Challenged Athletes Foundation: Annual Grants

The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) offers annual grants to support individuals with permanent physical disabilities in pursuing active lifestyles through sports and fitness. The CAF Annual Grant aims to eliminate financial barriers that hinder adaptive athletes from accessing necessary resources, such as sports expenses and equipment grants. Eligible applicants must provide medical documentation and meet specific criteria set by the International Paralympic Committee, ensuring that all funding directly benefits those actively engaged in competitive athletics.

Challenged Athlete Foundation
It is the mission of the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) to provide opportunities and support to people with physical challenges, so they can pursue active lifestyles through physical fitness and competitive athletics. The Challenged Athletes Foundation believes that involvement in sports at any level increases self-esteem, encourages independence and enhances quality of life.
CAF Annual Grant
CAF’s flagship grant program aims to remove the barriers that exist between adaptive athletes and their pursuit of sport and fitness.
Applicants may request one of the following grant types:

• Sports Expenses GrantEquipment Grant

All challenged athletes are eligible to apply for a CAF Grant. A challenged athlete is an individual with a permanent physical disability pursuing an active lifestyle through physical fitness or competitive athletics. The individual’s permanent disability must impair mobility, affect the neuromuscular system, impair balance or motor control.
CAF uses the International Paralympic Committee’s classification structure as a guideline and all qualifying individuals must provide supporting documentation from a medical professional to explain how their physical disability affects their activities of daily living. Hearing impairments, Intellectual and developmental disabilities do not qualify for support through CAF.

Eligibility

Individuals worldwide with permanent physical disabilities are eligible to apply for the CAF grant. CAF uses the International Paralympic Committee’s eligibility criteria as a guideline. Applicants are required to upload multiple pieces of documentation to their profile and application in order for their grant request to be considered. Applicants will need:Medical documentation of disability:Applicants will be required to upload into their profile a medical document that lists their disability. This task must be completed before you can begin the grant application.Returning applicants can use the same document uploaded in previous years. If you are a first-time applicant, the medical verification documentation can be any form that states your permanent physical disability and comes from a medical professional/source.Two high-quality photos of the applicant, preferably playing their sportFinancial documentation to show proof of annual incomeA Letter of Recommendation from a family member, coach, teammate, friend, etc.Sport Expense Grant eligible expenses:Minor equipment purchases (expenses related to maintain, refurbish, or upgrade your adaptive equipment like handcycles, sport wheelchairs, bicycles, etc. or to purchase smaller equipment items that help you train or compete in sport.*Sports Expense Grants for minor equipment items will NOT count toward your future eligibility for large adaptive equipment items such as sports wheelchairs, handcycles, etc.Coaching/Training Expenses (expenses related to specialized coaching, personal trainer, coach, gym fees, adaptive sports clinics, classes or lessons, etc.)Travel/Competition Expenses (expenses related to sport/athletic competitions, training camps, or clinics.) These expenses may include entry fees and/or travel-related expenses to competitions. Travel related expenses can include transportation (fuel, rental car, flight, ride share, etc.), accommodations (hotel fees), and food.Equipment Requests (Available for applicants from U.S. and Canada only) eligible expenses:CAF distributes most adaptive sports equipment through our selected distributors who offer offer exclusive discounted pricing.Funding towards Equipment Requests eligible expenses:If the equipment you are requesting is not listed on CAF’s equipment list, applicants will have the opportunity to apply for funding towards the equipment of their choice.If you already own equipment for your sport, we strongly suggest that instead of applying for new equipment, you submit a Sports Expense Grant request for funds to refurbish, upgrade, or maintain your existing equipment item rather than submitting a request for new equipment. Funding Toward Equipment requests MUST be accompanied by a quote for the item which will be uploaded into the grant application form. Athletic Prosthetics Requests: As you consider your request for Össur Athletic prosthetics, please keep in mind that CAF provides the prosthetic item(s) ONLY. We do ask your prosthetist to assist in the completion of the grant where they will be agreeing to provide materials and labor at a reduced cost or at no charge if you are awarded (there is no guarantee that they will be able to do so). Please discuss with your prosthetist their ability to provide support to you before applying for an athletic prosthetic.International applicants living outside the United States or Canada are eligible for the Sport Expense Grant and the Funding Towards Equipment Grant only.

Ineligibility

Individuals with strictly cognitive or intellectual disabilities are not eligible to apply. Teams, organizations, etc. are also not eligible to apply.The purpose of the Sports Expense grant is to remove the financial barriers that will prohibit the athlete from playing their sport. Examples of inappropriate use of these funds would include:Travel expenses for coaches or additional family membersFuel expenses for personal vehicle outside of competition travel Lodging expenses for any additional/extended travel outside of competition datesExpensive mealsTournament memorabiliaMedical or rehab services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, massage, etc.Non-sport equipmentUniforms or articles of clothingTechnology with a fitness component (FitBits, Apple Watches, etc.)The purpose of the Equipment Grant is to remove the financial barriers that prohibit you from purchasing adaptive equipment. Examples of inappropriate use of these funds would include: Medical or rehab services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, massage, etc. Non-sport equipment, including everyday wheelchairs, rehabilitation equipment, etc.Technology with a fitness component (FitBits, Apple Watches, etc.)