school, sports-based youth development program that uses soccer as a tool to combat childhood obesity and provides nutrition education and mentorship to children in at-risk communities.

In August 2011, the U.S. Soccer Foundation received a grant from the prestigious 2011 Social Innovation Fund, on behalf of the Corporation for National and Community Service, to support programs that promote healthy lifestyles and reduce obesity rates for children in urban, underserved communities. The U.S. Soccer Foundation, the Major Charitable Arm of Soccer in the United States, was one of five intermediaries to receive this award.

In 2012, the Soccer for Success program will expand to serve thirteen cities and over 12,000 children, as a result of the award the Foundation received from the Social Innovation Fund. The YMCA of Greater Dayton was one of thirteen organizations to receive this Sub-Grant.

“We are thrilled to be a part of this innovative program. Keeping children healthy and active is a mission of the YMCA and we will be able to reach Dayton area children that might not have otherwise had an opportunity to participate,” stated Tim Helm, President/CEO of the YMCA of Greater Dayton.

“The U.S. Soccer Foundation is proud to receive an award from the Social Innovation Fund to expand the Soccer for Success national footprint,” said Ed Foster-Simeon, President  & CEO. “We believe that Soccer for Success is an innovative program that can make a positive impact on youth. We are happy to assist organizations that are committed to improving the well-being of children in at-risk communities using soccer.”

“Ohio is a great soccer state,” Sen. Brown said. “This award not only supports soccer’s growth in the Miami Valley, but it also strengthens the YMCA of Dayton’s commitment to keep children active, promote healthy nutritional habits, and provide mentorships children who need it most.”

The Social Innovation Fund requires that each federal dollar granted be matched by the intermediaries and again by the organizations selected to receive a Sub-Grant. Sub-Grantees will begin implementing Soccer for Success in Fall/Winter 2012.

2012 Social Innovation Fund Sub-Grantees


Boys and Girls Club of Camden County (Camden, NJ)
Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta (Atlanta, GA)
Boys and Girls Club of Trenton and Mercer County (Trenton, NJ)
Brotherhood Crusade (Los Angeles, CA)
Colorado Fusion Soccer Club (Denver, CO)
DC Scores (Washington, DC)
El Monte Community Building Initiative (CBI) (El Monte, CA)
Houston Parks & Recreation Department (Houston, TX)
Independent Health Foundation (Buffalo, NY)
Think Detroit Police Athletic League (Detroit, MI)
Washington Youth Soccer Association (Seattle, WA)
Widener University (Chester, PA)
YMCA of Greater Dayton (Dayton, OH)

About the U.S. Soccer Foundation
The U.S. Soccer Foundation is the Major Charitable Arm of Soccer in the United States.  Established in 1994, the U.S. Soccer Foundation has invested more than $55 million in all 50 states.  The U.S. Soccer Foundation supports programs and field building projects that provide underserved youth in urban communities with opportunities that promote positive behavior, healthy lifestyles, self-confidence and positive alternatives to drugs, crime and other at-risk behaviors.

About the Y
The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Across the U.S., 2,687 Ys engage 21 million men, women and children – regardless of age, income or background – to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. Anchored in more than 10,000 communities, the Y has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change. The YMCA of Greater Dayton was established in 1870 and now offers twelve locations throughout the Miami Valley.