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 200 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 are widening the scope of our stewardship efforts through what will now be known as the Club Fostered Community Grant Program (CFC).
Non-profits, clubs, and volunteer groups that are ultimately selected to receive a grant should demonstrate substantial and quantifiable efforts to invite and recruit a diversity of community members to CFC funded activities, projects, and programming. The goal of these intentional efforts to invite diversity 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.
Applications are being accepted from February 10th until March 1, 2021. Click here to read more information and to apply.