Who Is Eligible for a Grant

The Focus

For 2009, the Foundation will award Grants exclusively to projects and programs that develop players, coaches, and referees in economically disadvantaged urban areas encompassing populations of 50,000 or more.

The one exception to this exclusive focus is the Foundation's Synthetic Field Building grants. Synthetic Field Building grants support the construction of state-of-the-art synthetic grass soccer fields and will continue to be available to projects serving all types of communities, though a higher priority will be given to projects serving players in economically disadvantaged urban areas.

The Foundation awards grants to:

1. Organizations with the following IRS tax status:
   • Non-Profit - 501(c)(3)  - Charitable Organizations 
   • Non-Profit - 501(c)(4)  - Civic Leagues and Social Welfare Organizations 
   • Non-Profit - 501(c)(7)  - Social and Recreation Clubs 
   • Government Agency - 
   • Tax Exempt - 
2. Organizations of the following type:
   • Church
   • College or University
   • Community Service
   • Faith Based
   • Municipality
   • Partnerships
   • Private Club
   • Private School
   • Public School
   • Soccer Organization
   • Sovereign Tribal Nation

The Foundation does not award grants to:

• Foreign Projects or Individuals 
• Foundations (Public and Private)
• Joint or Co-Applicants
• Individuals 
• Purchase Land
• Retire, Pay Down, or Pay Off Mortgages and/or Notes
• Organizations that Discriminate by race, creed, color, sex or national origin
• Organizations requesting funding for a field project, including lighting, where the real property is not owned at the time of registration or a minimum ten year lease/land use agreement is not in place at the time of registration
• Organizations requesting funding for lighting where the applicant does not have written authorization at the time of registration from the community where the project resides to add/use lights at the field
• Pass Through Grants
• Political Campaigns