All applicants are required to create an account. At the time of registration, you are required to enter the following information:

• Email address
• Create password

Once an account has been created, you will select the Grants – Program Support application by clicking the Submit button. Note that this year the application for all grant types has been reduced to one single application per program and/or location of an applying organization.

At the time of submission, you are required to enter and provide the following information:

• The organization’s EIN Number
• If working with Youth, SafePlay Certificates for each staff member. Find out more at USTA.com/SafePlay.
• Copies of your evaluation tools.
• IRS Letter of Determination of Tax Status
• IRS Form 990 or applicable tax documents
• W9
• Current list of officers and members of the Board of Directors
• Organizational operating budget
• Budget information.

Once you begin, you will be prompted to enter your organization’s EIN number. If you do not see your organization, you will have the option to skip this step. 

• Must be a charitable nonprofit organization as designated by the IRS or be a government entity (schools, parks & recreation sites)
• Must be a USTA Organizational Member in good standing.  Please visit Membership.USTA.com
• Have a broad base of community support and meet a compelling need in the community
• Align with the Foundation’s focus on youth tennis and tennis for adaptive populations of all ages
• If working with Youth, must be SafePlay approved. Please visit USTA.com/SafePlay to get approved today!

Step 1: Submission

Applicants interested in securing grant funding for a eligible tennis program will start by completing and submitting an application through our grant management system, Submittable, following the steps provided above.

Step 2: Review

During this stage of the process, we may contact you with questions we may have about your submission or if we need any additional information to complete your submission. Once an application is deemed complete, we will internally review your application and send to the next review stage or next stage in the grant cycle depending on the grant type. For Program Support grant submissions, applications are reviewed by the USTA Florida Section Foundation Board before moving to the next grant cycle stage.

Step 3: Decision

For Program Support grants, all final funding decisions are made by the USTA Florida Section Foundation’s Board of Directors. You be notified by e-mail through our grant management system of the Board’s decision and follow-up steps needed.

Step 4: Reporting

We always look forward to hearing from you about the effectiveness of the grant(s) awarded. When your program has ended you will receive an e-mail from your grant management system asking you to complete your end of program Accountability Report. All reports are due within 30 days from the completion of your program. A guide is provided on how to complete your Accountability Report. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

The USTA Florida Section Foundation grants are designed to provide funding to organizations and entities who are working to promote tennis in their communities. Tennis is a wonderful way to stay active and healthy, and it’s also a sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels. With these grant offerings, we hope to encourage more people to play tennis by supporting programs that provide coaching, equipment, and other resources.

To be eligible for the grants, applicants must be involved in a tennis program that is open to the public and serves the community. This can include programs for children, adults, seniors, or any combination of these groups. We are particularly interested in programs that promote diversity and inclusion, and that help break down barriers to participation in tennis.

The grant will provide funding for a range of activities, including coaching and instruction, equipment and supplies, and outreach and promotion. We believe that these activities are essential to building a strong and vibrant tennis community in Florida, and we’re excited to support the efforts of those who are working to make tennis more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

Since 2005, USTA Florida Section Foundation has had a community impact of over $2,000,000 by assisting community tennis associations, parks and recreation agencies, national junior tennis and learning locations, tennis clubs, service organizations, schools, colleges, and many other tennis entities.

If you are interested in applying for program support grant and have questions please visit our website for more information, FAQs, and instructions on how to apply. Click here for more information.

Our grant priorities include youth tennis and adaptive tennis programs for special populations of all ages and under-resourced children and adults in economically challenged communities.

Applications must be for programs from entities that have a current USTA organizational membership, have a broad base of community support, meet a compelling need in the community

and align with the Foundation’s priority funding areas. Applicants must be a Florida non-profit entity with a USTA organizational membership, public school or a park and recreation site. If working with youth, then those interacting with the athletes MUST be SafePlay approved. Additionally, the individual submitting the grant application on behalf of an eligible entity must also be authorized to apply for and accept grants on behalf of the applying organization.

Eligible: instruction for athletes on-court, further instruction/training for providers serving uniquely enabled athletes, marketing, tennis equipment and general program support.
Ineligible: certification of individuals, capital projects, travel expenses, scholarships, administrative salaries/wages, the building, renovation or maintaining of tennis facilities, or USTA memberships and fees.

Grant amounts vary widely depending on the scope of the program requesting funding. The maximum award amount for each grant is:

Spring Cycle February 24, 2026 through May 14, 2026
Fall Cycle August 3, 2026 through October 20 2026
Please allow up to 4-6 weeks for review of application. Be sure to plan application submissions accordingly to ensure funds and/or equipment are received by the start date of your program.

Grant applications and the required attachments must be submitted online via our Submittable grant management system. The grant portal link can be found on our website at the bottom of the Apply for Grants page located at www.USTAFloridaFoundation.com/apply-for-grants.

The following items are required when submitting your grant application:

• The organization’s EIN Number or School’s UEI Number
• If working with Youth, SafePlay Certificates for each staff member involved in the Find out more at www.USTA.com/SafePlay.
• Copies of your evaluation tools
• IRS letter of Determination of Tax Status
• IRS Form 990 or applicable tax documents
• W9
• Current list of officers and members of the Board of Directors
• Organizational operating budget
• Program budget information

Notification of grant awards will be delivered via email through the Submittable grant management system within 30-45 days after an application has been received. This timeline may vary depending on the number of applications received at one time and if additional information is needed for an incomplete submission.

No, an organization may apply for one grant every other year. Additionally, Organizations that received a grant in 2025 are not eligible to apply again until 2027.

No, matching funds are not required; however, applicants are strongly encouraged to have additional
funding sources to ensure the program’s success.

Yes, all grantees are required to complete an Accountability Report, noting successes and challenges experienced and lessons learned. Notification with instructions on how to access and complete the report inline will be emailed to grantees nearing the end of their program. A guide for completing Accountability Reports can also be found under the Application Resources section of our website.

Funding is made possible by generous donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations, along with the revenue from the Play Tennis! specialty license plate and through our recurring donor program. All Floridians are encouraged to show support for tennis with an individual Play Tennis! license plate or committing to donations through our recurring donor program. For more information, please visit Donate – USTA Florida Section Foundation .

• To donate online, go to www.USTAFloridaFoundation.com/recurring-donations.
• To donate by mail, please make check or money order payable to the USTA Florida Section Foundation and mail to:

USTA Florida Section Foundation Attn: Kelly Scalise
12005 Performance Drive
Orlando, FL 32827
• To donate by phone, please call Jeffrey Lato at (407) 664-3694

Jeffery Lato,
Sr. Director Section Foundation Operations
info@ustafloridafoundation.com

The USTA Florida Section Foundation has served as the charitable arm of USTA Florida since 2004. With a mission of “changing lives through tennis”, the Foundation supports community tennis programs that positively impact children and adults throughout the state. It is the Foundation’s belief that tennis provides opportunities for healthy social, emotional, physical, and educational development and encourages peer and family participation.