Scholarships

The Illinois State Alliance of YMCAs offers scholarships for leadership development opportunities to YMCA staff in Illinois to help grow capacity. The scholarship policy was revised and adopted by the Board of Directors December 2025 to create a fair and equitable scholarship process.

Scholarship Guidelines (Effective 12/3/25)

• Quarterly Application Deadlines: February 1, May 1, August 1, November 1
• Scholarship Limits:
  • Limit of $250 per person per calendar
  • Cap for each association based on budget/Alliance dues:
    • Annual dues of $500 or less - $500 (2 scholarships)
    • Annual dues of $500-1,000 - $1,000 (4 scholarships)
    • Annual dues of $1,000-2,000 - $1,500 (6 scholarships)
    • Annual dues over $2,000 - $2,500 (10 scholarships)
• Scholarships are paid to the YMCA, not individual staff members.
• Scholarships may be requested for conferences, events, and training hosted by the Illinois State Alliance of YMCAs, YMCA of the USA and the Northern Midwest Learning Center. These include:
  • National Advocacy Days 
  • State Advocacy Day
  • NAYDO
  • Fall Staff Rally
  • Certified Praesidium Guardian Training
  • EMLE/REMLE
  • YUSA Conferences
  • YMCA Learning Center Training Events
• Applicants will be notified of scholarship award soon after the quarterly scholarship deadline. Once the training, conference or event is complete, the applicant must submit a request for payment along with receipts totaling or exceeding the amount of the scholarship award. Payment will be made to the YMCA. Note: please submit one payment request for multiple staff attending the same training, conference or event.
• Individuals with an awarded scholarship may transfer the award to another training if the training applied for is not attended or unavailable unless the Y association has met its yearly limit.
• Scholarships may be transferred to another staff member within the same association IF that person has not already received a scholarship that year and the CEO/Brand Executive approves the change.
• YMCA staff are encouraged to take advantage of scholarship opportunities available from YMCA of the USA. Search “scholarships” on LINK, then apply at https://yusa.smartsimple.com/s_Login.jsp
• Registration fees for event committee members will be waived. No scholarship request required. (Fall Staff Rally, REMLE, and other events as planned by the Alliance.)

Apply for Scholarship

You will receive an email shortly after the quarterly deadline acknowledging the award and providing instruction for redemption.