Sprout Seed Awards are modest financial awards that support community-based projects and strategic initiatives. Since September 2001, the Sprout Seed Award program has supported over 180 projects, totaling more than $1.1 million of investment in the community. By seeding many small projects, Sprout supports, celebrates, and showcases the initiatives of young, creative, and civically-engaged people in the region with the cumulative power to create a critical mass of positive regional change.

Sprout supports projects that are designed to:

• Engage young people in their communities
• Raise awareness about projects, events, and activities important to young people
• Provide opportunities for young people to assume leadership roles
• Bridge the gap between young people and traditional regional stakeholders
• Improve the perceptions that young people have of the image of the Pittsburgh region

Sprout is a non-traditional grant-maker and is organized to be responsive to the innovative initiatives of young people. In addition to the size ($500 to $10,000) and timing of its support (monthly review of applications), one of the key differentiators between Sprout and a traditional foundation is that Sprout's projects are decided by advisory committee members that are a part of the same demographic it serves—young people making decisions to support projects serving young people.