The KBF’s Scholarships provide financial support to individuals with spinal cord injuries seeking to get active in beginner adaptive sports experiences or to test a piece of equipment.
Please Note – meeting eligibility requirements is not a guarantee of a grant award.
Eligible Applicants
Individuals with paralysis caused by spinal cord injury who reside in the US.
Other conditions are not eligible for our grant programs, including (but not limited to) spina bifida, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, post-polio, Guillain-Barre´ Strohl Syndrome, ALS, all other neuropathies, and all other conditions causing disability.
Eligible Scholarships
KBF Scholarships provide financial support to individuals who want to try a new sport, test out a piece of equipment, or build skills by attending camps, clinics or other adaptive sports programs.
Scholarships can be used to:
- Try new sports and recreation experiences (camps/clinics)
- Gain more experience in a sport that you are a beginner at
- Get further instruction or supervised experience to become independent using new equipment that you already own
- Test different types of equipment before purchasing or applying for a grant
Scholarship funds will cover:
- Direct costs for any of the above eligible programs, including:
- Program, camp, or clinic fees
- Travel (gas/train/air) and lodging (hotel)
- Equipment rentals
- Funds will be distributed directly to the adaptive sports program for program or equipment fees; and/or to individuals for travel and lodging after completion of activity upon review of receipts
Scholarships cannot be used for:
- Therapy needs
- Competition expenses
- Travel to obtain lessons or test equipment through peers or individuals not affiliated with a formal adaptive sports program/organization
- Food
- Events that have already taken place
- Program fees for a sport you are already a established in
The applicant must fill out the application form.
The only exceptions are if the applicant is younger than the age of 13 or the applicant’s disability prevents the use of a computer, in which case a guardian or caregiver may complete the form. Regardless, the applicant must be aware of, contribute to, and consent to all answers.
Applications accepted for up to $500.
This can be used as a partial grant as well if there Is more funding required out of pocket.
Applications are on a rolling basis.
Expect to hear back in 2 weeks once the application is fully submitted. Do plan accordingly when applying if there is a set date for when you want to participate.
We may use your first name, state, pictures submitted, and answers to specific questions in the application.
If you receive a grant, we may use your first name, state of residence, photos, and answers to specific questions for marketing purposes. But more importantly, we do want to stay in touch and hear about your experience with your new equipment.
Required Attachment: Medical Documentation of SCI
A letter on the letterhead of a treating physician or primary care provider stating the cause and nature of your paralysis, including level of injury, whether it is complete or incomplete, and when it occurred.
We do not accept full medical histories, physical reports, Paralympic classifications, photos of injuries, or any other form of medical documentation.
Acceptable formats: .pdf, .jpg, .png
Required Attachment: Budget Information
- Please provide a budget including:
- Any program fees/quotes
Estimated travel expenses (gas/train/air and/or lodging)
Required Attachments: Financial Documentation
We require ALL relevant financial documentation, including:
- Last 2 years’ federal tax returns, if filed (first 2 pages of 1040 is sufficient)
- SSI Benefit Verification Letter, if applicable
- Any other forms of income (family support, annuities, other structured payments)
- An explanation of any other forms of personal wealth
We do not accept paystubs or bank statements.
**IMPORTANT: Please redact all social security numbers from all financial documentation.**