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The Southport Sailing Foundation intends to award as many sailor grants as possible each year. Grants will be awarded to U.S. sailors for specific components of their sailing campaign, such as travel to a major regatta. Our general preference is to award more small grants rather than fewer large grants, but this depends on the extent of our resources and the nature of grant applications. If we have more applications than funds, we will prioritize grants based on demonstrated need of the sailor, the seriousness of their campaign and the information on their application. If we are unable to offer you a grant, we will make suggestions about other resources. We welcome applications from sailors in any part of the US, though a certain minimum percentage of funds distributed will go to sailors from the Long Island Sound area. There are three submission deadlines for grants throughout the year - February 1, June 1, and October 1. Once awarded a grant, sailors have four weeks to make contact with SSF and return their paperwork, otherwise your grant will be considered forfeited.
How to Apply – To apply for a grant from the Southport Sailing Foundation, use our online application form, below. You must be a registered user of this site in order to apply, and you must fill in all the information requested. We will email a decision on your application approximately two weeks after the submission deadline, so make sure you submit your request well in advance of your need for the money.
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Expectations – When we award a grant to a sailor, we ask the recipient to do several things. First, in order to help us maintain financial records for tax purposes, the sailor must agree to:
• use the funds awarded only for the purpose described in the application;
• submit documentation (e.g. receipts) accounting for the use of all money spent; and
• return any unused funds.
In addition, the sailor must agree to provide at least three of the following with permission for their use on the CleverPig website:
• a photo of the sailor or team (at the event if possible) with the proper photo credit for the provided photo;
• a venue report about the event location;
• a short written report (or blog) about their experience at the event;
• video of the sailor or team - an interview or sailing video with the proper video credit.
General Information About Grants and Foundations:
There are many foundations that give money to sailors and teams that are aspiring to raise their “game” and compete at the regional, national and international levels of the sport. These foundations have a special relationship with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that allows individuals to make tax-free contributions to them. In turn, these foundations need to spend the money they raise in ways that help people improve at what they are doing, in this case sailing. These “gifts” of money are called “grants.”
To receive a grant, you normally need to apply for it. Most foundations will have a simple form to fill out. Others will want a letter. Basically the foundation will want to know:
• who you are
• what your short and long term goals are in the sport
• what your short and possibly long term sailing plans are
• what your current budget needs are
It is important to convey to the foundation that you are serious about your efforts to organize a successful campaign. That doesn’t mean you will necessarily be successful at first. But it does mean that you will try your hardest to be as successful as you can be.
Most foundations will ask for a minimal amount back in return for helping you. This can be as simple as a brief report of how you did at the event they were helping you attend, or lessons learned while campaigning for the event, or information that may help the next grant recipient in some way. Foundations really enjoy putting photographs on their Web sites, so take plenty of digital photos and send the good ones to the foundation(s) that helped you.
To learn about Foundations around the United States that award grants to sailors, click here.
To apply for a grant from the Southport Sailing Foundation, fill out the form below and submit your application.
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