Sailing Foundations

There are quite a few foundations around the country that support racing sailors. These non-profit organizations offer help in several ways: 1) by awarding direct grants to sailors’ campaigns; 2) by accepting designated contributions as a way for sailors to receive tax-deductible donations from individuals; 3) by running top-level youth clinics that are a must for any serious up-and-coming sailor; and 4) by providing support and expertise to sailors and other organizations. Some foundations even do all these things! Here is a list of U.S. foundations that provide help for sailors who are organizing racing campaigns. You might also want to search the web yourself since there are certainly more potential sources of funding or other support for your campaign. If you know of or find a foundation that we should include in this list, please let us know.

CISA’s Advanced Racing Clinic, held every April at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, is considered by many to be the top clinic in the U.S. For youth racers. Photo by Bruce Brow

Annapolis Yacht Club Foundation (AYC Foundation)
2 Compromise Street, Annapolis, MD  21401
Contact: Molly Hughes Wilmer,  Molly@visionsmc.com
Website: www.aycfoundation.org

•AYC provides grants to amateur sailors for the purposes of competing nationally and internationally in sailing competitions.  Grantees are eligible for two grants per calendar year.
•Grants are awarded to maritime-related, not-for-profit, organizations in the Mid-Chesapeake bay area for maritime-related programs.
• AYC grants scholarships to those under the age of 18 for participation in maritime-related educational programs, this includes sailing clinics, boat-building classes, environmental workshops, etc...
•Organizations hosting national and international regattas in the Mid-Chesapeake Bay area are eligible to apply for funding.
• There are four application deadlines for grants.  They are as follows: February 15th, May 15th, August 15th, November 15th.
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Austin Yacht Club Fund
5906 Beacon Drive,  Austin, TX  78734-1428
Contact: info@aycfund.org
Website: aycfund.org

• AYCF provides grants to competitors, trainers, sailors, coaches and race officials who are Texas-based.  There is no age limit as to who can apply, nor is there a skill level that must be met, i.e. beginner Opti sailors can apply as can those with Olympic aspirations.
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California International Sailing Association (CISA)
2812 Canon Street, San Diego, CA 92106
Contact: Jerelyn Biehl 619-224-6998
Website: cisasailing.org

•CISA sponsors and operates a well-known Advanced Racing Clinic in April. It supports a large California contingent at the Orange Bowl Youth Regatta each year and underwrites several (California) community outreach projects in a given year.
•The Foundation makes direct grants to worthy sailors who apply for them.
• The Foundation does accept tax-deductible donations that are designated for individual campaigns.
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Conanicut Island Sailing Foundation (CISF)
1536 Third Avenue, Third Floor, NY, NY  10028
Contact: Hannah Swett  212-772-7550

•CISF provides grants primarily to residents of Jamestown, Rhode Island.  Grants are awarded to those involved with junior sailing at the instructional level, racing in regattas, training, coaching and the purchase of related equipment.
•CISF awards grants in the form of scholarships for the purpose of participating in local junior sailing programs.
•CISF does accept tax-deductible donations that are designated for individual campaigns, though primarily for residents of Jamestown, RI.
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Hub Isaacs' Junior Sailor Fund
Fort Worth Boat Club
10000 Boat Club Road, Fort Worth, TX  76179
Contact: Rick Schaffer  817-236-8393
Website: www.fwbc.com

Island Heights Sailing Foundation
P.O. Box 1227, Island Heights, NJ  08732
Contact: secretary@ihsailingfoundation.org
Website: ihsailingfoundation.org

• IHSF provides targeted grants in the Island Heights, Toms River/Barnegat Bay area.  Their goal is to promote sailing in their area.
• They give grants directly to families of kids to participate in local sailing programs and clinics.
• One of the goals of their mission statement is to promote the advancement of sailing & sportsmnaship.
• IHSF Board meets twice a year: 1.) April-June & 2.) July-September.
• Sailors can apply for a grant for something that has already taken place - i.e. a clinic. 
• Grants are normally awarded in the range of $100 - $5,000.
• There is no limit on how many times an individual can apply for and receive a grant.
• Leonard P. Egee Memorial Scholarship - This offers financial assistance in the amount of $1,000 to one or more students residing full-time in the Island Heights area who will be participating in the IHYC's Junior Program.   The application letter and essay are due April 1.
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King Harbor Youth Foundation
280 Yacht Club Way, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Contact: khyfcoach@gmail.com
 Website: khyf.org

