2021 CAF Grant Application

 
Although we have all changed the way that we live, work, and play due to COVID-19, CAF is still committed to providing support to athletes with physical disabilities through our grant programs. The pandemic has affected every aspect of CAF’s initiatives in the past year, including our fundraising efforts.

As you consider submitting an application for a 2021 CAF Grant, we ask that you consider if a CAF Grant is absolutely necessary for you to continue your recreational and athletic pursuits in the coming year and be conservative in your request if you do submit an application. Our goal is to provide meaningful grants to applicants most in need within our financial means.
 
The 2021 CAF grant application will open on Thursday, October 1st, 2020 and will close on Monday, November 30th, 2020.
 
Read below for more information about the grant guidelines, eligibility requirements, FAQs, and important dates and deadlines. Please email cafgrants@challengedathletes.org for other questions.

 

2021 GRANT PERIOD – TIMELINE

 

The 2021 CAF Grant Period runs from October 1st, 2020 – January 31st, 2022

October 1st, 2020: 2021 Grant Application opens

Nov 30th, 2020: 2021 Grant Application closes

March 2021: Grant Award Notifications are sent out

March 2021 – May 2021: Grant Award Acceptance period & Distribution period

May 31, 2021: Deadline to accept 2021 grant

January 31st, 2022: 2021 Grant Period closes. Monetary grants must be spent, and receipts uploaded
 

 

2020 Grant Application Links

 
The 2020 CAF Grant Period runs from September 2019 – January 2021
Check your application status:
2020 Grants: https://webportalapp.com/sp/cafgrant_20
2020 International Grants (outside US & Canada): https://webportalapp.com/sp/international20
2020 Prosthetic Grants: https://webportalapp.com/sp/ossur
 
 

GRANT APPLICATION INFORMATION

 
 

ELIGIBILITY

To apply for a CAF grant, an individual must have a permanent physical disability. CAF uses the International Paralympic Committee’s eligibility criteria as a guideline. Individuals with strictly cognitive or intellectual disabilities are not eligible to apply.

 

TYPES OF GRANTS – YOU MAY ONLY CHOOSE ONE

Applicants in U.S. and Canada:
 
Sport Expense Grant Requests
CAF now offers the Sports Expense Grant that allows you to request funds toward the following:
 

• Minor equipment purchases (expenses related to maintain, refurbish, or upgrade your adaptive equipment like handcycles, sport wheelchairs, bicycles, etc. or to purchase smaller equipment items that help you train or compete in sport.
  *Sports Expense Grants for minor equipment items will NOT count toward your future eligibility for large adaptive equipment items such as sports wheelchairs, handcycles, etc.
• Coaching/Training Expenses (expenses related to specialized coaching, personal trainer, coach, gym fees, adaptive sports clinics, classes or lessons, etc.)
• Travel/Competition Expenses (expenses related to sport/athletic competitions, training camps, or clinics.) These expenses may include entry fees and/or travel-related expenses to competitions. Travel related expenses can include transportation (fuel, rental car, flight, ride share, etc.), accommodations (hotel fees), and food.

 
As you consider your Sports Expense Grant request for travel, please be mindful that COVID-19 may affect the ability of some organizers to offer in-person events in 2021. CAF will be monitoring events for which grant funds have been requested and grant recipients that are not able to utilize their grant funds for travel will be required to complete a secondary form to utilize grant funds for a different purpose.

 
Equipment Requests
As you consider your Equipment Request, please be mindful that COVID-19 has impacted CAF’s ability to fund equipment in the 2021 Grant Program. Please only apply for adaptive equipment through CAF’s Preferred Partners if:
 

• You do not already own the adaptive equipment item you are requesting.
• The absence of the adaptive equipment makes it impossible for you to participate in your sport or athletic pursuits.

 
If you already own adaptive equipment for your sport, we strongly suggest that instead of applying for new equipment, you submit a Sports Expense Grant request for funds to refurbish, upgrade, or maintain your existing equipment item rather than submitting a request for new equipment. Keep in mind that budgetary constraints could result in a partial, rather than a fully funded equipment item.

 
Funding towards Equipment Requests
As you consider your request for Funding Toward Equipment, please be mindful that COVID-19 has impacted CAF’s ability to fund equipment in the 2021 Grant Program. Please only apply for equipment if:
 

• You do not already own the equipment item you are requesting.
• The absence of the equipment item makes it impossible for you to participate in your sport or athletic pursuits.

 
If you already own equipment for your sport, we strongly suggest that instead of applying for new equipment, you submit a Sports Expense Grant request for funds to refurbish, upgrade, or maintain your existing equipment item rather than submitting a request for new equipment. Funding Toward Equipment requests MUST be accompanied by a quote for the item which will be uploaded into the grant application form. Keep in mind that budgetary constraints could result in a partial, rather than a fully funded equipment item.

 
Athletic Prosthetics Requests: 
As you consider your request for Össur Athletic prosthetics, please keep in mind that CAF provides the prosthetic item(s) ONLY. Any additional expenses including prosthetic materials, labor, and customs fees (for applicants outside the United States), are the responsibility of the grant recipient. We do ask your prosthetist to assist in the completion of the grant where they will be agreeing to provide materials and labor at a reduced cost or at no charge if you are awarded (there is no guarantee that they will be able to do so). Please discuss with your prosthetist their ability to provide support to you before applying for an athletic prosthetic, especially due to the effect that COVID-19 has had on most businesses in the past year.

 

International Applicants (outside of U.S. & Canada):
International applicants living outside the United States or Canada are only eligible for the following:

• Sport Expense Grant
• Funding Towards Equipment Grant

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO COMPLETE AN APPLICATION

• Account & Profile
  • New users will need to create an account and fill out profile details
  • Returning users can use the same login information from last year, but note that the application link is different from the 2019 link
• Medical Documentation of Physical Disability
  • Applicants will be required to upload into their profile a medical document that lists their disability. This task must be completed before you can begin the grant application.
  • Returning applicants can use the same document uploaded in previous years. If you are a first-time applicant, the medical verification documentation can be any form that states your permanent physical disability and comes from a medical professional/source.
• 2 High quality photos of the applicant
• Financial Documents to provide proof of income
• Reference letter (from family member, friend, coach, teammate, etc.)
• Your Grant Request

 

TIPS FOR COMPLETING AN APPLICATION

• Start your application EARLY!You will need to provide detailed information about yourself and your grant request and we get a lot of questions. You want to make sure you have enough time to get assistance from our team. You can save it as a draft and come back to it before submitting.
• Do your research. Talk to a coach, teammates, a medical professional, or do some independent research about what grant will be most beneficial to you.
• Details. Applications with missing information or not detailed enough may not be considered for approval.