Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

Grant Guidelines: Region One Athletic Fund – Projects

The Region One Athletic Fund recognizes that a complete education involves not only academic studies but the development of a healthy strong physical body along with the accompanying values of sportsmanship, team playing, endurance, ambition, discipline and fair play that athletics has to offer. The Fund has been formed for the purpose of enhancing and enriching the physical and athletic experiences of the students in all the schools that comprise the Region One School District.

The Fund wants to ensure the highest level of physical achievement for the students of Region One to enhance their capacity to compete and excel in the sport or physical activity of their choice and cultivate competitive teams. The Fund will support a variety of programs including (but not limited to) special coaching, summer training/camp programs, transportation to competitions or training programs, special movement classes to improve performance, master classes, coach training, equipment/uniform purchase, or even facility improvement.

It is the intention of the Fund to support athletics in the broadest terms among all grades and ages within Region One. The Region One Athletic Fund will support projects that are over and above those normally funded by local, state and federal funding.

Eligibility

Applications are invited from students, teachers, administrators, parents and members of the community for projects that increase or sustain the excellence of the athletic program of the Region One School District with the endorsement of the appropriate administrator. Examples of successful proposals might be ones that:

• Purchase special equipment for a particular sport
• Create a program that engages a broad range of students
• Assist coaches or volunteers to expand their expertise

Grants awarded may range from $100 to $1,000 for the first several years as the fund builds its endowment. Grants will not be made retroactively, except in extraordinary cases.

Applications will be reviewed by the governing board of the Region One Athletic Fund made up of community members, parents and/or teachers. Their recommendations will be referred to Berkshire Taconic’s Board of Directors for final approval. Incomplete applications will not be considered by the committee.

Review Criteria

Applications will be reviewed using the following criteria:

• Excellence: Is the project or service truly of a high quality? Is it the right time for the project? Does it involve qualified individuals/groups?
• Impact: What is the potential impact of the project or service on the school community? This does not mean the number of people involved, but rather the quality of the impact.
• Ability: Is the project well thought out and feasible?
• Grant Impact: What is the impact of the funding on the project?

If you have any questions about the fund, email us at grants@berkshiretaconic.org.