Grants: Information and Procedures

General Information

The USA Hockey Foundation's primary interest in grant making is to assist USA Hockey, Inc., USA Hockey Affiliate Associations and charitable organizations that promote both ice and inline hockey.  The Foundation annually allocates up to five percent of its net assets in support of these requests.  Any additional requests for grants beyond the five percent level are reviewed annually.  The following illustrates the types of grants made by The USA Hockey Foundation:

Grants to USA Hockey, Inc. and USA Hockey InLine

Grants are made in response to written requests from the Executive Director of USA Hockey, Inc. addressed to the President of the Foundation.  The decision to honor or deny a request is made by the Foundation's Board after hearing the recommendation of the grant committee.  The decision takes into account the amount of the request, the amount of funds available, competing demands on the Foundation's funds, and the proposed use of the funds requested.  All decisions are made in view of the fact that the Foundation's main purpose is to support the functions of, and to assist in carrying out the purposes of, USA Hockey, Inc.

Affiliate Block Grants

The Affiliate Block Grant program was created in an effort to assist USA Hockey Affiliate Associations in their attempt to provide additional player development and quality programming for amateur players.  USA Hockey, Inc. administers the block grant program and The USA Hockey Foundation provides matching funds to support it.

Affiliate Associations must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and in good standing with USA Hockey, Inc. in order to be considered for a grant.  Players, coaches or officials involved in the program for which the grant is made must be citizens of the United States and registered with USA Hockey, Inc.  The main emphasis of the proposed funded program is to reduce participant costs.

A USA Hockey Affiliate Association determined eligible to receive a USA Hockey block grant must apply on a year-to-year basis.  Funds available from USA Hockey, Inc. are equal to $.50 per player match, resulting in a total allocation amount of $1.00 per player.  The Foundation granted more than $200,000 to USA Hockey Affiliate Associations during the 2005-06 season.

NHL®/USA Hockey Diversity Task Force^TM  Grant

NHL®/USA Hockey Diversity Task Force^TM (DTF) is a nonprofit program designed to introduce children of diverse ethnic backgrounds to the game of hockey.  The USA Hockey Foundation commits a minimum of $50,000 annually to DTF programs.

Disabled Hockey Grant

Hockey is for everyone, and the USA Hockey Foundation is proud to support all four disciplines of disabled hockey, including amputee hockey, sled hockey, deaf and hard-of-hearing hockey and special hockey.  Each year a grant is provided to grow and support each of these disciplines, and the public perception and awareness of disabled hockey in the United States.

General Grants

The USA Hockey Foundation also entertains requests from charitable organizations that promote both ice and inline hockey in the United States.  These organizations are required to provide proof of tax-exempt status by submitting one photocopy of the current U.S. Treasury tax exempt 501(c)(3) letter and one photocopy of the organization's classification under section 509(a) of the IRS Code.

Also required is the organization's audited financial statements from the past three years, its most current IRS Form 990, and a list of the organization's board of directors, advisory committee or steering committee, relevant staff, and their biographies.

Grant Criteria

The Foundation shall distribute grants to nonprofit organizations in the following order of preference that support:

• USA Hockey, Inc. or USA Hockey, Inc.'s affiliation or representation at international events
• USA Hockey, Inc.'s development of high-performance hockey players
• Efforts to improve safety of hockey at all levels of play
• Disabled and/or underprivileged athletes
• The preservation of the traditions of the sport of hockey

Grants of up to $500 may be authorized by the executive director of The USA Hockey Foundation upon the recommendation of the grant committee.  Grants in excess of $500 must be approved by the board after review by the grant committee.

Grant Procedures and Guidelines

A qualified organization that believes it meets the Foundation's criteria for a grant should first submit a brief letter of inquiry.  This letter should contain a concise statement of the need for funds (rather than a fully developed proposal) and enough factual information to enable the Foundation to determine its initial response.

If it is determined from the initial letter that the program or project meets the Foundation's interests and priorities, the applicant will be provided with the instructions and forms required to prepare and submit a formal application and proposal.

1. There is a March 15 annual deadline for general grant application.
2. The USA Hockey Foundation Grant Committee will review an application and make a recommendation to the board for approval, or may ask the applicant to provide further detail.  Approvals are customarily voted on during the summer meeting.  Disbursements to the recipient organization will follow within 90 days.
3. A final report must be submitted by the recipient upon conclusion of the project or program, at which time the Foundation requires the organization to report expended grant funds and to return to the Foundation any excess funds not used.  A report of the expenditure of funds must be made annually in the case of multi-year grants.
4. If a grant is made, the Foundation requests that recipients do not use the names of its officers or directors in any public statements and do not use plaques or memorials relating to The USA Hockey Foundation without prior approval.
5. The Foundation prefers that interviews with the board of directors collectively or individually not be conducted either before or after the filing date of the application.  If the application needs clarification, it will be requested by the Grants Committee.  Any discussions or indication of interest prior to, or after, the submission of a written application or on-site visit should not be construed as a commitment by the Foundation.  Each applicant will be considered on its own merit and accepted or rejected only in writing.
6. Grant requests may be for more than one year in duration but are limited to one request every three years.  A new application should not request reinstatement of a prior request.  The Foundation does not provide copies of approved proposals to prospective grant applicants.

The following guidelines and required information apply to all general grant requests:

1. Name and address of tax-exempt organization.
2. A brief history of the organization, its mission, principal programs and accomplishments.
3. A concise statement of the purpose of the request and the amount requested.  An outline of the need for the project, the specific solutions to be reached, the expected contributions to the population served and the criteria for measuring the success of the project.
4. A detailed budget, the total amount to be raised, and a list of expected sources of funds.
5. A plan for evaluating the effectiveness of the program that is expected to be funded and an indication of how the organization plans to fund the program once The USA Hockey Foundation funding ceases.
6. A statement of whether aid has been sought during the preceding three years from other foundations and, if so, the names of the foundations and the amount received each, if any.
7. The purposes of the grant must be consistent with the purposes of The USA Hockey Foundation.

Foundation policy generally precludes grants under the following conditions:

1. To individuals
2. To another foundation or organization that distributes money to recipients of its own selection
3. To cover deficits, contingencies or debt elimination
4. For the purposes of influencing legislation or supporting candidates for political office
5. For the development of projects intended for resale or self-promotion
6. To organizations that do not have fiscal responsibility for the proposed project
7. To nonprofit organizations that do not have an active 501(c)(3) nonprofit determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service
8. For the support of agencies that are primarily financed from government sources
9. For the support of projects that benefit personal means

To apply for a grant from The USA Hockey Foundation:

1. Submit twenty (20) signed copies of the grant application packet.  Each packet must be signed by the designated official of the requesting organization filing the application.  Please click here to print an application.
2. Send all copies to: