MidwayUSA Foundation has announced a record-breaking grant cycle, paying over $6.8 million to nearly 1,000 youth shooting-sports programs, including teams and organizations. The latest grant cycle, which wrapped up in December, provided over $5 million to 952 youth shooting teams and over $1.7 million to nearly 40 organizations that work with youth shooting programs. Programs with a MidwayUSA Foundation endowment are eligible for a cash grant every year. Funds assist with expenses, including ammo, targets, entry fees, and travel.
Sherri Shima, a team representative for Solon Spartan Trapshooting from Solon, Iowa, talked about the importance of the annual grant. “We depend on the grant to help in many ways. This grant helps pay for the entry fees for all shoots, targets for practices and shoots, and the cost required for coaches to take courses to remain certified.” This grant cycle’s average payout per team totaled $5,302. Community members can donate directly to the youth shooting team of their choice, which MidwayUSA Foundation will match, to grow the team’s annual cash grant.
In addition to youth shooting teams, MidwayUSA Foundation provides critical funding to state, regional, and national organizations that support youth shooting sports. Each shooting program’s grant is 5 percent of its MidwayUSA Foundation endowment balance and thanks to the endowment model this funding is available in perpetuity.
“The grants we receive from the MidwayUSA Foundation play a crucial role in the success of Missouri 4-H shooting sports. They help us provide essential funding for equipment, volunteer training, and state and national contests, as well as events. Through 4-H shooting sports, youth gain confidence, leadership, and responsibility, while developing a lifelong appreciation for shooting, hunting, and the outdoors,” said Rachel Augustine of Missouri 4-H Foundation. Established in 2008, MidwayUSA Foundation has paid nearly $73 million in cash grants to support youth shooting sports.
The Foundation offers various resources to help shooting teams increase their endowment. Donations made to MidwayUSA Foundation are tax-deductible and thanks to Larry and Brenda Potterfield, owners of MidwayUSA, 100 percent of the donation goes to the endowment of the donor’s choice, nothing is removed for operations. For more information, visit midwayusafoundation.org.
