US Chess Women and Saint Louis Chess Club Announce 2022 Grant Cycle

Image

US Chess Women is happy to announce program grant stipends to support efforts to educate, retain and promote women and girls in chess. These stipends are supported by our partnership with the Saint Louis Chess Club. For the third time, the Saint Louis Chess Club has renewed their efforts to work with US Chess to retain and encourage women, girls and gender minorities in chess. In the first grant cycle, we awarded 13 grants to programs ranging from Chess for Moms in North Carolina to the Philadelphia Chess Society's girls club rooms to after school clubs for girls run by the Berkeley Chess Center.

The second cycle awarded 10 grants across the country, all designed for online events in the wake of the pandemic. 

For this cycle, we are looking for projects organized by educational non-profits (501 c3), public schools and US Chess affiliates with non profit status, planned for the Spring of 2022 through the end of the year. The deadline for applications is 5 PM CT on March 21, 2022 [EXTENDED]. US Chess reserves the right to accept late applications or extend the deadline. 

Award bids will range between $1000 and $8500. We encourage sustained activity like workshops, tournament series or classes. Don’t consider these suggestions as limitations, as we value creativity. All grant recipients will be required to submit a grant report within 30 days of completing the project. Grant reports must include number of individuals served, gender breakdown of participants, description of activity(s), outcomes of activity and future plans to build off funded activity.

Apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd1M7uWX-vRo37nGWBDBDL_BvUYniEL8cz1yqPC91eyAECtGA/viewform?usp=sf_link

Our criteria will include some of the following considerations (Starred items are Required):

1. Track record of applicant
2. Intent to attract 50%+ participation of girls, women and/or gender minorities in proposed project*  
3. Benefits a small or large group, rather than targeting specific individuals*
4. Project promotes intended goal to empower and promote girls and women in chess*
5. Efficiency
6. Creativity
7. Benefits US Chess members or potential US Chess members*.
8. Capacity to carry out program
9. Intersections with other US Chess goals, such as reaching under-served communities, or chessplayers with disabilities.
10. Need
11. Geographic and organizational diversity (we are less likely to choose multiple projects submitted by the same organization.)
12. Live events must adhere to local COVID-19 policies, and organizers are encouraged to offer free masks to participants. US Chess will allow extra budget for masks upon request* 

Please submit questions to Click here to show email address. 

Link to google forms application. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd1M7uWX-vRo37nGWBDBDL_BvUYniEL8cz1yqPC91eyAECtGA/viewform?usp=sf_link