Purpose
Provide financial assistance to USA Swimming teams impacted by an instance of devastation and destruction (e.g., wildfire disaster or hurricane).
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for a USA Swimming Wildfire Relief Grant, USA Swimming member clubs must have suffered material losses from an instance of devastation or destruction caused by the current California wildfires.
To be able to use grants to provide swim team dues relief, USA Swimming member clubs must have team members and families who have suffered loss of their homes for an extended period.
Award Amount
Teams are eligible to be considered for one grant up to $5,000. The average grant is expected to be about $3,000.
Based on the number of teams that could be impacted, USA Swimming may be unable to honor every request for assistance that is received.
Recommended Uses for Grant Funds:
- Assist with losses which are NOT covered by insurance.
- Pay deductible expenses for insured losses.
- Help replace or repair lost and damaged equipment, such as, but not limited to, pace clocks, lane lines, pool pumps and pool heaters.
- Assist with cost of using temporary facilities.
- Help USA Swimming member clubs provide matching grants for swim team dues relief to team families with significant losses.
Grant Application Guidelines
USA Swimming’s grant review committee will evaluate each grant request and give the strongest consideration to those requests that, in the collective opinion of the committee, demonstrate the most significant need. In evaluating grant requests, the review committee will consider the following questions and guidelines:
- Has the team provided all the information requested? Does the grant proposal clearly and effectively present a strong case for support?
- Will the proposed grant help replace losses which were not insured or go toward deductible/s for an insured loss? Is replacing those losses critical to the ongoing operation of the USA Swimming member club (e.g. lane lines and/or pool heaters)? Losses deemed as being critical to ongoing team operations will merit the highest consideration.
- Is there an opportunity for the USA Swimming member club to secure matching funds? In general, all requests to use grant dollars provided by USA Swimming to match funds from other sources, will merit high consideration.
- Will the proposed grant be utilized as matching funds for USA Swimming member club dues relief for families suffering substantial losses (e.g. loss of their home for an extended period)? Is financial aid critical to keeping children participating with the USA Swimming member club? Requests to use grant dollars as matching funds for swim team dues relief shall merit strong consideration. Funding provided for dues relief must be matched by the USA Swimming member club (see note 1 in section titled “Additional Info”).
- If replacing equipment, more expensive, longer serving equipment purchases which benefit multiple athletes will merit higher consideration than less expensive, more disposable items such as, but not limited to, fins, hand paddles, stretch cords, kickboards and pull buoys.
Grant Review Committee
USA Swimming’s grant review committee will be composed of three volunteers and one staff liaison. The three volunteers will be approved by the USA Swimming Board of Director’s Chair, who shall also approve a committee chairperson from within that group.
Additional Information
- Requests for swim team dues relief shall only be for swimmers and/or families who have been severely impacted by a disaster. In addition, the dollars requested from USA Swimming shall be matched by the club. For example, if the USA Swimming member club wishes to provide $200 per month in scholarship aid for six months to a family who lost their home in a wildfire, the USA Swimming member club will also contribute $200 per month in scholarship aid for six months.
- Realizing some USA Swimming member athletes have been displaced from their homes and clubs, USA Swimming’s Board of Directors passed resolutions granting a temporary exception to the 60-day representation rule. For more information about this exception, contact USA Swimming’s Membership Manager, Denise Thomas, at denise.thomas@usaswimming.org.
- Prior to USA Swimming disbursing any grant funds, the USA Swimming member club will be required to sign a letter of agreement acknowledging the funds awarded will be utilized for the specific purpose(s) stated in the letter of agreement. Per Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations, USA Swimming must have a current W-9 form on file for any USA Swimming member club receiving funds.
Timeline
Upon receipt of a grant application, USA Swimming’s grant review committee will communicate the grant award to the applicant within 30 days.
Grant Application Instructions
- Please apply for the Wildfire Relief Grant at https://usaswimming.smapply.io/prog/wildfire-relief-grant
- Provide a one-page written statement outlining your grant request. It should include the following information:
- A brief description of the losses the team has suffered because of the instance of devastation or destruction.
- The dollar amount being requested.
- The purpose for which your team is requesting grant funds. Specifically looking at how funds be spent. (e.g.: replace damaged equipment, contribute to due relief, etc.)
- The request must include basic details regarding the planned use of funds. For example, if you are replacing damaged equipment, the request should detail the projected cost of the specific items to be replaced.
- USA Swimming’s disaster relief grant program is primarily intended to assist USA Swimming member clubs with non-insured losses, but it can also help cover deductible expenses for insured losses. If requesting reimbursement for a deductible expense from an insured loss, USA Swimming member clubs and/or facilities must provide a FEMA number and/or documentation from the insurance company.
- If requesting funds for USA Swimming team dues relief for families experiencing significant hardship shall be matching grants. This means USA Swimming will match any dues relief for families that the USA Swimming member club is already providing. As part of the request, please outline the dues relief proposal and how much money the club plans to commit to matching financial aid.
- All applicants must submit a W9.
