2018 Grassroots Grants Application Details

Dear Applicant,

The USTA Wheelchair Tennis department is thankful for your decision to apply for a 2019 grant. With this grant we want to accomplish the following goals:

1.      Give clear directions on what is expected in the application.

2.      Provide a scoring rubric upfront so that you know how decisions are made.

In order to apply, simply fill out all the fields below. We want to know how your program will help bring new players to the sport and/or keep newer players. Grant funds may be used for:

-Paying tennis professionals to help run clinics

-Court fees

-Basic equipment

-Marketing your program

-Costs associated with running multiple social/one day tournaments in Tennislink


We discourage applications that intend to use funds to travel to tournaments, those that seek to pay for people to get training or certification, those that want to purchase multiple tennis wheelchairs, and applications that are geared to running one tournament.

The USTA Wheelchair Tennis Department will be focusing on junior growth and development for the next few years, along with adult grassroots endeavors. Applications that clearly show an effort towards this goal will be heavily considered. 

If awarded a grant, you must agree to the following:

1.      Actively seek out new adult and junior players.

2.      Fill out reporting surveys in a timely manner. Respond promptly to phone calls from staff or USTA Wheelchair Tennis Committee Members.

3.      Host a one day tournament/social for juniors and adults (more details will be provided by staff if you are awarded a grant)

4.      Grow the sport overall.
 
To help you with the submission, below is a scoring rubric we will use.

Topic 1 2 3 4
Criteria Does not meet the criteria Slightly meets the criteria Meets the criteria Exceeds the criteria
Professionalism Very unprofessional Unprofessional Professional Extremely professional
Need The program does not need a grant and has received a grant in the recent past There is some need There is a justified need There is a definite need and has not received a grant in the past
Assessment No clear assessment piece The assessment piece is no thorough Assessment is established and viable Extremely thorough assessment is in place.
Program Not sustainable and shows no evidence of growing wheelchair tennis Lacks sustainability but could achieve with mentoring Sustainable Sustainable and will clearly grow wheelchair tennis
Grassroots Not a clear plan to attract new players Open to new players but the it is clear that the priority remains on current players Viable plan to attract new players Sole focus is new players

 Applications due October 25, 2018.

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* 1. Please provide your contact information. 

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* 2. Provide a brief synopsis of your current program. If your program is new, explain what you intend to do.

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* 3. The basic premise of the Grassroots Grants is to bring new players to the sport and retain newer players. Explain how you plan to accomplish this. Please list the program's goals as well. 

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* 4. What challenges do you anticipate and how would you plan to mitigate them?

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* 5. Have you received any grants within the past year? If so, from what organization and how much was the award?

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* 6. What is the grant amount you are seeking? Requests should not exceed $10,000. 

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* 7. Give a brief rationale on how the funds will be used.

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* 8. How do you plan to sustain the program in the future?

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* 9. How do you plan to assess the program in order to meet the goals you have outlined? 

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* 10. By writing your name below, you are committing to meeting the aforementioned expectations of the grant.

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