{"id":429270,"date":"2020-04-28T11:02:14","date_gmt":"2020-04-28T18:02:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=429270"},"modified":"2020-04-28T11:12:08","modified_gmt":"2020-04-28T18:12:08","slug":"usa-swimming-announces-strategic-recovery-plan-with-1-million-in-grants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/usa-swimming-announces-strategic-recovery-plan-with-1-million-in-grants\/","title":{"rendered":"USA Swimming Announces Strategic Recovery Plan with $1 Million in Grants"},"content":{"rendered":"

USA Swimming on Tuesday announced a strategic recovery plan to extend resources, both logistical and financial, to clubs struggling during the COVID-19 crisis.<\/p>\n

The initial pledge from USA Swimming is a minimum of $1 million in grants, funded by the USA Swimming Foundation, to support clubs and members in precarious financial positions among the local swimming committees (LSCs). Grant applications, which go directly through USA Swimming\u2019s COVID-19 Relief Program for Teams<\/a>, will progress in two phases.<\/p>\n

The first phase covers \u201cimmediate need to clubs in current financial peril,\u201d while the second phase aims to help clubs reopen once the pandemic lifts, aimed at occurring later this year<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Relief grants will be as much as $5,000 with an expected average amount of $3,000. They are designed to replace lost anticipated revenue from cancellations this summer and offset operating expenses that clubs cannot defer even without swimmers\/events.<\/p>\n

USA Swimming released these details in a letter to its members Tuesday, thanking the collaborative effort between directors at USA Swimming, the USA Swimming Foundation and input from members of the swimming community. From the letter:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe strong strategic partnership built between the USA Swimming Foundation, USA Swimming and its 59 LSCs is the catalyst for the success of this program.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cUSA Swimming will look to LSCs to support its commitment to the sport of swimming by creating local grant funding for their local member clubs. Our collective goal is to generate more than $5M in funding across our 59 LSCs and provide grants to those clubs that successfully apply and are approved based on need.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The USA Swimming Strategic Recovery Plan will also extend other \u201cproducts, services and benefits<\/a>\u201d to its clubs and members, from coaching resources to online engagements (webinars, Zoom meetings, etc.). Programs that USA Swimming specifically cites include:<\/p>\n