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Grant Program

The Grant Program / Olympic Opportunity Fund

The Grant Program / Olympic Opportunity Fund (OOF) for Disabled Veterans and Members of the Armed Forces provides grant funding to organizations to increase and expand the number and quality of opportunities disabled Veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces have to participate in physical activity within their home communities, as well as more advanced Paralympic sport programs at the regional and national levels. The OOF is administered through a partnership between the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Those eligible to apply for a grant through the OOF include Paralympic Sport Clubs, colleges / universities, Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) and community-based organizations. In addition, these organizations must also:

  1. serve disabled Veterans or disabled members of the Armed Forces or both.
  2. provide regular, frequent activity over an extended period of time (weeks or months) - one-time events will not be funded unless the event serves as a launching or focal point for ongoing Paralympic or non-Paralympic sport programming.
  3. be designed for long-term sustainability without continued OOF support.
  4. have specific objectives and measurable outcomes for participation, community involvement, publicity, skill progress and / or other factors.

Additional consideration is given to programs that:

  • engage local VA staff and resources.
  • engage local Department of Defense (DoD) staff and resources.
  • provide the program offering(s) in an appropriate, community-integrated structure.
  • have a focused geographical catchment area to facilitate regular and frequent return participation
  • involve Paralympic sports.
  • are active Paralympic Sport Clubs.
  • have a demonstrated history of recruiting and serving significant numbers of disabled Veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces.
  • have secured matching funds or other tangible community support.

As specified in the legislation that established the fund, federal agencies are not eligible to receive grant funding from the program. However, federal agencies are encouraged to collaborate with community organizations or VSOs to jointly create community-based programs that serve disabled Veterans.

Amount

The amount of grant funding awarded to each organization varies per calendar year. In 2011, the grants ranged from $10,000 to $25,000 per organization.

How to apply

To apply for an OOF grant, each organization must submit a proposal based on the instructions provided.

The OOF grant application period changes each calendar year. To receive information about future OOF grants, sign up for the U.S. Paralympics e-newsletter or send an email to vacoadaptiveSP@va.gov.

The next available grant funding cycle will begin in April 2012.

Learn More

To read the 2012 Olympic Opportunity Fund Guide click here.

To learn more about the 2012 Olympic Opportunity Fund visit their website .

Want to learn more about programs and services related to healthcare, employment, education and other topics? Visit the National Resource Directory (www.NRD.gov).