Please direct all grant questions to clubgrantrelief@usaswimming.org
Wildfire Relief Grant
Purpose
Provide financial assistance to USA Swimming teams impacted by an instance of devastation and destruction (e.g., wildfire disaster or hurricane).
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for a USA Swimming Wildfire Relief Grant, USA Swimming member clubs must have suffered material losses from an instance of devastation or destruction caused by the current California wildfires.
To be able to use grants to provide swim team dues relief, USA Swimming member clubs must have team members and families who have suffered loss of their homes for an extended period.
Award Amount
Teams are eligible to be considered for one grant up to $5,000. The average grant is expected to be about $3,000.
Based on the number of teams that could be impacted, USA Swimming may be unable to honor every request for assistance that is received.
Recommended Uses for Grant Funds:
- Assist with losses which are NOT covered by insurance.
- Pay deductible expenses for insured losses.
- Help replace or repair lost and damaged equipment, such as, but not limited to, pace clocks, lane lines, pool pumps and pool heaters.
- Assist with cost of using temporary facilities.
- Help USA Swimming member clubs provide matching grants for swim team dues relief to team families with significant losses.
Grant Application Guidelines
USA Swimming’s grant review committee will evaluate each grant request and give the strongest consideration to those requests that, in the collective opinion of the committee, demonstrate the most significant need. In evaluating grant requests, the review committee will consider the following questions and guidelines:
- Has the team provided all the information requested? Does the grant proposal clearly and effectively present a strong case for support?
- Will the proposed grant help replace losses which were not insured or go toward deductible/s for an insured loss? Is replacing those losses critical to the ongoing operation of the USA Swimming member club (e.g. lane lines and/or pool heaters)? Losses deemed as being critical to ongoing team operations will merit the highest consideration.
- Is there an opportunity for the USA Swimming member club to secure matching funds? In general, all requests to use grant dollars provided by USA Swimming to match funds from other sources, will merit high consideration.
- Will the proposed grant be utilized as matching funds for USA Swimming member club dues relief for families suffering substantial losses (e.g. loss of their home for an extended period)? Is financial aid critical to keeping children participating with the USA Swimming member club? Requests to use grant dollars as matching funds for swim team dues relief shall merit strong consideration. Funding provided for dues relief must be matched by the USA Swimming member club (see note 1 in section titled “Additional Info”).
- If replacing equipment, more expensive, longer serving equipment purchases which benefit multiple athletes will merit higher consideration than less expensive, more disposable items such as, but not limited to, fins, hand paddles, stretch cords, kickboards and pull buoys.
Grant Review Committee
USA Swimming’s grant review committee will be composed of three volunteers and one staff liaison. The three volunteers will be approved by the USA Swimming Board of Director’s Chair, who shall also approve a committee chairperson from within that group.
Additional Information
- Requests for swim team dues relief shall only be for swimmers and/or families who have been severely impacted by a disaster. In addition, the dollars requested from USA Swimming shall be matched by the club. For example, if the USA Swimming member club wishes to provide $200 per month in scholarship aid for six months to a family who lost their home in a wildfire, the USA Swimming member club will also contribute $200 per month in scholarship aid for six months.
- Realizing some USA Swimming member athletes have been displaced from their homes and clubs, USA Swimming’s Board of Directors passed resolutions granting a temporary exception to the 60-day representation rule. For more information about this exception, contact USA Swimming’s Membership Manager, Denise Thomas, at denise.thomas@usaswimming.org.
- Prior to USA Swimming disbursing any grant funds, the USA Swimming member club will be required to sign a letter of agreement acknowledging the funds awarded will be utilized for the specific purpose(s) stated in the letter of agreement. Per Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations, USA Swimming must have a current W-9 form on file for any USA Swimming member club receiving funds.
Timeline
Upon receipt of a grant application, USA Swimming’s grant review committee will communicate the grant award to the applicant within 30 days.
Grant Application Instructions
- Please apply for the Wildfire Relief Grant at https://usaswimming.smapply.io/prog/wildfire-relief-grant
- Provide a one-page written statement outlining your grant request. It should include the following information:
- A brief description of the losses the team has suffered because of the instance of devastation or destruction.
- The dollar amount being requested.
- The purpose for which your team is requesting grant funds. Specifically looking at how funds be spent. (e.g.: replace damaged equipment, contribute to due relief, etc.)
- The request must include basic details regarding the planned use of funds. For example, if you are replacing damaged equipment, the request should detail the projected cost of the specific items to be replaced.
- USA Swimming’s disaster relief grant program is primarily intended to assist USA Swimming member clubs with non-insured losses, but it can also help cover deductible expenses for insured losses. If requesting reimbursement for a deductible expense from an insured loss, USA Swimming member clubs and/or facilities must provide a FEMA number and/or documentation from the insurance company.
- If requesting funds for USA Swimming team dues relief for families experiencing significant hardship shall be matching grants. This means USA Swimming will match any dues relief for families that the USA Swimming member club is already providing. As part of the request, please outline the dues relief proposal and how much money the club plans to commit to matching financial aid.
- All applicants must submit a W9.
Please direct all grant questions to clubgrantrelief@usaswimming.org