Community Impact Grant supports swim team programming
Des Moines, Iowa – May 14, 2025 – The YMCA of Greater Des Moines has been selected as one of nine USA Swimming member clubs to receive a 2025 Community Impact Grant from the USA Swimming Foundation. The $5,000 grant, which is eligible for renewal annually for up to three years, will support efforts to expand access to competitive swimming for underserved youth in the Des Moines community through the Y’s swim team programs.
This year, the USA Swimming Foundation awarded $150,000 across 30 programs nationwide as part of its ongoing effort to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in swimming. Since the launch of the Community Impact Grant program in 2020, the Foundation has distributed $540,000 to 51 programs that increase access to aquatic opportunities in underrepresented communities.
The Community Impact Grant program supports initiatives that:
- Create partnerships between USA Swimming clubs and facilities or recreational organizations without existing clubs;
- Uplift clubs led by women and/or individuals from diverse backgrounds; and
- Establish collaborations between USA Swimming clubs and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to develop competitive programs for youth.
"USA Swimming and the USA Swimming Foundation are proud to continue to support funding opportunities for underserved communities to gain access to swimming,” said Joel Shinofield, USA Swimming Managing Director of Sport Development. “USA Swimming clubs are community assets, and this funding helps expand opportunities for youth nationwide.”
Click here for a full list of 2025 USA Swimming Foundation Community Impact grant recipients. Click here to donate to the Foundation.
For more information on swimming at the Y, visit www.dmymca.org/swimming.