AOAP Life Jacket Grant

AOAP Life Jacket Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Association of Aquatic Professionals
Last Updated: September 22, 2025

Summary

The AOAP Life Jacket Grant supports aquatic facilities in drowning prevention by offering funds for swim lessons and life jackets. Administered by the Association of Aquatic Professionals, the program aims to provide at least 100 free lessons and distribute 500 life jackets annually. This initiative promotes safety education and awareness of life jacket usage, ensuring that underserved communities have access to vital water safety resources. Applications are open to AOAP members meeting eligibility criteria.

Overview

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 $10,000 annually for the life jacket and 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 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. Goals of the Grant Program: Provide opportunities for organizations to provide education and awareness of life jacket safety through their swim lesson programs.Provide organizations with life jackets.Provide a minimum of 200 life jackets annually to aquatic facilities that provide water safety education programs. (Maximum of 50 per organization)

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. 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.Local municipalities, universities and swim lessons providers must be a current member of the Association of Aquatic Professionals for at least 1 full year. (Members for 1 full cycle and registered for a second) You must be a non-profit organization in order to receive the life jackets or swim lesson grants. Life jackets received must be continually used in a learn to swim program and not given away as well as being made available during open swim times for no charge.Provide a minimum of 400 life jackets annually to aquatic facilities that provide water safety education programs. (Maximum of 50 per organization) You must be a member of this organization to apply for this award - become a member. All grant applicants must be current members of the Association of Aquatic Professionals for at least 1 full year. (so, members for 1 full cycle and registered for a second)

Ineligibility

However, once you are awarded the grant, you may not be eligible to receive that grant again within two years.