L.L.Bean Club Fostered Stewardship Grant

L. L. Bean Club Fostered Stewardship Grant is sponsored by American Canoe Association (ACA).

Since 2002, the ACA has partnered with L. L. Bean to sponsor the Club Fostered Stewardship (CFS) Program.

The CFS Program provides funding to local and regional paddling clubs and organizations that undertake stewardship projects on waterways in their area.

L. L. Bean - Club Fostered Community Grant 2025 - ACA L.

L. Bean – Club Fostered Community Grant 2025 Club Fostered Community (CFC) Grant Program Overview: Every year, the ACA partners with L. L.

Bean to inspire and sponsor local paddling clubs to take an active role in protecting and improving our nation’s waterways. Since the program’s inception in 2002, ACA has awarded over 225 Club Fostered Stewardship grants to local grassroots organizations across the United States. This year, we are excited and inspired about our continued relationship with L.

L. Bean in light of the evolving strategic direction of their charitable giving programs. In an effort to best support L.

L. Bean’s mission, and to build upon the strong existing partnerships the ACA maintains with grass roots non-profit paddling clubs in the United States, we have widened the scope of our stewardship efforts through what is now known as the Club Fostered Community Grant Program (CFC).

The logistics of the application process, selection of qualified recipients, monitoring of project progress, and final reporting will remain the same, but grants will be provided to clubs that have a specific goal toward intentionally inviting and recruiting a new group of paddlers through work that supports the ACA’s mission of education, stewardship, and competition.

Non-profits, clubs, and volunteer groups that are ultimately selected to receive a grant should demonstrate substantial and quantifiable efforts to invite and recruit new community members to CFC funded activities, projects, and programming.

The goal of these intentional efforts to invite new people into the paddling community creates a welcoming environment for potential paddlers to get involved and the opportunity to create lifelong connections to our waterways and to the larger paddling community.

In turn, the lasting relationships of our collective effort toward greater equity and inclusion in our paddling communities is the foundation upon which the future stewardship of paddlesports is built. Learn about the 2024 CFC Grant recipients ! Eligible applicants must be current ACA PAC, Affiliate, or Proschool members.

Eligible projects may focus upon paddling education, competition, stewardship initiatives, or any combination of the three. Priority will be given to applications from active paddling clubs or outdoor clubs that have a significant paddling component. Clubs are not required to be official 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organizations, but they must be a not-for-profit entity in purpose and function.

For-profit business interests are not eligible for funding under this grant program. Grant awards will only be made for specific community outreach projects; no funding will be awarded for “general support. ” Proposed projects should utilize volunteer efforts to the maximum extent possible.

Projects that are harmful to the waterway, the surrounding environment, or to wildlife will not qualify. Projects that are exclusionary to any particular community group(s) or member(s) will not qualify. No funds are to be used to monitor or influence the outcome of any federal or state legislation, ballot initiative or candidate-election.

This includes, but is not limited to, direct lobbying, polling, grassroots/grass-tops organizing or any public or membership communication relating to legislation, initiative, or election. Funds shall not be used, directly or indirectly, to educate or advocate on any public policy issue. There are a few things that CFC grants do not fund.

Items that are ineligible for funding include: *It is not mandatory to be a non-profit paddling club to apply. However, applications that incorporate active collaboration with local paddling organizations will be given priority. Grant requests will be evaluated on the merit of the proposed project and its overall contribution to the goals of the CFC Program.

Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis as determined by the ACA. The CFC Program offers access to grants of up to $2,500. The ACA reserves the right to award an amount less than the amount requested in the grant application.

Funded projects must be completed and final reports submitted to the ACA by October 31st. Reports must include a minimum of one (1) page summary/narrative of project accomplishments and a minimum of five (5) high resolution photos.

Application Form (Closes March 1st) Project Report Form (Available in June) USA Canoe/Kayak Team Delivers Standout Performances at 2026 Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships Club Fostered Community (CFC) Grant Program Overview: Every year, the ACA partners with L. L.

Bean to inspire and sponsor local paddling… USA Canoe/Kayak Team Delivers Standout Performances at 2026 Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships Volunteer Opportunities at the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games Club Fostered Community (CFC) Grant Program Overview: Every year, the ACA partners with L. L.

Bean to inspire and sponsor local paddling… Volunteer Opportunities at the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games Instructor of the Month: Darron Laughland Club Fostered Community (CFC) Grant Program Overview: Every year, the ACA partners with L. L. Bean to inspire and sponsor local paddling… Instructor of the Month: Darron Laughland