USA Pickleball Serves Announces ‘Play It Forward’ Grant Program
Program will award two community organizations $50,000 to fund a pickleball court installation or conversion.
USA Pickleball Serves, the charitable arm of USA Pickleball (USAP), announced that the ‘Play it Forward’ Grant Program is now open. This is the first monetary grant program offered by USA Pickleball Serves.
“USA Pickleball Serves ‘Play it Forward’ Grant was developed to support community organizations invested in creating more places to play in underserved communities and heavily populated player communities,” said Brenda Puga, USA Pickleball’s Director of Community Relations. "USA Pickleball Serves is committed to increasing court access and promoting the sport of pickleball throughout the country.”
Two community organizations will receive $50,000 to fund a pickleball court installation or conversion. Applications will be reviewed by the USA Pickleball Serves Grant Committee and announced on National Pickleball Day (Aug. 8). The organization must be applying for a specific pickleball location in the United States or its territories, have a physical office or presence in the local giving area, and must be aligned with one of USAP Serves’ core commitments.
To be considered for the grant, organizations must meet the following pre-qualifying requirements:
- The pickleball court(s) must be installed in a public facility.
- The pickleball court(s) must be permanent, dedicated court(s) for the sport of pickleball.
- The pickleball court(s) must be installed and open for play within 12 months of receiving funds.
- A project lead must work with a local USA Pickleball Ambassador or USA Pickleball Serves Committee Member for support and to provide updates.
- The pickleball court(s) must have permanent branding recognition for USA Pickleball Serves and host an unveiling event to include a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
For a full list of grant qualifications, please see usapickleball.org/grants.
Important dates to note:
- Tuesday, April 15 – Application Opens
- Tuesday, June 3 – Application Closes
- Friday, Aug. 8 (National Pickleball Day) – Grant Announcement
USA Pickleball Serves commitment focuses on supporting inclusive play, educational youth programming, and court enhancements. To learn more about USA Pickleball Serves, please visit usapickleball.org/serves.
USA Pickleball Officially Sanctioned Events
This National Pickleball Month presented by Fortune Tires, we are thrilled to have nearly 200 sanctioned events in 44 states and Washington, D.C., to date.
These events range from pickleball parties, round robin tournaments featuring Pickleheads, to Ladies Nights and learn-to-play clinics. There is even a celebrity ProAm Tournament in the Phoenix area; former NFL Pro Bowl quarterback Jake Plummer is hosting a Pickleball Bash in conjunction with Good Sport Foundation during National Pickleball Month!
Sanctioned tournaments require a USA Pickleball Champion Membership, but all other events during April only require a free casual membership. Become a member today and empower your game, get exclusive perks, court access, resources—everything you need to pickleball better than ever during National Pickleball Month presented by Fortune Tires!
To sign up for an event today, click here!
USA Pickleball Serves
USA Pickleball Serves, in collaboration with Ticket to Dream Foundation, will host a Build-a-Pickleball Pack station at Arizona Athletic Grounds during the Mesa Golden Ticket Tournament, April 9-13. This initiative will support Ticket to Dream Foundation’s GOPLAY! program by providing access to extracurricular activities and promoting USA Pickleball’s mission to grow the game.
USA Pickleball members will be invited to build a pickleball pack for foster youth. The completed pickleball packs will be donated to Ticket to Dream Foundation and distributed to foster care agencies across the country and gifted to foster youth.
Additionally, USA Pickleball Serves will host 100 fifth-grade students for a fun, Learn-to-Play Pickleball Clinic at Paseo Pointe Dual Language Academy in Laveen Village, AZ, on April 22. Pickleball equipment (pickleball paddles, balls, and a portable net) and educational resources will be donated to Paseo Pointe Dual Language Academy to encourage playing the game and growing the sport.
Celebrate together!
Make sure to follow and tag @USAPickleball on social media and use the hashtag #PickleballMonth for all your photos and videos. Don’t forget to head to QVC.com, the Exclusive Retail & Broadcast Partner of USA Pickleball, for all your pickleball needs!
