Gainbridge, Parity, and the Women’s Sports Foundation have awarded $250,000 to 32 organizations expanding sports opportunities for girls and women in 2026. The grants span 20 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, with funding for adaptive sports, youth programs, STEM and leadership. Here is where the money is going and what makes this year’s cohort notable.
Key Takeaways
- Gainbridge, Parity and the Women’s Sports Foundation awarded $250,000 across 32 organizations for 2026.
- Recipients span 20 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, with six states represented for the first time.
- Four adaptive sports organizations received grants, alongside the program’s first grantee serving girls in juvenile justice facilities.
- Most recipients will receive $5,000, while City Parks Foundation and Wildchild Athletics will receive $50,000 each.
- Most funded events, projects and new programs are expected to take place in November 2026.
Gainbridge Assists Awards $250,000 to 32 Organizations
Gainbridge, Parity and the Women’s Sports Foundation announced the 2026 recipients of Gainbridge Assists Powered by Parity on Sept. 3, awarding $250,000 to organizations expanding sports and education opportunities for girls and women.
The fourth annual grant program is supporting 32 organizations working across athletics, education, leadership, youth development and community-based programs. The 2026 cohort represents the program’s widest geographic reach to date, spanning 20 states as well as Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
The latest awards bring cumulative investment through the program to almost $700,000 across 87 organizations.
Recipients represent a broad range of sports, including soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, golf, cycling, flag football, ice skating, hockey, softball, boxing, rowing and skateboarding. Other grants support adaptive sports, equipment access, coaching and youth development.
The funding also extends beyond athletic participation. Several recipients are focused on STEM, robotics and engineering, while others combine sports with education, leadership and career development.
The expansion comes as access and leadership remain closely connected in women’s sports. Separate data on female coaching representation shows that growing participation and visibility do not necessarily translate into equal representation in leadership positions.
Sports Opportunities for Girls Expand Across 20 States
The 32 grant recipients are located across California, Florida, Maryland, Arkansas, Texas, Illinois, Washington, New York, New Hampshire, Kansas, Puerto Rico, North Carolina, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Oregon, Oklahoma, Idaho, Michigan and Wisconsin. Washington, D.C., is also represented.
Six states are participating in Gainbridge Assists for the first time in 2026.
Several organizations focus directly on making sports more accessible. Ability to Include in Florida received funding for adaptive soccer, while Bras for Girls in Washington received support tied to equipment access.
Other recipients will use their grants for programs in tennis, golf, soccer, volleyball, cycling, hockey and rowing.
Some initiatives pair sports participation with leadership development. Girls on the Run Greater Charlotte and Carolina Ascent received support for sports, leadership and confidence programming. New Youth Leaders in New York combines soccer with leadership, while Massachusetts-based Phambili Sport Impact Foundation connects soccer with leadership and career development.
Puerto Rico is represented by First Tee – Puerto Rico, which received funding for golf.
The geographic expansion allows the grant program to support organizations working in communities with different athletic, educational and youth-development needs rather than concentrating funding in a small group of markets.
Adaptive Sports and Juvenile Justice Programs Join the Cohort
Four adaptive sports organizations are included among the 2026 recipients: Ability to Include in Florida, Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks in Maryland, Special Olympics Idaho and Wisconsin Adaptive Sports Association.
The cohort also includes the program’s first grant to an organization serving girls in juvenile justice facilities.
Rising Phoenix Sports Program in New York received funding for youth development through sports for incarcerated girls. Its inclusion adds a population that had not previously been represented in Gainbridge Assists.
Several sports are also appearing in the grant program for the first time. Box United in Illinois received funding for boxing, RIVERSPORT Foundation in Oklahoma for rowing, and the College Skateboarding Educational Foundation in California and New York for skateboarding.
Other organizations are addressing barriers that can affect participation. New Shoe Day in Indiana received support for volleyball and shoe access, while West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition in North Carolina received funding for well-being and holistic health programming.