• Founded in 1982, their mission is to promote youth sailing in Southern California.
• KHYC runs several programs: summer sailing for beginners through advanced; a high school sailing program; a race team that practices throughout the year; & a program called 'New Channels', that provides inner city, at risk, abused & disabled/challenged kids the opportunity to get on the water.  Scholarships are available for all programs upon request.  Contact: Kathy Duffy
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Long Beach Yacht Club Sailing Foundation
LBYCSF, P.O. Box 3116, Long Beach, CA  90803
Contact: Charter Manager
Website: lbyc.org

• LBYCSF owns and maintains a fleet of 11 identical Catalina-37's.  They focus on facilitating sailing education, training, and support for racing and regattas.  The Catalina's are available for charter and are also used to give local youth from all walks of life the experience of sailing.
• They promote national and international amateur sailing, maritime education and competition by providing equipment and facilities and by "encouraging participation is local, national and international nautical activities."
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Newport Harbor Sailing Foundation (NHSF)
Newport Harbor Yacht Club
720 West Bay Avenue, Balboa, CA  92661
Contact: Warren Person 949-400-9811
nhsf@nhyc.org
Website: www.nhyc.org

• NHSF provides financial support to local youth and amateur sailors to participate in Championship regattas around the US and internationally.

Oyster Bay Sailing Foundation (OBSF)
P.O. Box 720, Oyster Bay, NY 11771
Contact : Victor M. Onet, Jr. 802 824 8185
victoro@sover.net

• OBSF sponsors two regattas/clinics in conjunction with the Junior Sailing Association of Long Island Sound. In 2007 the Foundation helped support the LIS Optimist Team (LISOT). It owns and maintains a two-tonner that it charters to a junior sailing program as a vehicle for big-boat sailing experience. The OBSF distributes a free booklet entitled “Raising Funds for a Serious Sailing Campaign”.
• The Foundation makes direct grants to worthy sailors who apply for them.
• The Foundation does accept tax-deductible donations that are designated for individual campaigns.
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Peninsula Youth Sailing Foundation (PYSF)
Affiliated with Sequoia Yacht Club
Port of Redwood City, Redwood City, CA
Contact: Eric Anderson, 650-854-1048
Hiker4u@aol.com
Website: www.pysf.us

• PYSF's main mission is to "coach, teach and nurture youth sailors in the Bay area" (San Francisco Bay).
• PYSF provides coaching through various sailing teams and sailing classes.  They have "learn to sail" programs for kids 7-18, as well as a high school sailing team and an Optimist team.
•PYSF offers grants in the form of scholarships for the tuition fee of their programs.
• Grants may be given to youth sailors in the Bay area & PYSF team members for regatta fees.
• The Foundation does accept tax-deductible contributions that are designated for individual campaigns.

Richmond Yacht Club Foundation
Richmond Yacht Club
351 Brickyard Cove Road, P.O.Box 70295, Point Richmond, CA  94807
Contact: Nick Barnhill 925-283-0394
Website: www.richmondyc.org

•RYCF gives grants to San Francisco Bay area sailors and organizations to help with the costs associated with travel, training, seminars and "other needs".



Rhode Island International Sailing Association (RIISA)
P.O. Box 345, Barrington, RI 02806
Contact: Jim McClelland 401-245-9043
jimmcclelland@cox.net
Website: www.riisa.org

• RIISA was founded in 1973 for the purpose of providing education and training in the technique of racing and designing sailboats for national and international competition and thus improve the caliber of candidates for the representation of the United States in the Olympic, Pan American Games, America’s Cup Series, or other international racing events. They also run the annual RIISA regatta.
• The Foundation provides grants to non-profit organizations and to young Rhode Island sailors to compete at regional, national and world-level events.
• The Foundation does accept tax-deductible donations that are designated for individual campaigns.

Sailing Foundation of New York
P. O. Box 267, Cos Cob, CT 06807
Contact: George M. Isdale, Jr., dooie@aol.com
Website: www.SailingFoundationofNewYork.org

• The SFNY provides support in the form of funding and guidance to individual campaigns, educational programs and marine related organizations.
• The Foundation makes direct grants to worthy sailors who apply for them.
• The Foundation does accept tax-deductible donations that are designated for individual campaigns.
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Sailing Team America 2012
Contact: Charles Heimler, charlesheimler@alumni.ucsd.edu

•Currently obtaining 501 (c) 3, tax exempt status and forming its' Board, this group promises to be an asset to 20-somethings who want to campaign for the Olympics in the Finn, 29'er & 49'er classes.  Their goal is to recruit and nurture a development "squad" of sailors and help them qualify for national sailing teams.
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San Diego Yacht Club Sailing Foundation
1011 Anchorage Lane
San Diego, CA  92106
Contact: Gary Gould  619-226-8002
gould@eciti.com
Website: www.sdycsf.org

• SDYC Sailing Foundation supports national and international amateur sailing, maritime education and competition through outreach programs, training activities, providing sailing equipment and facilities, and encouragement of participation in local, national and international nautical activities.
•Grants are given to those in the San Diego area and can be given in the form of scholarships to participate in local sailing programs. 

