GENERAL FAQs
Below are some frequently asked questions about our program. Review our Grant FAQs and our Promotion FAQs.
1. My shooting team has a Team Endowment Account, now what? Grow your account!
Register for a Promotion: We offer FREE promotional products to our teams to use as fundraising items. These items vary and change often, visit our promotions page to learn more.
Ask for Donations: Anyone can donate to your team and currently all donations are matched, dollar for dollar. They can donate with a credit card on our website or send a check, using our check donation form.
Contact a State Partner: Many state organizations are working to grow and support youth shooting sports and might have funds available. Visit our State Resources page.
Conduct your Own Fundraisers: Money raised with your own team fundraisers & returned to your account is also currently matched, dollar for dollar. Visit our ‘More Ways to Grow Your Account.’
2. My school has a shooting program that is not listed, how do I get it listed on your site?
A team representative will need to complete a New Endowment Account form on our ‘Start Your Account’ page. If this has been done and your team is still not listed, please email us info@midwayusafoundation.org.
3. How do I get a shooting program started at my school?
The MidwayUSA Foundation provides sustainable endowment funding for existing youth shooting programs. While we do not actually establish competitive shooting programs in schools, several of our partners do provide start-up assistance to schools and clubs. Visit our Resources page.
4. How does my team receive money from its account?
Each year, your team is eligible to receive 5% of its account balance. To receive this money, you must complete and submit our Grant Application by December 15 or June 15. If you haven’t previously applied, choose the cycle you prefer. If you’re unsure about when your team is eligible, email grants@midwayusafoundation.org. Visit our Grants page.
5. What happens to the money in the Team Endowment Account if the team dissolves?
If there is no chance of the shooting team reforming, the primary team contact or coach can place the funds in an existing Team Endowment Account. The receiving team MUST agree to accept the funds.
6. Do you support archery teams?
The MidwayUSA Foundation does NOT support archery teams or programs. Our mission is solely focused on shooting sports, including shotgun, rifle, air rifle, pistol, air pistol, high power rifle and blackpowder.
7. Do I have to be affiliated with a school to open an account?
No, we do fund youth shooting teams that are not affiliated with a school. These may include, but are not limited to, 4-H, Boy Scouts, FFA, church, sportsmen/gun clubs, other organized teams. Visit our ‘Start Your Account’ page to see more details and requirements for such youth shooting teams. Do we have to be a competitive team? No, please review our definition of a team and review our ‘Get Started’ page.
8. How do I update the information on my team page, including contact information?
Please find the Team Endowment Modification Packet on our Team Account Forms page and complete/submit the appropriate form(s) for your change. The changes may include contact info, coach’s name, identity change (EIN/W9) or a funds transfer.
9. I attended a shooting competition where endowment funds were available, where is that money?
Many partners do hold competitions that offer endowment money but the MidwayUSA Foundation does no control over when that money is received. Participating teams must check with the host organization for details about these funds.
10. When are matching dollars deposited into my account?
Matching funds will be deposited into your Team Endowment Account the month FOLLOWING your donation, approximately mid-month. When making your donation, you will not see the match immediately. Our blog is updated when matching dollars have been deposited.
11. I have questions about the details of my account balance. Can I request an account statement?
Yes, our financial department is happy to provide all of our shooting teams with an account statement, upon request. Email finance@midwayusafoundation.org. Please keep in mind, due to confidentiality reasons, we cannot release certain donor information.
12. My team’s endowment account balance decreased. What happened?
There are two reasons your account fund balance may decrease.
1. Your team received a grant. The grant funds you receive are pulled from your Team Endowment Account fund balance.
2. Remember, endowment balances are tied to investment market performance and may decrease if the investment market has a bad period or loses value.
DONOR RELATED FAQs
1.Do I have to donate to a specific shooting team?
No, you can donate to the MidwayUSA Foundation General Fund without naming a team. The Foundation's Board of Directors will direct the money in a way that complies with our mission.
2. Can I donate something other than money?
We accept donations of cash through credit cards, debit cards, checks, and "in kind" donations of stocks or bonds that are publicly traded or readily convertible to cash. We also accept gifts from Amazon Smile, as well as credit card points from certain credit card companies. Visit our ‘Donating’ page.
3. I have donated before, can I use a different donor display name?
Each donor has one record in our database and cannot have multiple display names. The donor display name will default to the most recent donation’s designated display name. For example, if you choose to have your name displayed on the team page and later choose to give ‘in memory of’ on your next donation, your name will be removed and replaced with the ‘in memory of’ display name. The donor display name will default to the donor’s name if a display name is not indicated.
4. What are the various donor recognition levels?
Donor level recognition is based on cumulative donations made to a team. The various donor levels are listed below:
Platinum: > $10,000 Gold: >$5,000 and <$10,000 Silver: >$2,500 and <$5,000
Bronze: >$1,250 and <$2,500 Supporter: <$1,250
GRANT FAQs
Grants are available to any team with a balance in their Team Endowment Account. Visit Find Your Account to review your account.
Teams may apply to receive up to 5% of their account balance once per calendar year (i.e. If you apply for a grant in June, you cannot reapply until the following June). The applications are reviewed and decided upon by the MidwayUSA Foundation Board of Directors at the January and July board meetings. Generally, June grants are paid in August and December grants are paid in February. Grant funds can be used for team expenses, such as, ammunition, travel, uniforms, range fees and more but cannot be used for firearm purchases or political lobbying. The MidwayUSA Foundation reserves the right to audit a shooting program's use of grant funds. We accept grant applications, via our grant application process, twice per year.
Still have questions? See our Grant FAQs below.
Grant Deadlines:
June 15th
December 15th
Grant Forms:
Grant Application
Fillable W-9
Grant Application and Funding Policy
Submittal Options:
Email: grants@midwayusafoundation.org
Fax: 573-447-5972
Mail: MidwayUSA Foundation, Inc. - Grant Dept.
6001 West Van Horn Tavern Road, Suite C
Columbia, Missouri 65203
1. When is my team eligible to receive a grant?
All active teams with an account balance above zero are eligible to apply ONCE PER YEAR. Grant deadlines are December 15 and June 15. If you’re unsure as to whether or not your team has applied in the past or which cycle your team currently participates, please email grants@midwayusafoundation.org.
2. Can I apply in June AND December?
No, teams may choose which time of year TO APPLY but cannot apply more than ONCE per year.
3. If our team is eligible, do we have to apply for a grant?
Teams are not required to apply for a grant but it is strongly encouraged.
4. How do I receive the grant funds?
Teams must apply via the MidwayUSA Foundation grant application (download above). Only COMPLETE grant applications submitted by the above deadlines will be reviewed by our Board of Directors for approval.
5. Why is my team only allowed to pull 5% of my account balance?
In order to provide sustainment funding for the life of your shooting team, it is important to cap the withdrawal at 5%. It is our hope that teams will only remove interest from their Team Endowment Account, not principal. This should provide funding for the life of the team.
6. Are the grant funds restricted in any way?
Yes. Grant funds may NOT be used to purchase firearms.
7. Where are the grant funds directed?
Grant funds are directed to the Applicant Organization/Organization Entity/W9 Name listed on the grant application. We highly recommend teams choose to have their grant funds directly deposited into the appropriately designated account tied to the Applicant Organization.
8. How long does it take the funds to reach my team?
Grant applications are reviewed by the MidwayUSA Foundation Board of Directors around August and January of each year. Teams requesting to have the funds direct deposited, which is highly recommended, will receive their funds almost immediately after the corresponding board meetings. Paper checks will be processed and mailed to teams soon after those meetings. Teams applying in June can plan to receive their funds in August and those applying in December can expect to receive funds in February.
PROMOTIONS FAQs
1. How much does it cost to participate?
Our promotions are FREE to our active shooting teams. There is no cost associated.
2. Do we have to have an account balance to participate?
No, we offer our promotions to help teams grow their account. As soon as your account is active, you can register for a promotion.
3. How much money do we have to raise?
All promotional item details vary, please see the Letter of Intent for each item to review the expected funds to be returned to your endowment account.
4. What if we send back more than the minimum requirement, is that all matched?
Yes, we currently match every dollar sent back from a promotion.
5. What if we cannot conduct raffles in our state or community?
No problem, we give you the freedom to conduct the fundraisers however you wish. You are NOT required to do a raffle. We are happy to offer our logo and graphics of our items for your use.
6. Can we request more than one promotion?
Yes, you can receive multiple promotions if you meet the requirements outlined in the Letter of Intent (LOI) & items are available.
7. What is an FFL?
A current Federal Firearms License (FFL/ATF8) is required if our promotion includes a firearm(s). Firearms must be shipped to the premises address listed on the ATF8 form.
8. MidwayUSA holds my ATF8 form, will that work?
No, we operate completely separate from the online retailer, thus we do not share documentation.
9. Do we have to be a 501(c)(3)?
No, endowments & promotional items are available to those with a complete IRS Form W9.
10. How do I send funds back to our account?
When your promotion has concluded, please send us the funds, as well as a completed check donation form, that includes which promotion(s) was utilized to generate those funds.
11. I see a matching deadline, does this mean my promotion has to be complete by this date?
No, there is no deadline to complete a promotion. Matching deadlines are completely separate. We recommend not returning promotional funds in December to ensure they are matched.