The USTA Foundation, the national charitable organization of the United States Tennis Association, has completed its 2014 funding cycle by awarding $741,500 in grants – both program grants and capacity building grants – to 44 organizations nationwide. Those rewarded organizations were recognized for their efforts in providing tennis and education to under-resourced youth and individuals with disabilities, as well those organizations with a need for program infrastructure support.
 
Combined with previously awarded grants and scholarships, this latest grant funding brings the total awarded by the USTA Foundation in 2014 to more than $2.3 million.
 
The USTA Foundation program grant is a biannual national initiative that was established to award organizations that successfully combine tennis and education to give under-resourced youth and individuals with disabilities the opportunity to play tennis and improve their academic skills in a structured setting. These programs also strive to help combat childhood obesity by promoting healthy lifestyles.
 
The capacity building grant is a newly established grant that helps strengthen the management infrastructure of small- to medium-sized National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) chapters, helping them to grow, thrive and, ultimately, to impact more kids in need. Last year, the USTA Foundation combined with USTA NJTL, a nationwide network of 500 community-based tennis and education programs serving more than 225,000 youth, to become a fully operational foundation.
 
“The USTA Foundation is honored to recognize such outstanding organizations around this country, which greatly impact so many deserving students, children in need and the communities in which they live,” said Dan Faber, Executive Director, USTA Foundation. “Their amazing work makes a difference in thousands of lives across the country and truly inspires us all.”
 
To date, USTA Foundation has awarded more than $19 million in grants and scholarships to hundreds of programs, benefitting thousands of children and adults through tennis, education and health programming, primarily through the NJTL network, and also through efforts to military personnel, veterans and individuals with disabilities. That total includes more than $15 million to fund hundreds of programs across the country, as well as more than $4.5 million in college scholarships and player incentive awards.
 
The following programs were awarded 2014 year-end grants by USTA Foundation: