United States Eventing Association

Top Tips for Applying for a USEA Foundation Grant

Did you know that the USEA Foundation awards over 150 grants each year to deserving individuals who are involved in the sport of eventing? With grants that assist riders with accomplishing their competition goals, grants geared toward licensed officials, grants that are specific to continuing education for coaches, grants that assist competitions with obtaining frangible technology, and so much more, there really is a grant opportunity available to almost anyone!

During the 2024 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention, held Dec. 12-15 in Seattle, Washington, USEA CEO Rob Burk was joined by a panel of individuals deeply involved in the USEA Foundation including USEA Foundation Chair Hilary Miskoe, multi-time Foundation grant recipient Sharon White, Beth Lendrum of the Broussard Charitable Trust Foundation, and USEA Foundation Development Officer Katherine Cooper. Together, these five individuals shared their top tips for those interested in applying for USEA Foundation grant funding in the future to help make sure your application stands out in the most positive way.

"It's amazing how far we have come with these grants, and I think what it does for the membership of the USEA is unreal," shared Lendrum at the start of the presentation. "These grants are not possible without the incredible generosity of the people who feel very, very passionate about our sport."

Some of Lendrum's biggest words of advice included:

• Dress accordingly for any grant interviews that might take place.
• Understand the purpose of the grant that you are applying for so that you can best present yourself in a professional manner as a potential representative of that grant.
• And, if you're lucky enough to receive a grant, don't forget the little things! A handwritten note as a thank-you and an update mid-season or at the end of the year is always greatly appreciated.

As a rider who's received several USEA Foundation grants, White was able to speak from the rider's perspective during the panel. She had a lot to share about being honest with yourself and the members of the grant committees as you enter the application and interview process.

"You should think to yourself, 'I know this is what I am good at, and this is what I need to work on,' " said White. "Put that out there because people recognize that you are genuine and that you are prepared to learn and better yourself."

Her biggest key points included:

• Does this grant match who you are and the goals you want to achieve? If you aren't ready for an international excursion, don't apply for a grant with funding geared toward helping a rider fulfill European competition goals.
• If you apply for a grant and do not receive it one year, don't let that hinder you from applying again in the future.
• Receiving the grant is the easy part. Once you are awarded a USEA Foundation grant, you have a huge responsibility to put forward the effort necessary to fulfill that grant's purpose.

Miskoe echoed off of White's sentiments regarding continuing to apply for applicable grants, even if you did not receive it on your first try.

"Maybe it's not your year because of the pool of applicants you are up against," she stated. "Maybe, for whatever reason, there is a person who is more ready to take on the opportunity than you are at this time."

For Miskoe, being thorough and correct in your application process was the name of the game:

• Have somebody who doesn't know you ready your essay. Are they able to determine what your goals are?
• Spell check is your friend. Use it accordingly. Little mistakes can be costly.
• This past year was the first year that Miskoe encountered an Artificial Intelligence (AI) written essay that accompanied an application. While she encourages using AI tools that might help you spell check or proof your essay, using AI to write your essay is a no-go. It is easy to tell which essays are AI-generated as they lack the transparency and authenticity needed to really tell the grant reviewers who you and your horse are.

As the USEA Foundation's Development Officer, Cooper offered a helping hand to anyone interested in applying for future grant funding through the Foundation.

"I am available to help you," she shared. "I can help talk through the grants with you and discuss what is available out there. I am more than happy to read through things and advise you!"

Her words of advice included:

• Using all resources available to you when applying for grants, including her offer of support.
• Provide your feedback to the Foundation if you feel there's a gap for grants to assist certain areas of opportunity. The Foundation is preparing to embark on some strategic planning initiatives to proactively delegate funds in areas where the sport needs support, and your thoughts are important!
• If you believe that these grants are valuable to our community, please consider donating to the Foundation. Donations do not have to be large; every dollar counts and gives back to our sport in some way.

Burk's biggest advice for future grant recipients was to take both the Foundation and the community along for the ride with you.

"Drop us a line and keep us in the loop," he shared. "And remember, we all absorb information a little bit differently. With an organization like ours, we try to give out information in multiple different ways to reach all of our audiences. When you are applying for a grant, it's the same story. A really common thing these days is posting things on social media, but then you never follow up again, and candidly your grant committees probably aren't reading that post, so definitely think about how you can make sure you are getting that information to the people who supported you."

Grant information for 2025 will be updated on the USEA Foundation website in the coming months. Please take some time to review what grants have been offered in the past and consider applying for grant funding next year!

About the USEA Foundation

The fundamental mission of the USEA Foundation is to protect and preserve the sport of eventing for future generations and to provide support for the core educational, safety, and equine welfare programs of the USEA. In addition, the Foundation administers educational grants for riders with the intent of preparing them to reach their goals. Learn more about the USEA Foundation at www.useafoundation.org.