USTA Foundation

USTA Foundation Raises $12 Million In 2022

December 21, 2022 by tennisbloggers Leave a Comment

The USTA Foundation, the charitable arm of the United States Tennis Association Incorporated (USTA), raised $12 million in 2022, the second year of the Foundation’s “Rally for the Future” campaign. USTA Foundation President Kathleen Wu also announced that the campaign goal for Rally to the Future would be raised to a three-year total of $30 million by the end of 2023. After two years of the three-year campaign, Rally for the Future has exceeded its original $20 million goal, with more than $22 million raised since 2021.

“We are beyond excited to have met our original goal so soon and I’m optimistic that this new goal will be met, and possibly exceeded, by the end of 2023,” said Wu. “I’m humbled and grateful that the tennis community has stepped up with such enthusiasm and passion to help us change lives through tennis and education.”

More than $7 million of those donations have been utilized to provide support, services and funding for National Tennis & Learning (NJTL) chapters, which support under-resourced youth through free or low-cost tennis and education programs. Additional funds will continue to be utilized for ongoing programming including NJTL chapters, grants and scholarships. The USTA Foundation funded more than $435,000 in scholarships for 46 student leaders in 2022.

In 2022, the USTA Foundation launched its improved annual NJTL enrollment two months ahead of its historical timeline. The updated process will categorize chapters based on a set of criteria and is crucial for measuring performance outcomes as well as increasing the number of programs above 300. The USTA Foundation has impacted over 125,000 youth across the country in 2022, and will grow in 2023 through this improved enrollment process.

When it came to fundraising in 2022, $3 million of the year’s total was raised during the USTA Foundation Gala on Opening Night of the 2022 US Open, honoring Kevin Martinez and ESPN. The USTA Foundation Gala’s sponsors included ESPN, Jersey Mike’s, Cadillac, Chase, Rolex, Deloitte, and the USTA.

The USTA Foundation also received a $4 million donation from sponsor Jersey Mike’s through its fundraising campaign, with 20% of its nationwide sales from one weekend in September benefiting the USTA Foundation. USTA Foundation Chairperson Chris Evert was featured in the Jersey Mike’s commercials that touted their campaign.

The Rally for the Future fundraising campaign continues towards its $30 million target by 2023 to support planning and building the future strength of NJTL chapters.

“The impact that the USTA Foundation has made this year in local communities is incredible thanks to our sponsors, donors, Board Members, and the entire NJTL Network,” said Dan Faber, USTA Foundation Chief Executive. “The lasting influence of the NJTL programs is visible at every level, from local communities to collegiate programs and even on the pro tours.”

The USTA Foundation had many highlights in 2022 through these key programs, scholarships and collaborations, including:

Lulu’s Place— Anticipated to break ground in 2023, Lulu’s Place will be an extraordinary nonprofit youth center in Los Angeles. The USTA Foundation is proud to be a founding supporter of Lulu’s Place, which aspires to be a game-changer for L.A. youth, especially those from disadvantaged households, by offering students access to top-quality sports facilities, as well as athletic and academic programming, for little or no cost. The project is rooted in the belief that all children have the potential to achieve greatness when given the education, resources and support they need to thrive.
2022 College Scholarships: Each year, the USTA Foundation awards college scholarships to deserving high school seniors who show excellence both on and off the court. In 2022, the USTA Foundation granted over $435,000 in scholarships to 46 students from the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network of chapters to help them realize their dreams of attending college. Eleven of these scholarships were awarded to Excellence Program participants.
USTA Foundation Impact Conference: This inaugural conference brought together 180 NJTL chapter leaders, industry subject matter experts and renowned speakers focused on capacity-building initiatives and how best to increase program outcomes. In addition, NJTL leaders nationwide collaborated by sharing best practices and innovative program examples.
USTA Foundation Excellence Program: This program features NJTL youth who are chosen based on their elite level of tennis ability, educational outcomes, and commitment to the pathway to becoming student-athletes at the collegiate and professional levels. In 2022, over $385,000 in team grants supported programming in 19 markets and an additional $225,000 supported individual players. The program participants continue to achieve new milestones. Clervie Ngounoue achieved a career-high ITF World Junior Ranking of No.10 and won her first Grade 1 ITF Junior World Tournament. Clervie was also a member of this year’s Junior Billie Jean King Cup team, clinching the winning match for the team. Jelani Sarr reached the Top 100 in the ITF Junior Rankings with a career-high of No. 88, and was a participant in the main draw of the US Open Junior Championships and the Wimbledon Junior Championships. Jelani has won multiple ITF junior titles this year including the J3 in Coral Gables and the J3 in San Jose. Jelani is currently committed to playing varsity tennis for the University of South Carolina. The USTA Foundation funded six national activations for over 250 of these student-athletes, aged 10 to 18, with events being held in cities including San Diego, Orlando, Fla., Washington, D.C., College Park, Md., and New York.
USTA Foundation Social Media Channels: the USTA Foundation made its mark on Instagram (@ustafoundation) and returned to Facebook in 2022, connecting with NJTL chapters, players, celebrities and other USTA Foundation supporters online to share the Foundation’s story.

To learn more about the USTA Foundation, please visit ustafoundation.com

Sloane Stephens Becomes USTA Foundation’s First National Excellent Program Ambassador

November 4, 2019 by tennisbloggers

The USTA Foundation, the national charitable arm of the United States Tennis Association, has announced that it has appointed 2017 US Open Champion and world No. 23 Sloane Stephens as the National Excellence Program Ambassador. Stephens will kick-off at the Excellence Program College Pathway Camp on Nov. 8 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando.

