Frequently Asked Questions

Eligible programs with an endowment balance of at least $2,000 can apply for 5% of their endowment balance one per year.

No, programs may choose one of the two cash grant cycles to participate in each year. Cycle 1 is April 15 – June 15, and Cycle 2 is October 15 – December 15.

Eligible Endowments must apply for and receive their 5% annual cash grant for eligiblility requirements.

Complete your application through our online platform, SM Apply.

Step one: Log in or request access to your program account.
LOG IN

First-time applicants log in here:
REQUEST ACCESS

Step two: Submit your application by the cycle deadline.

You must apply for a cash grant each year to receive your funds.

Upon approval from the MidwayUSA Foundation Board of Directors, cash grant applicants will receive funds through direct deposit (ACH) or by check. We strongly encourage programs to use direct deposit (ACH), as it is the safest and quickest way to receive your funds. Grant funds are typically disbursed in August and February.

Capping the withdrawal at 5% is important to provide sustainable funding for the life of your program.

Cash grant funding can only be used for Eligible Projects and Activities, see Section 5 of our Cash Grant Application & Fund Policy.

Cash grant funding shall not be used to:

1. Lobby or attempt to influence legislation
2. Purchase firearms
3. Support or benefit an individual (e.g., scholarships)
4. Pay for goods or personal expenses for any individual
5. Any indirect costs for a club, high school, college, or university

• We offer free product grants for programs to use for fundraising in their local communities. Visit our product grant page to learn more.
• Seek community support: Anyone can donate to your program’s endowment account through our website or by sending a check using our check donation form. For details on match-eligible donations, visit our Matching Program page.
• Contact a state partner: Some state organizations/agencies may have funds available to support youth shooting sports.
• Conduct a fundraiser: Money raised through your fundraiser can be donated to your endowment and may be eligible for matching.
• Attend a MidwayUSA Foundation Special Event.

We research and try to contact endowments that show no activity over a certain period.  If our research shows the program is inactive, the funds may be transferred and the endowment inactivated.  If the program is reestablished in the future, the Foundation may restore its funds. See the Endowment Restoration Policy.

MidwayUSA Foundation does not fund archery teams or programs. Our mission focuses solely on firearm shooting sports, including shotgun, rifle, air rifle, pistol, air pistol, high-power rifle, black powder, and BB guns.

No, we provide funding for youth shooting teams that are not affiliated with a school. These can include, but are not limited to, 4-H, Boy Scouts, FFA, church groups, sportsmen/gun clubs, and other organized teams. Visit our ‘Start A Team Endowment’ page for more details and requirements for such youth shooting teams.

Please find the applicable Endowment Modification Form and submit it. Common changes include updating endowment contacts, the endowment name, and the legal entity/EIN linked to the endowment. You may also request a transfer of funds from one endowment to another.

Matching funds will be deposited into the qualifying endowment the month following the donation. You will not see the match immediately when making a match-eligible donation.

Our finance department is happy to provide all participating programs with an endowment account statement upon request. Due to confidentiality reasons, we cannot release certain donor information. Request statement here: finance@midwayusafoundation.org

There are multiple reasons your endowment balance may decrease.

1. Your program received a cash grant. The cash grant funds you received are pulled from your program’s endowment balance.
2. Endowment balances are tied to investment market performance and may decrease if the investment market loses value.
3. Foundation Forever Endowment Contribution: We remove a .25% quarterly contribution from all endowments to fund the Foundation Forever Endowment. You can review more details about this endowment and the plan on our Forever Endowment page.

PM MAP

There are multiple options when donating.

1. Give to a specific team or organizational endowment.
2. Give to our mission.
3. Give to a special-purpose endowment.

We accept “in kind” donations of stocks or bonds that are publicly traded or readily convertible to cash. There are many ways to give now or include an endowment in your planned giving or estate plan. We encourage you to visit our Giving Opportunities page.

Each donor has one record in our database and cannot have multiple display names. The donor’s display name will default to the most recent donation’s designated display name.

MidwayUSA Foundation’s special-purpose endowments were created to ensure the Foundation’s future, improve and expand existing ranges, and develop and train coaches. Visit our Special Purpose Endowments pages for more details.

Competitive grants are open to any non-profit organization that meets the grant guidelines. Potential grantees must compete to receive a grant from that fund based on who can positively impact youth shooting sports with their grant.

SPECIAL PURPOSE PROGRAMS

Coach training grants are available from February 1 to March 1. Range Development grants are available from February 1 to April 1.

Agency accounts are for organizations fully dedicated to supporting youth shooting sports. 100% of their effort and resources go to youth shooting sports. Agency grants may be used for general organizational expenses.

Donor-designated accounts are for organizations with a mission other than youth shooting sports but with a well-defined youth shooting sports program, e.g., USA Shooting. Donor-designated grant funds are restricted to covering expenses directly related to the youth program and may not be used for general organizational expenses.

AGENCY & DONOR-DESIGNATED ENDOWMENTS

Part 1: The MidwayUSA Foundation does not charge any fees to open an endowment or for endowment donations. There is a $100 minimum donation requirement to open the endowment. 100% of each donation is fully credited to the endowment.

Part 2: There is a .25% quarterly transfer from every endowment account to MidwayUSA Foundation’s Forever Endowment. The Forever Endowment will enable the MidwayUSA Foundation to operate in perpetuity and support youth shooting sports teams.

FOREVER ENDOWMENT

Agency and donor-designated endowments have access to all the fundraising resources and support the Foundation provides.

Quarterly, 100% of the Foundation’s earnings from its investments are distributed pro rata to all endowment accounts based on their average balance during the quarter. Due to fluctuations in the investment market, account earnings may be positive or negative.

Programs must have a minimum endowment balance of $100 to request fundraising products.

Our fundraising products are free to our active programs and partners. These items have no up-front cost, but we require a minimum donation to your endowment once the fundraiser is complete.

You can request up to 3 fundraising items. All items are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Every item has a recommended donation that varies based on the value of that item.

All funds raised and donated to a Team Endowment may be matched according to the current Matching Program details. Visit the Matching Program page to learn more.

We encourage participating teams/organizations to complete their fundraiser within 9 months.

While raffles are a very common practice with our items, they are not required. We know every community is different, so we allow you to conduct your fundraiser any way that you wish.

Your team/organization is not required to be a registered 501c3 entity to request fundraising products. Endowments and fundraising items are available to state registered non-profits or federally recognized 501c3s.

You will need to complete one check donation form to return your proceeds. You can find that form on our fundraising items page or in your item registration packet. It is important to use that form so we can ensure your proceeds are matched correctly.

FFL stands for Federal Firearms License. It is a license issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms (ATF) that allows individuals or businesses to legally engage in activities related to firearms, such as manufacturing, importing, and dealing in firearms. If our fundraiser includes a firearm (s), a current Federal Firearms License (FFL/ATF8) is required. The firearms must be shipped to the premises address listed on the ATF8 form.