OPEN — 2027 Knoxville Opportunity Youth Engagement competitive grants; November 2–December 2, 2026 application window; received before 4:30 p.m. December 2.
Tennessee — City of Knoxville 2027 Opportunity Youth Engagement Grants ($5,000–$40,000; December 2)
The City of Knoxville offers $5,000–$40,000 competitive grants to eligible local nonprofit and community-based programs serving young people ages 16–24 at highest risk of violent crime. Applications opened November 2, 2026, and must be received December 2, 2026 before 4:30 p.m. Fiscal sponsorship, juvenile-court referral, and reporting requirements apply.
Funding$5,000–$40,000 per selected applicant project; partial funding possible. No total 2027 program pool disclosed.
DeadlineApplications opened November 2, 2026. Complete applications must be RECEIVED Wednesday, December 2, 2026, before 4:30 p.m. The official program application does not expressly specify a time zone.
Last verified2026-11-02
Required next actionReview the City of Knoxville's 2027 grant guidelines (https://tn-knoxville.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/6062/2027-Safety-OCS-Grant-Guidelines-FINAL-PDF) and five-page application (https://tn-knoxville.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/6078/2027-Opportunity-Youth-Engagement-Application-PDF). Confirm 501(c)(3) direct status or fiscal sponsor, Tennessee charitable registration/exemption, and capacity to serve three Knox County Juvenile Court referrals and participate in the Empower Knox Opportunity Youth Network. Complete six sections, itemized budget (personnel/admin ≤20%), annual report or organizational budget, W-9, IRS determination, charitable registration/exemption, sponsor acknowledgment where applicable, and authorized signature. Submit by email to sstarks@knoxvilletn.gov or deliver to Star Starks, 400 W Main Street Room 532A, Knoxville TN 37902, before Dec 2, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. Verify unspecified time zone with the funder.
Broad Eligibility
501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit and community-based applicants with qualifying 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsorship where needed, and Tennessee charitable registration/exemption documentation. Applicant projects must provide Knoxville-based programming to ages 16–24 at highest risk of violence; must serve at least three youth referred by Knox County Juvenile Court and participate in Empower Knox Opportunity Youth Network. Religious-activity restrictions and no religious fiscal sponsors apply.
Atlas Analysis
Controlling official sources fully reviewed November 2, 2026: program page https://tn-knoxville.civicplus.com/1591/Community-Safety-Opportunity-Youth-Engag; five-page Spring/Summer/Fall 2027 guidelines https://tn-knoxville.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/6062/2027-Safety-OCS-Grant-Guidelines-FINAL-PDF; five-page official 2027 application https://tn-knoxville.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/6078/2027-Opportunity-Youth-Engagement-Application-PDF. 2027 cycle Nov 2 to Dec 2 at 4:30 p.m. (time zone not specified), individual grants $5,000 to $40,000; total pool unspecified. Programs May 3 through Oct 15, 2027; eligible Knoxville local youth-engagement nonprofits or CBOs with 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor and TN charitable documentation. Required at least three youth referred by Knox County Juvenile Court, mandatory Opportunity Youth Network participation, staff/admin cost cap 20%, receipts and annual/midpoint reports, disbursement conditional on project duration and reporting. No explicit match percentage published; do not assert no match is required. All six sections and annexes described. A stray 2025 date in older guideline text is superseded by repeated explicit 2027 headings and application. Financial-assistance competition, not vendor procurement. Fresh title/program/city duplicate checks across published and unpublished WordPress grants identified no existing Knoxville 2027 Opportunity Youth Engagement grant; unrelated Charlotte youth-engagement grant #6507 is a distinct funder and 2026 cycle.
City of Knoxville — 2027 Opportunity Youth Engagement Grant
The City of Knoxville Office of Community Safety and Empowerment (OCSE) is accepting competitive grant applications from November 2 through December 2, 2026. Completed applications with all supporting documents must be received before 4:30 p.m. on December 2, 2026. The official 2027 application does not specify a time zone. Selected programs operate from May 3 through October 15, 2027; awards are expected in April 2027.
Applicant-level grant funding
$5,000–$40,000 per selected project or organization. Partial awards are possible and a prior award does not guarantee funding. The city does not publish an overall grant pool or a separate individual maximum beyond the stated range. This is applicant financial assistance, not a purchase of services or a procurement contract.
Eligible organizations and participants
Eligible applicants are nonprofit and community-based organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status or an eligible 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor; applicants or sponsors must meet Tennessee charitable registration or exemption documentation requirements. Programs must serve young people ages 16–24 within the City of Knoxville who are at the highest risk of victimization by or involvement in violent crime, including justice-involved youth and youth disconnected from education, employment, or community services. Under the official guidelines, churches or religious organizations cannot serve as fiscal sponsors for this taxpayer-funded grant; funded religious activities and discrimination are prohibited.
Every recipient must serve at least three youth referred by Knox County Juvenile Court and participate in the Empower Knox Opportunity Youth Network. Applicants should assess these requirements before submitting.
Allowable costs and restrictions
Funding may support engagement programs, youth employment or stipends, project materials, training, meetings, operating costs and approved personnel/administrative expenses. Personnel and administrative costs cannot exceed 20% of the requested amount. No required matching contribution is specified in the public 2027 guidelines; applicants should confirm any additional award-agreement conditions with the city. Grants lasting three months or less generally receive an upfront payment after agreement execution; longer projects generally receive an upfront installment and a second installment after mid-project reporting. The city may retain a portion until it accepts the final report. Recipients must maintain expense receipts and deliver required outcome, youth-demographic, survey, and Court-referral reporting.
Application and mandatory attachments
Read the City’s 2027 controlling program guidelines (PDF) and 2027 application and budget form (PDF) before applying. Complete all six application sections, including project narrative, service population, requested amount and itemized budget. Provide organizational annual report or budget, completed W-9, IRS 501(c)(3) letter, current Tennessee charitable registration or exemption, and, if applicable, a written fiscal-sponsor acknowledgment. Include an authorized signature and any other required supporting materials. Submit a separate application for each proposed project.
Send the completed application and attachments by email to sstarks@knoxvilletn.gov or deliver to Star Starks, Office of Community Safety and Empowerment, 400 W Main Street, Room 532A, Knoxville, TN 37902, before 4:30 p.m. on December 2, 2026. The guidelines also permit received mail; do not send by fax. The deadline is receipt-based, not a postmark deadline. Official program page.
Official materials verified November 2, 2026. The PDF guidelines contain one apparent obsolete 2025 reference in a budget example; the controlling document title, application, window and operating dates consistently specify the 2027 grant cycle.
Source verificationReferenced source · tn-knoxville.civicplus.comAtlas last verified this record 2026-11-02. Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗
