HOCR x Gold Cup Grant Fund

We believe sport can and should be a tool for change in society. The Head Of The Charles and The Gold Cup have partnered to help make our two regattas become voices for positive changes in the sport of rowing. We seek to become more reflective of the Boston and Philadelphia communities in which we reside. We want to champion our sports Black athletes, coaches, referees, and volunteers as we help create a more representative and inclusive future in the sport.

We know that the sport of rowing has been seen as exclusive and containing significant barriers to diversity and inclusion. To create long lasting change, we clearly need to start removing those barriers. With this partnership, we hope to begin the process of making ourselves more welcome and accessible. And, we are encouraging others within the rowing community to join us, both on the water and in our communities.

The Gold Cup and the Head Of The Charles have established a joint program to support rowing organizations that are committed to building and sustaining diversity and inclusion in our sport, with a particular emphasis on programs and communities that have been lacking support and resources.

Our grant cycle will be for a 2-year period. We will be awarding funds to 5 programs for $20,000 each in year 1 and another $20,000 in year 2.

If you have any outstanding questions, please email us at GoldCupHOCRgrant@gmail.com.

Applications for 2025 are coming soon!

What programs are eligible to apply for this grant?

• Programs that provide competitive racing teams for under-resourced youth aged 19 and under
• Priority will be given to programs that also provide programming such as tutoring, mentorship, college guidance, and enrichment
• Programs that demonstrate financial need
• Committed to USRowing Safe Sport standards
• Committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts
• Demonstrate efforts to recruit and sustain a diverse population of student-athletes, staff, and leaders ​​​​

What are under-resourced communities? 

Under-resourced communities lack resources in leadership, physical assets, financial resources, power, political will, institutions, community cohesion, and services. As a result of insufficient resources, youth may be:

• Homeless or transient
• Involved with drugs and/or alcohol
• Abused sexually, physically and/or emotionally
• Experiencing mental illness
• Living in stressful family environments
• Lacking support materially or emotionally or both

Application Process and Timeline