Key Takeaways
- Positive Coaching Alliance received a $10 million, five-year grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to expand character development programs to 1.5+ million youth athletes.
- The funding is part of Lilly Endowment’s national Character Development Through Youth Programs initiative, which supports 14 youth-serving organizations across the country.
- Grant priorities include strengthening measurement and evaluation capabilities, updating programming with current research, and expanding digital engagement through culturally competent platforms.
- PCA currently operates with 60 staff members and 150 certified trainers, partnering with more than 800 youth sports organizations and school districts nationwide.
- The organization plans to prioritize communities that have historically had less access to quality youth sports opportunities.
Building National Infrastructure for Character-Based Sports Education
Positive Coaching Alliance announced on October 3, 2025 that it will receive $10 million over five years from Lilly Endowment Inc., marking one of the largest single grants in the organization’s history. The funding will support PCA’s efforts to bring character development programming to more than 1.5 million young athletes across the United States.
The Oakland, California-based nonprofit focuses on training coaches, parents, and youth leaders to build resilience, teamwork, leadership, and integrity in young athletes. PCA CEO Jason Sacks described the grant as “truly game changing” for the organization’s ability to scale its mission of ensuring every young person experiences character-building benefits through sports.
The grant comes through Lilly Endowment’s Character Development Through Youth Programs initiative, a national effort designed to help youth-serving organizations create, test, implement, and sustain character development strategies. PCA is one of 14 organizations selected for funding through the initiative.
Strategic Focus Areas for Program Expansion
The five-year funding will support four primary areas of development and expansion. First, PCA will strengthen its national infrastructure, with particular emphasis on measurement, learning, and evaluation capabilities. This includes scaling partnerships with large school districts, parks and recreation departments, and youth sports organizations.
Second, the organization will develop innovative approaches to reach communities that have historically had less access to quality youth sports opportunities. This work includes updating character development programming to reflect the latest research and knowledge in youth development while evaluating the most effective delivery mechanisms for different populations.
Third, PCA plans to increase engagement through digital platforms, including social media, with an emphasis on cultural competence. The organization currently operates through a national network of 11 regional offices with non-governing local boards, supported by 60 staff members and 150 experienced certified trainers.
Fourth, the grant will fund investments in PCA’s certified trainer network, ensuring trainers receive updated instruction on research-based delivery methods.
Current Scale and Partnership Model
PCA currently partners with more than 800 youth sports organizations, school districts, professional sports leagues, youth-serving organizations, and community leaders across the country. The organization is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area and maintains a national footprint through its regional structure.
The organization’s operational model combines direct staff support with a network of trained facilitators who deliver programming at the local level. This structure allows PCA to maintain quality standards while reaching diverse communities with varying needs and resources.
Mitch Cohen, Chair of PCA’s Board of Directors, emphasized the organization’s growth potential with the new funding. “Sports done right changes lives, and with this incredible partnership, PCA is poised to ensure that more young people across the nation gain access to programs that help them grow as athletes and as people,” Cohen said.
Addressing Access Gaps in Youth Sports
One stated priority for the grant funding is expanding reach to communities with historically limited access to quality youth sports programming. While PCA did not provide specific demographic or geographic targets, the organization indicated that innovative delivery mechanisms and cultural competence in digital engagement would play key roles in this expansion effort.
The focus on access aligns with broader youth sports industry conversations about participation barriers, including cost, geographic availability, and cultural relevance of programming. PCA’s model, which trains existing coaches and adult leaders rather than requiring new facilities or equipment, may offer advantages for resource-constrained communities.
The organization’s emphasis on updating programming with current research also reflects growing attention to evidence-based approaches in youth development. The grant’s support for enhanced measurement and evaluation capabilities suggests PCA plans to document outcomes more rigorously as it scales.
Looking Ahead
The Lilly Endowment grant positions PCA to significantly expand its reach over the next five years, with the stated goal of impacting 1.5 million youth through sports-based character development. The organization’s success will likely depend on its ability to effectively deploy digital platforms, update curriculum based on current research, and maintain quality as it scales through existing and new partnerships.
The multi-year funding timeline provides runway for testing new approaches and building infrastructure before broader rollout. PCA’s emphasis on trainer development and measurement capabilities suggests the organization is prioritizing sustainable growth over rapid expansion.
For youth sports organizations, school districts, and community programs, PCA’s expanded capacity may create new partnership opportunities for coach training and parent education programming focused on character development outcomes.
via: Positive Coaching Alliance
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