The result is a cohort that approaches sports access through several routes, including adaptive participation, equipment, coaching, youth development and programs designed for specific communities.
STEM and Education Broaden the Scope of the Grants
Several 2026 recipients connect opportunities for girls with science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Black Girls Do Engineer in Texas received a grant for engineering. Play Like a Girl in Tennessee received funding for STEM programming, while FIRST New Hampshire Robotics received support for robotics.
Snapfinger Elementary: Girls in Gear in Georgia received funding for a program combining STEM and racing.
Other recipients are linking athletics with education and career preparation. Life Beyond the Ball in Texas received support for sports, education and a leadership summit. Phambili Sport Impact Foundation’s grant covers soccer, leadership and career development.
The mix reflects a grant program that is not limited to sports participation alone. It also supports educational pathways connected to skills, leadership and future opportunities.
That emphasis on research and development also fits within a broader effort to address information gaps affecting women in sport. An expanded female athlete research network is similarly focused on improving the evidence and resources available to female athletes and the professionals who support them.
Other 2026 recipients include First Tee – Greater Wichita and First Tee – Puerto Rico for golf, Georgia Hi-Lo Trail for cycling, District Ice Rink Org for ice skating and Portland Plays Together for football and coaching.
A Place Called Home in California received funding for soccer, basketball and volleyball. Bearcat Diamond Academy in Arkansas received support for softball, while Dennis Tennis Serving Love and PowerPlay NYC received grants for tennis.
Two Organizations Receive $50,000 Special Grants
Most Gainbridge Assists recipients will receive $5,000 to fund an event, project or new program supporting girls and women through sports or education.
The $5,000 figure carries historical significance for the Women’s Sports Foundation. Billie Jean King founded the organization in 1974 with a $5,000 check, and the Gainbridge Assists grant amount was selected as a tribute to that starting point.
Two organizations will receive substantially larger awards in 2026.
City Parks Foundation in New York will receive $50,000 for tennis programming, while Wildchild Athletics in Michigan will receive $50,000 for flag football.
King, a Gainbridge ambassador, emphasized the role of community organizations in the announcement.
“These organizations are the ones doing the real work, and they are delivering a lasting impact in their communities,” King said.
The Women’s Sports Foundation says it has invested more than $115 million over its history to support girls and women through research, advocacy and community programming.
November Projects Mark the Next Stage of the Grants
Most recipients are expected to carry out their funded events, projects or new programs in November 2026.
Those projects will put the grant announcement into practice across a wide range of activities, from traditional team sports and adaptive athletics to STEM, robotics, leadership development, equipment access and career preparation.
The 2026 Gainbridge Assists cohort also shows how sports opportunities for girls can involve more than access to competition. The recipient list includes organizations addressing physical access, disability inclusion, education, leadership and the practical resources that allow girls and women to participate.
With $250,000 allocated across 32 organizations, the next measure of the program will come as recipients begin putting the funding into their communities later this year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much funding did Gainbridge Assists award in 2026?
Gainbridge, Parity and the Women’s Sports Foundation awarded $250,000 across 32 organizations through the 2026 Gainbridge Assists Powered by Parity program. Most recipients will receive $5,000, while two organizations will receive $50,000 each.
How many organizations received grants for girls and women?
Thirty-two organizations were selected for the 2026 cohort. They operate across 20 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, with six states represented for the first time.
What types of programs received funding?
The grants support soccer, tennis, golf, flag football, adaptive sports, boxing, rowing, skateboarding and other athletic programs. Funding also supports STEM, robotics, engineering, leadership, career development and equipment access.
How do the grants expand sports opportunities for girls?
The program expands sports opportunities for girls by funding organizations working on participation, adaptive athletics, equipment access, coaching and youth development. Some recipients also combine sports with education, STEM, leadership and career preparation.
When will the 2026 grant projects take place?
Most recipients are expected to carry out their funded events, projects or new programs in November 2026. The projects will vary according to each organization’s sport, educational focus or community needs.
