Stories And Inspiration

Find Grants for Club Support

Submitted by on Sep 19th 2019 - 12:00AM. | Perma Link

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New Market Elementary GO FAR students decorate socks and headbands coach Rachel Henley purchased with grant money.

As a GO FAR coach for four years, Rachel Henley knows how helpful it is to get financial support for her club. When she began teaching at a new school last year and started a club there, the Parent-Teacher Organization purchased the GO FAR curriculum.

When Henley realized Donors Choose grants were being matched by Dicks Sporting Goods, she immediately thought of her GO FAR runners at New Market Elementary in Sophia, N.C.

Cut Club Costs
The grants have been a good way to get supplemental supplies for her students. She has used them at both schools to purchase socks, headbands, and, most recently, jelly bracelets, which students used to track their mileage over the course of the season.

“I wanted something that went right back to our club,” she says. “Working at a Title I school, many of my runners wouldn’t have the opportunity to purchase these items on their own. These items helped unify our team and were a fun opportunity to tie in our running mantra lesson from the GO FAR curriculum.”

Consider Timing
Henley says it’s more difficult to find time to write up grants for the fall GO FAR season. “The beginning of the year is so hectic,” she says. The spring season, where spring break falls in the middle, allows more time for her to write and submit grants.

More Funding Opportunities
Funding can supplement costs of club materials or even weekly supplies. “I haven’t found the right fit for grants for healthy snacks, but I know they are out there,” Henley says.

Look not only for grants, but also for community partnerships, sponsors, and fund-raising ideas to help with costs. See more funding ideas here.

“One of the things I love most about coaching a running club is that you don’t need much more than a lot of heart to make it successful,” Henley says. “However, without grant opportunities, my runners wouldn’t have had access to new gear for their 5K.”

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