U.S. Soccer Foundation: Safe Places to Play

Safe Places to Play transforms abandoned courts, empty schoolyards, vacant lots and the like into state-of-the-art soccer fields for kids. The Foundation awards grants three times a year to underserved communities to help cover the costs of lighting, irrigation, construction, surfacing and enhancement.

Safe Places to Play grants are available in four categories:

• Synthetic Turf: Grants are awarded for the installation of a synthetic turf field from AstroTurf
• Lighting: Grants are awarded for the purchase of Musco Lighting products to light fields
• Irrigation: Grants are awarded for the purchase of Hunter Industries irrigation products
• Sport Court: Grants are awarded for the installation of Sport Court, which is an innovative, modular sport surface (non-turf) that delivers superior playability, speed, safety, shock absorption, and traction

Amount: Varies by type:

• Irrigation: Up to $15,000 per grant
• Lighting: Up to $25,000 per grant for single field projects and up to $50,000 for multi-field projects
• Sport Court: Up to $15,000 for single fields projects and up to $30,000 for multi-field projects
• Synthetic Turf: Up to 15% of the total project cost

Funding support is typically between 15-50% of project cost for all grant types, except for irrigation, which can support 100% of project costs.

Eligibility: Nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations located in and proposing a project in the United States. Applicants should have at least 50% of the total project cost secured at time of application. Applicants must own or hold a 10+ year lease on field space.

Link: http://ussoccerfoundation.org/programs/safe-places-to-play

Note: The application cycle opens on May 1, 2018.

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