Collegiate Grant Program Overview
Colleges or universities that are Official Club members can apply for a USA Pickleball Collegiate Grant for a maximum of $350 per location for the purchase of eligible pickleball equipment.
Grant Eligibility:
- Applicant is a current student or educator at a college or university, and the college club is a current USA Pickleball Official Club member. If your club is not an Official Club member, CLICK HERE for Official Club Memberships.
- All public and private colleges or universities are eligible to apply for the Collegiate Grant.
- Must be for a specific pickleball location in the United States or its territories.
- Local USA Pickleball Ambassador endorsement is required.
- USA Pickleball Ambassadors can purchase the Official Club Membership for the college or university, but the membership MUST be in the name of one of the club participants or faculty that will be using the membership.
- Grants will not be considered if an ambassador submits on behalf of a college or university and the school is not an Official Club member.
- CLICK HERE to search for an ambassador in your area.
- *We will be verifying ambassador endorsement*
- Location is listed on Places2Play’s website.
- The location must not have been previously awarded any type of USA Pickleball Grant. You are limited to one grant per location (lifetime).
- You must agree to the terms and conditions set forth in the USA Pickleball Grant Program.
Required Information:
- Purpose and justification for requesting grant funding.
- Detailed list of equipment requested with corresponding quantity and cost.
Awards:
- Up to $350.00.
- For qualified pickleball equipment exclusively for the designated use at the specified new locations.
- Expenses that are reimbursable include only the following:
- Any equipment listed on USA Pickleball’s Youth Program Provider Equipment List with Pickleball Central.
- Any net(s) purchased from the USA Pickleball Store (except for Douglas products)
- Maximum four dozen (48) pickleballs
- USA Pickleball official rulebook.
- Reimbursable expenditures purchased up until 90 days after the award letter notification. Purchases made before the award date are not eligible for reimbursement.
*Special paddle donation option for Collegiate Grant Program awardees while available.
Thanks to the generosity of Selkirk and other paddle manufacturers, we can offer a limited supply of donated pickleball paddles to awardees. These donated paddles are excellent for beginner pickleball instruction and play.
Paddles can be requested in the following quantities:
- 8 paddles,
- 16 paddles, or
- 24 paddles.
There is no charge for the paddles, but the cost of shipping the donated paddles will be included in your grant award. The shipping costs are $25 per every 8 paddles.
- $25 for 8 paddles,
- $50 for 16 paddles, or
- $75 for 24 paddles.
About the Application:
- Complete the online grant application form.
- Applications are quick and easy to fill out.
- Our online application uses the Formstack app.
- See the sample application form here to review the answers required.
- Answers and progress can be saved and resumed at any time.
- Review your grant application form and submit it.
Deadline:
- Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
- Applications are reviewed and notified frequently.
Grant Administrative Details:
- Grants will generally be reviewed for approval on a first-come first-served basis.
- The maximum reimbursement to any one location is $350.
- Grant reimbursements will only be valid for 90 days from the date of the award letter.
- Other Frequently Asked Questions are listed below.
Terms and Conditions
By accepting a USA Pickleball Collegiate Grant, you agree to the terms and conditions set forth below.
- Grant approvals are made on reimbursement basis only. Within ninety (90) days following grant approval, you must send a copy of your receipt(s) to the USA Pickleball Finance Department. The receipt(s) should clearly show the person or organization that paid for the equipment, product(s) purchased, the cost of each product and total amount. The grant number must be clearly identified when submitting receipts for reimbursement. Please identify the mailing address for the reimbursement check if different than the grant approval letter.
- The grant is to be used solely for the project as described in your Grant Application.
- Your pickleball program must adhere to all USA Pickleball rules and standards.
- Your pickleball program must adhere to all federal, state and local health and safety laws, regulations and mandates as well as those rules implemented by individual facilities.
- We recommend that the grant awardee updates the P2P grant location listing a minimum of every twelve months.
- You will encourage all student players in your pickleball program to become familiar with the USA Pickleball organization and website.
- By accepting this grant, you agree that USA Pickleball and its authorized vendors and contractors may use photographs, logos, published/printed information, and any other materials you supply us, without further notice, in our press releases, electronic or printed publications. Note: USA Pickleball will NOT publish any student photos without parental consent.
- The decisions of USA Pickleball on matters involving the Collegiate Grant Program are final, binding and not appealable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How can I list the school on the USA Pickleball Places 2 Play website when I do not have a net?
A. You must list the new location with the anticipated start date and startup details. If your new program is dependent on grant approval, please include in your listing’s Comment section: “USA Pickleball Grant applied for—we hope to start offering pickleball at this location soon.”
Schools can state the pickleball location is restricted to students and staff. This is an example of a possible school listing: “Comment: Facilities are open only to the staff and students of the school. This posting is a promo to the parents in the locality for their kids to try out the fun game of PICKLEBALL.”
USA Pickleball cannot issue an award for any location not listed on Places 2 Play
Q. Why does a school location need to be listed on Places 2 Play (P2P)?
A. USA Pickleball utilizes P2P as the central location to tabulate player usage information, and players utilize the listing to locate playing locations. Parents and students can search by city on P2P to locate the best available pickleball playing location.
Q. How do I add the new site to USA Pickleball’s Places 2 Play listing?
A. See the Places 2 Play Help Guide.
Q. Can I submit receipts for equipment purchased prior to the grant being awarded?
A. USA Pickleball will no longer honor receipts for reimbursement of equipment purchased prior to the grant being approved.
Q. Why is the Collegiate Grant program limited to the United States & US Territories?
A. Due to budget constraints, the USA Pickleball Board decided that available funds could be more effectively used in the United States.
Q. Are public and private colleges and universities eligible for a Collegiate Grant?
A. All public and private colleges/universities are eligible to become an Official Club member. Only Official College/University Club members are eligible for the grant.
Q. Is a school limited to one grant?
A. Yes. The mission of the grant program is to introduce pickleball into the school system. Once introduced into the school it would be the school’s responsibility to invest in the sport.
Q. Can a school apply for all of the grants – Community Grant, Youth Grant and Collegiate Grant?
A. No, because of USA Pickleball’s limited resources. The Youth, Collegiate and Community Grants are each a grant. The policy is only one grant per location.
Q. How does USA Pickleball expect the pickleball equipment to be used?
A. USA Pickleball expects the equipment to be utilized in unison with the Youth Program Provider member resources. However, each organization will need to determine how to best use the equipment to introduce the sport of pickleball to its students.
Q. How do we deal with student privacy issues?
A. School organizations have policies in place regarding taking photos of students and the release of student information. USA Pickleball advocates strict adherence to these policies. USA Pickleball will not post any pictures of youth under 18 without written consent of the parent.
Q. Can I make a tax deductible donation to help grow programs like the Collegiate Grant Program?
A. Yes. CLICK HERE to make a donation to USA Pickleball. USAP is a charitable 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and donations are tax deductible to the full extent of federal and state tax laws.
The USA Pickleball grant committee is proud to share the ongoing results of grant programs and highlight the contributions of our grant corporate sponsors. The grant programs continue to facilitate the advancement and growth of pickleball in our local communities. The grant reimbursement program allows communities and schools to invest in the sport of pickleball. USA Pickleball members, through membership activities and events, pick up some, if not all, of the cost of the new location’s startup equipment.
CLICK HERE for the Grant Impact page.