Grants – Life Jackets & Swim Lessons

Swim Lessons and Life Jacket Grant Program

The Association of Aquatic Professionals (AOAP) are taking applications for the swim lesson and/or lifejacket grant program to help aid aquatic facilities in their drowning prevention efforts. The AOAP drowning prevention grant offers funding opportunities for organizations to provide education and awareness of life jacket safety.

Background

The Association of Aquatic Professionals is a domestic 501(c)3 Non-Profit Corporation and is run by an all-volunteer Board of Directors and Executive Director. The AOAP exclusively promotes and advocates policies, practices and procedures that contribute to safety and improvements in aquatic education, aquatic recreation activities, programs, and facilities.

As part of its drowning prevention education program, RESPECT the Water, the AOAP is working to build and maintain a national network of partners to address issues of drowning prevention, learning how to swim and life jacket safety. A portion of all proceeds generated by AOAP will be used towards drowning prevention, i.e. for learn to swim lessons and life jackets.

The AOAP allocates a minimum of $5,000 annually for the life jacket and $5,000 for the swim lesson grant program. An annual goal for AOAP is to provide a minimum of 100 free lessons to under-privileged participants and to purchase and provide a minimum of 500 lifejackets annually for organizations to use in their water safety efforts. 

Purpose of the Grant Programs

The purpose of the swim lesson and life jacket grants is to provide resources to our AOAP members, by providing either funds to offer learn to swim programs or life jackets to people that may otherwise not have the opportunity to learn to swim or be educated about drowning prevention.

As an AOAP member, you have the opportunity to apply for either the Swim Lesson Grant or the Life Jacket Grant or both at the same time. If you are awarded for one of the grants, you can apply for the other one right away. However, once you are awarded the grant, you may not be eligible to receive that grant again within two years.

AOAP Goals of the Grant Program:

The purpose of the swim lesson and life jacket grants is to provide resources to our AOAP members, by providing either funds to offer learn to swim programs or life jackets to people that may otherwise not have the opportunity to learn to swim or be educated about drowning prevention.

As an AOAP member, you have the opportunity to apply for either the Swim Lesson Grant or the Life Jacket Grant or both at the same time. If you are awarded for one of the grants, you can apply for the other one right away. However, once you are awarded the grant, you may not be eligible to receive that grant again within two years.

Eligibility Requirements:

The purpose of the swim lesson and life jacket grants is to provide resources to our AOAP members, by providing either funds to offer learn to swim programs or life jackets to people that may otherwise not have the opportunity to learn to swim or be educated about drowning prevention.

As an AOAP member, you have the opportunity to apply for either the Swim Lesson Grant or the Life Jacket Grant or both at the same time. If you are awarded for one of the grants, you can apply for the other one right away. However, once you are awarded the grant, you may not be eligible to receive that grant again within two years.

Agencies awarded a grant are expected to sign contracts with the AOAP before funds are disbursed. They will also be required to submit reports, including innovative forms of measurement, throughout the grant cycle.

Program Evaluation

Agencies awarded a grant will be required to—

Based on the feedback from the evaluations, the AOAP Board will review and make recommendations for further changes or enhancements to the grant program on an annual basis.

Grant Award Deadlines:

(In order to be considered for a grant for the current period applications must be received by the following dates – there are 4 deadlines)

January 1
April 1
July 1
October 1

What grant are you applying for:

Based on the feedback from the evaluations, the AOAP Board will review and make recommendations for further changes or enhancements to the grant program on an annual basis.