In her new role, Stephens will help to promote the five pillars of the Excellence Program including Individual Player Grants, Coaching Education, Activations, College Preparation support and a Team component, while supporting the USTA Foundation’s overall mission, its programs, and player success stories.

“It’s an honor to join the USTA Foundation as the National Excellence Program Ambassador. Our shared missions to change lives through tennis and education are vital to making tennis accessible and fun for many children. I’m looking forward to sharing my tennis story and pathway with all of our Excellence Team players. And I look forward to seeing the impact of our work.”

Through its partnership with USTA Player Development, the USTA Foundation Excellence Program is designed to provide underserved junior tennis players from under-resourced populations an opportunity to fulfill their coaching, equipment, tournament and travel needs at no cost. These students are high-performance tournament level players who compete at the regional, national and international levels. The program also includes a player pathway for students who participate in the National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network.

Stephens will participate in numerous appearances where players will have an opportunity to engage with the grand slam champion, including the annual Excellence Program College Pathways Workout this fall at the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, Florida. During the two-day camp, Stephens will serve as the guest speaker and participate in a photo opp. with all players and coaches.

NJTL participants will also have a unique opportunity to engage with Stephens through a video conference session where they will get to ask questions and engage in dialogue on various topics related to tennis, education, competition and sportsmanship. Stephens will also participate in other multimedia platforms such as the first official NJTL Excellence Program endorsement video, while also utilizing her social media channels to bring awareness of the program’s various activations, its positive impact on the student participants, and its overall success

“Sloane is a model athlete and the ideal ambassador for our Excellence Program on and off the court,” said Dan Faber, USTA Foundation Executive Director. “Her willingness to engage with our student athletes speaks volumes and will have a lasting impact on their lives. We thank Sloane for supporting our mission and serving as our first ambassador for this incredible program.”

Chris Evert Becomes USTA Foundation Chair

January 9, 2019 by tennisbloggers

The USTA Foundation, the national charitable arm of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), announced that it has appointed 18-time Grand Slam singles champion and former world No. 1 Chris Evert as Chair of the USTA Foundation’s Board of Directors. In her new role, Evert will serve as the USTA Foundation’s spokesperson and ambassador to promote its mission, raise funds and increase the impact of its national outreach efforts to under-resourced youth. She succeeds former pro James Blake, who served as USTA Foundation Chair from 2015 to 2018.

In 2016, Evert partnered with the USTA Foundation to establish the Jimmy Evert Fund, a scholarship fund in honor of her late father who was a coach and mentor to many aspiring tennis athletes. These scholarships were developed, along with the support of Evert’s family, as a result of the USTA Foundation’s ability to directly impact youth through tennis and education programming, and are designed to provide opportunities for kids to excel both on and off the tennis court.

“I am honored to have been selected as the Chairperson of the USTA Foundation, one of the most remarkable organizations I have ever been associated with,” said Evert. “I grew up playing tennis in a public facility where my father could keep an eye on us kids, making sure we all were safe and stayed out of trouble. That was a great, life-shaping experience for me; an experience I want to give back to a new generation of young people. I’m committed to helping make our sport more fun and more accessible to more kids, so that they can enjoy its many benefits, just as I did. The combination of tennis and education is a powerful one, and I will do all that I can to further the USTA Foundation’s mission of improving the lives of under-resourced youth through that powerful combination.”

Evert’s stellar tennis career began when she turned pro in 1972 at the age of 18, eventually landing 18 Grand Slam singles titles, including six singles crowns at the US Open. She owns a record 157 singles titles, and has the highest winning percentage of any player—male or female—in the history of the sport. She is one of only three players in history to have a 100-match winning year with 103 in 1974, including 55 straight match wins on all surfaces, a record that held up for more than a decade, and she was ranked No.1 in the world for seven years, winning a total of 1,309 matches in her career.

In 1989, Evert retired at the US Open at the age of 34. On July 16, 1995, she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. As the sole inductee that year, she was only the fourth player and the sixth person ever to be elected to the Hall unanimously.

Evert’s sports journalism career began in 2011 as a tennis analyst for ESPN, and she has covered all four Grand Slam events for the last seven years. In addition to her broadcasting role, Evert also writes a monthly publisher’s column for Tennis magazine.

A resident of Boca Raton, Fla., Evert lends her time and effort to raise funds for many causes important to her and her family, and serves as a board member for several organizations. The Chris Evert Charities Inc., founded in 1989 following Evert’s retirement, focuses on helping children who are at-risk due to drug abuse and alcohol addiction by focusing on programs whose mission is to keep families together as parents seek treatment. The charity has raised more than $25 million since its inception and is the sole beneficiary at the annual Chris Evert Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic, which has been heralded as the most successful fund-raiser in tennis history.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors of the USTA Foundation, we are truly honored to have Chris Evert serve as our new Chair and ambassador,” said Thomas Chen, President of the USTA Foundation Board of Directors. “It’s exciting to have Chris help us lead many of our fund-raising efforts so that we can continue to support tennis and education programs throughout the country. Her commitment to supporting programs like these speaks volumes, and we are thrilled to have her on our team as we pursue our mission to enhance more young lives through tennis and education.”