St. Francis Yacht Club Foundation
c/o The St. Francis YC
On The Marina, San Francisco, CA 94123
Contact: Tom Allen, tomallen2@comcast.net
Website: www.stfyc.com

• St. Francis has a program, the Olympic Support Campaign (OSC), for its' members who are competing for the Olympics.  Their goal is to develop Olympic competitors and medal winners.  They provide financial and other forms of support to members training for the US Sailing Teams for the Olympic Games.
• StFYCF does accept tax-deductible donations that are designated for individual campaigns.

Southport Sailing Foundation (SSF)
P.O. Box 946, Southport, CT 06890
Contact: info@SouthportSailing.org
Website: www.CleverPig.org

• SSF created and maintains the CleverPig.org website as a tool to help sailors organize more successful racing campaigns.
• The Foundation makes direct grants to worthy sailors who apply for them.
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The Belvedere Cove Foundation
P.O. Box 786, Belvedere, CA  94920
Contact: 415-273-1510
Cove.office@belvederecove.org
Website: www.belvederecove.org

•Grants are given to those who want to learn to sail, teach sailing, and  participate in regattas and sailing programs.
•Priority is given to applicants from Northern California.
•Grants are also awarded to organizations in need of financial assistance for sailing projects and groups who include programs for the disabled.
• Scholarships are awarded to participants of sailing programs in "qualified yacht clubs and sailing organizations"  who are in need of financial assistance.
• The Scott Harris Perpetual Memorial Trophy, a youth sailor of the year award, is awarded annually to a young adult (18-24 years old) who "has exhibited good sportsmanship and outstanding sailing performances in regional and national sailing events".  The award comes with a keeper trophy and a $500 check.
• A second annual award from TBCF is the Winton Award.  This is given to a youth sailor who has demonstrated "consistent sailing ability and sustained interest in the sport and is recognized by his or her peers and mentors as worthy of special recognition."  The award comes with $1,000 cash stipend intended to advance the sailing career of the winner.
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The Corinthian Sailing Foundation
P.O. Box 401, One Nahant Street, Marblehead, MA  01945
Contact: 781-639-0005
Foundation@corinthianyc.org

• TCSF provides grants to organizations and programs in Massachusetts that "provide training activities, outreach programs, sailing equipment, facilities or education, and by encouraging participation in local, national, or international sailing and other competitions and activities".
• Applications are accepted all year, though, there are two grant review meetings each year, one in April and one in October.  TCSF encourages applicants to submit their applications at least two months before either of these two grant review meetings.
• TCSF annually awards two scholarships to participate in the Corinthian Yacht Club Junior Sailing Program to two children ages 7-9, whose families would otherwise be unable to afford participation in the program.  The Junior Sailing Program deadline is in early March, thus scholarship applications are due well in advance of this deadline.

The Sailing Foundation
P. O. Box 18106, Seattle, WA 98118
Contact: 206-725-3614
info@thesailingfoundation.org
Website: TheSailingFoundation.org

•The Foundation is primarily interested in helping young people sharpen their sailing skills and learn to compete on the national and world stage. They sponsor the annual WIND Youth Racing Clinic and support youth and high school sailing in the Pacific Northwest.
• The Foundation makes direct grants to worthy sailors who apply for them.
• The Foundation does not accept tax-deductible donations designated for individual campaigns.

US Sailing Foundation (USSF)
P.O. Box 1260, 15 Maritime Drive, Portsmouth, RI 02871-0907
Contact: Lee Parks 401-683-0800 x 650
leeparks@ussailing.org
Website: www.ussailing.org/ussf/

• USSF principally supports US participation in the world championships of various international one-design classes. Support for projects developed by the Inshore, Offshore, and Training Committees and the Community Sailing Council is also available.
• The Foundation makes direct grants to worthy sailors who apply for them.
• The Foundation does not accept tax-deductible donations designated for individual campaigns.
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Women's Sports Foundation (WSF)
1899 Hempstead Turnpike, Suite 400
East Meadow, NY  11554
Website: www.womenssportsfoundation.org

•WSF provides grants to girls  to help provide them acces to sports and physical activity despite  background or financial ability.
•Grants are awarded to individuals, teams and organizations.
• There are specific grants available at different times.  In the past, US Sailing has forwarded press releases that are applicable.  Check the site often for new or pending grants and scholarships.