Simon Grant
Athlete Services - Grants
Simon Grant
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Grants & Funding
The 2024 Simon Grant application is now closed.
Other Funding Options
The William E. Simon Olympic Endowment for the Support of Athletes was established in 1998 by Mr. William E. Simon, Sr., former U.S. Olympic Committee President and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. For over two decades, these grants have supported high performing Team USA athletes who demonstrate financial need to help offset travel and training expenses. By creating this fund, Mr. Simon recognized the importance and many personal benefits of participating in sports.
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- The 2024 application period is now closed.
Contact Us
Email Us, opens in a new tabIf you have general questions about the Simon Grant, contact Athlete Services at athleteservices@usopc.org.
Overview and Timeline #
The William E. Simon Olympic Endowment for the Support of Athletes was established in 1998 by Mr. William E. Simon, Sr., former U.S. Olympic Committee President and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. For over two decades, these grants have supported high performing Team USA athletes who demonstrate financial need to help offset travel and training expenses for athletes who support is not readily available.
Team USA athletes are encouraged to apply to receive a $5,000-$10,000 travel and training grant. We recommend you view the Simon Grant preparation file to help you prepare your application materials prior to completing the online application.
Application Opens: 8:00 a.m. MT on February 21, 2024
Application Deadline: 11:59 p.m. MT on March 25, 2024
Award Notifications and Payments: June 2024
Eligibility Criteria #
Applicants must demonstrate financial need. The William E. Simon Olympic Endowment for the Support of Athletes supports grants that will have a significant and lasting impact for applicants who support is not readily available. A request needs to demonstrate a visible, apparent and immediate financial need and be consistent with the Simon Grant’s mission.
Athletes must demonstrate the potential impact of the grant and how they currently and will continue to promote the Olympic & Paralympic values.
Athletes must be currently training and competing Team USA athletes who – from the year 2020 to present - represented the U.S. at an elite competition in an event or discipline included on the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American or Parapan American Games program. This includes:
- Olympic and Paralympic Games
- World Championships and/or Operation Gold Event (as listed in NGB High Performance Funding Schedule)
- Pan American or Parapan American Games
- National Team
- Other approved sport-specific international qualifying competitions (e.g., World Cup Series Final, Olympic Qualification Tournament, etc.)
Not under a suspension or period of ineligibility—temporarily or otherwise—from USADA, WADA, the U.S. Center for SafeSport, the USOPC, an NGB, an HPMO or International Federation
Eligibility for The William E. Simon Olympic Endowment for the Support of Athletes is not available to athletes competing in events that categorize entrants in age-restricted classifications such as “Juniors,” “Masters,” “Seniors,” “Veterans” or other similarly designated age-restricted competitions.
Grant Details#
Team USA athletes who are actively in training and competitions to compete for the United States in Paris 2024 or Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic or Paralympic Games are encouraged to apply to receive a $5,000-$10,000 travel and training grant.
Team USA Athlete Eligibility Criteria
- U.S. citizens and eligible/intend to compete for the United States
- Currently training and competing with performance achievements that indicate they are in contention to compete for the U.S. in Paris or Milan-Cortina
- Not under a suspension or period of ineligibility—temporarily or otherwise—from USADA, WADA, the U.S. Center for SafeSport, the USOPC, an NGB, an HPMO or International Federation
- Demonstrate financial need
- Respond thoughtfully and thoroughly to the essay prompts to (1) indicate how receiving a $5,000-$10,000 grant will help you achieve your athletic goals and (2) demonstrate a commitment to advancing the Olympic and Paralympic values in the United States
Application Opens: 8:00 a.m. MT on February 21, 2024
Application Deadline: 11:59 p.m. MT on March 25, 2024
Award Notifications and Payments: June 2024
The application is divided into the following four sections and should take approximately one hour to complete:
- Athletic achievements
- Athletic Earnings
- Athletic Expenses
- Short Answers
This is a very competitive grant, so we recommend you view the Simon Grant preparation file to help you prepare your application materials prior to completing the online application.
The William E. Simon Olympic Endowment for the Support of Athletes supports grants for athletes without regard to whether an individual ever qualifies or competes in an Olympic or Paralympic competition. Athletes are eligible to apply based on continued participation and advancement in sport.
Grants are intended for training and competition expenses. Example expenses may include:
- Purchase new equipment.
- Offset training expenses to gain/maintain a competitive advantage (e.g. massage therapist, new gym membership, hire a coach).
- Offset travel and lodging expenses to attend upcoming competition to gain/maintain a competitive advantage.
Because training and competition costs vary widely, these grants are intended to provide only partial support.
While this is possible, multiple grants to a single individual would be rare.
This is a very competitive grant. The chances of receiving a grant depend on the number and quality of applications. However, the Trustees have discretion in approving final grant recipients and award amounts.
During the review process, information included in each application may be verified by a variety of different sources if necessary. If information is found to be missing, misleading or inaccurate, the application will be rejected and will jeopardize future consideration.
The endowment does not have a set grant amount. The endowment funds are invested, and a portion of the earnings is used for awards. Amounts will vary depending on available funds each year, the number of qualified applicants, and the meritorious circumstances of an applicant. Note: There have been years where the grant was not awarded due to declines in the value of the endowment.
This year we anticipate grant amounts to range from $5,000-$10,000.
The USOPC’s Athlete Development and Engagement team handles the distribution and processing of the application information, as well as the program implementation and management. Funds are invested by the U.S. Olympic Endowment. General responsibility for management of the endowment, including final award decisions, resides with a Board of Trustees. Awards are made once a year.