USA Football Grant Program application period continues through March 9
Whether it's high school, middle school or youth football, every bit helps when it comes to budgets. With more than $1 million in grants available in 2018, the USA Football Grant Program is here to help.
This year's grant sponsors include:
RELATED CONTENT: How USA Football’s ‘Tip of the Spear’ is helping the game evolve
Equipment grants
USA Football provides equipment grants of $1,500 and $500 to those selected from a nationwide application process, which ends March 9.
Last year, 1,400 programs from across the country benefitted from the program, including the Buckeye Youth Football Association in Medina, Ohio, which had around 120 players last fall. The association used its $1,500 grant to buy Riddell helmets and various blocking and tackling equipment to help illustrate and implement USA Football's Heads Up Football methodology.
"We're a group of volunteers, and the program breaks even on an annual basis. The community rallies around us with our fundraisers to make sure we can get what we need," association president Roy Salazar said. "The grant allowed us to think about what we wanted, what would make sense for us, more in the long-term, which was terrific."
Photo via Buckeye Youth Football Association
As part of the Lake Erie Youth Football League last season, Buckeye Youth Football had one division championship winner, two division finalists and another that reached the Final Four.
"Having proper equipment for the teams to practice with and use was a big part of their success," Salazar said.
From Riddell helmets to Badger uniforms, USA Football can provide your team with the gear it needs. Practice with outdated equipment? Apply to receive the most innovative merchandise from TackleTube or Shadowman Sports. If your program needs a qualified coaching staff, PeopleTrail is your go-to for background checks.
RELATED CONTENT: Why is football helmet reconditioning important?
Grants are awarded based on need, merit and your organization’s involvement with USA Football programs.
To apply for an equipment grant, click here.
Field building grants
Together with FieldTurf, USA Football helps make synthetic football fields more affordable by awarding field-building grants every year, with each recipient receiving a $50,000 voucher toward the purchase of a FieldTurf field. Through these grants, we bring higher-quality, durable football fields to the communities that need them most — and help to create a better, safer game for football athletes.
To apply for a field building grant, click here.
Disaster relief grants
The NFL Foundation and USA Football provide equipment donations to youth and high school football organizations affected by theft or natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes and fire.
Each application is reviewed by USA Football’s grant committee for eligibility, which includes registration as a 501c3 nonprofit organization and affiliation with Heads Up Football.
To apply for a disaster relief grant, click here.
For a list of answers to frequently asked questions regarding the grant program, click here.