The education-based grant program is coordinated through the NCHSAA Foundation, Inc. Only NCHSAA member schools are eligible to apply and must meet the established criteria. Areas of focus include student-centric initiatives/programs, coach/athletic administrator education, health, safety, & wellness initiatives, and small equipment.
The 2026-2027 grant cycle timeline:
- September 1, 2026 – Open for applications
- November 30, 2026 – Deadline for application submissions
- January 31, 2027 – Final decision and award notifications
School administrators must identify an unmet need facing student-athletes and/or coaches and school athletic administrators that relates to one of the following focus areas:
- Student-Athlete focused Program Supplementation
- Mental Wellness Initiatives
- Sportsmanship Initiatives
- Character Development
- Career Exploration and Post-Graduation Preparation
- Coach & Athletic Administrator Education
- Fostering Diversity and Inclusion
- NFHS Learn or NIAAA Courses, Training, and Clinics
- Health, Safety, and Wellness Initiatives
- Physical Wellness
- Social and Emotional Learning (Mental Wellness Initiative)
- Cultivating Healthy Relationships
- Health and lifesaving equipment (i.e. AED unit, Wet Bulb Globe Temperature device, cooling tub)
- Equipment
- Examples are game ball, net/netting systems, goal, and scoreboard
- Weights/weight machine/cardio machine
NOTES:
- CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE CONSIDERED THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PSU AND/OR THE SCHOOL. EXAMPLES OF CAPITAL PROJECTS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, LARGE-SCALE PROJECTS INVOLVING HIGHER-END EXPENDITURES SUCH AS LIGHTING SYSTEMS, VEHICLES (I.E., VANS, BUSES, GATORS, GOLF CARTS), AND FIELD AND BUILDING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
- PRIORITY WILL BE GIVEN TO PROJECTS FOR WHICH THE SCHOOL SEEKS MULTIPLE FUNDING SOURCES.
- Only NCHSAA member schools are eligible to request and receive grant funding through this Education-Based Athletics Grant Program.
- Grants awards are limited to a maximum award of $5,000.00 each. This does not mean that all recipients will receive the maximum amount of $5,000.00.
- Only one (1) grant application may be submitted per school in a given grant cycle. School personnel should coordinate efforts.
- Schools awarded a grant in one year are not eligible to receive a grant the following year (i.e. Receipt of a grant in 2025-2026 means your school is not eligible for consideration in the 2026-2027 cycle). We encourage schools who have previously not applied to consider submitting an application for an unmet need in your school. Please review the list of ‘Previous Grant Recipients’ to determine if your school received a grant in the previous school year.
- Grant amounts will, in part, be decided by assessing the following:
- Estimated cost for program or initiative (NOTE: A projected budget will be required as part of the grant proposal. The grant coordinator is expected to research costs and secure multiple quotes prior to submitting this projected budget.)
- Pledged or collected funds in place from other funding sources and evidence of a concerted effort to acquire funds from other sources; Priority will be given to schools demonstrating that they are securing funds from other sources besides this grant. This platform is not intended to be the sole source of funding for school projects.
- Number of individuals positively impacted through the grant
- Grantees may receive partial funding (or no funding at all) based on the above criteria and the selection/review committee’s determination.
- Grantees are expected to submit a post-project Evaluation form and budget to demonstrate usage of the grant funds (find Google Docs for this purpose on the ‘Evaluation & Measurement’ tab above).
The Education-based Grant Program is funded with endowment funds to ultimately support and enhance student-athletes’ physical wellness, psychosocial well-being, mental wellness, and life-skill development.
Grant funding comes from interest earnings on the principal investments. Funds earmarked towards grants will vary year-to-year based on market volatility and interest returns.
Funds may NOT be used to support any of the following:
- Political activities or attempts to influence legislation
- Salaries or supplemental income
- Conference registration/travel expenses
- Any activities that serve for the personal gain of an individual
- Ancillary activities such as programs, advertising or special events not related to the purpose(s) of the NCHSAA Foundation as outlined within its Articles of Incorporation
Grant proposals/applications will be evaluated and reviewed by an outside group of athletic-based educators with emphasis placed on the following areas:
- Significant impact on the school’s athletic program and student-athletes
- Grant initiative or project meets a viable unmet need at the school
- Demonstrated effort by school personnel to secure multiple funding sources
Documents:
These are templates. To use them, log in to your Google account, save a copy of the document, and enter your information.
- * Grand Amendment Request Form
- Grant Evaluation Form (for grants received in 2025-2026 school year)
- * Grant Expense Evaluation
*Data cannot be entered into the spreadsheet online. The form must be downloaded first, and the information entered offline.
All completed evaluations should be emailed to kdehart@nchsaafoundation.org.
The Clary Medal is made possible through the generosity of the Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Family Foundation and annually recognizes an outstanding male and female varsity student-athlete participating in varsity competition in at least two NCHSAA-sanctioned teams. The award is based on each individual’s excellence in athletic participation, extra-curricular activities, and community service, exhibiting a desire to excel in all areas of life – athletics, education, sportsmanship, teamwork, leadership, honesty, and integrity. The Wilburn Clary Medal was first awarded in 2006 and is dedicated to Wilburn Clary. Clary’s athletic career involved coaching, officiating, and administration. He coached several sports at the Methodist Children’s Home for almost 30 years, was an outstanding high school and collegiate official, and served as the executive secretary of the Western North Carolina High School Activities Association from 1949 until 1977 when the organization merged with the NCHSAA.