A considerable body of research shows that sports and the arts play a vitally important role in the lives of young people by building life skills such as teamwork, confidence and character - not to mention cultivating the stars and fans of the future. Imagine if the next LeBron, Michael Oher or Alicia Keys never had the opportunity to pick up a basketball, a football or a microphone as a child.

That is why StubHub created the Rising Stars program, our way of recognizing outstanding nonprofit organizations that are positively changing the lives of vulnerable youth through arts and recreation. Beyond funding support from the StubHub Foundation (a corporate advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation) starting at $25,000, the Rising Stars program is StubHub's way of helping to ensure the long-term sustainability of vital arts and recreation programs in some of America's most needy communities. Rather than just writing checks, StubHub's focus is on helping locally based, grassroots organizations expand their capacity and increasing access to quality arts and sports experiences that provide underserved youth a safe alternative to the streets.

Grants range from $25,000 - $100,000. In addition, Rising Stars awardees receive pro bono resources through employee service projects, access to StubHub's marketplace of fans through joint promotions, and various fundraising and visibility-building opportunities created in partnership between StubHub and the awardee.

Monetary support comes from the StubHub Foundation, a corporate advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

The Rising Stars program formally launched in January 2013 but StubHub has donated more than $2 million to a variety of charitable causes over the past few years through other programs.

No. In addition to our Rising Stars program, StubHub also supports a variety of causes through traditional grants from the StubHub Foundation, donation of proceeds from ticket sales for select charity events (learn more about this), cause-based promotions and various employee volunteerism activities.

For other questions about StubHub's community involvement efforts, please contact: community@stubhub.com.

Proposals for the StubHub Foundation's Rising Stars program are accepted by invitation only. However, nonprofits focused on sports and arts-based youth development are welcome to send their information to the StubHub corporate responsibility team for preliminary consideration by emailing the following information to community@stubhub.com. (Please include no more than the following information. Incomplete or lengthy submissions and submissions presented in the form of an attachment will not be considered.)

Organization Name

Organization Address

Mission or Purpose (100 words max)

How is your organization improving the lives of young people through arts or recreational opportunities? (150 words max)

Please note that you must be a registered 501c3 organization to qualify for the Rising Stars program. Due to the high volume of requests received, StubHub is not able to personally respond to each submission.