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Does the National Fitness Foundation fund splash pads?
Quick answer
Sometimes — the National Fitness Foundation (the official charitable nonprofit of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition) funds physical-activity infrastructure in underserved communities. Splash pads paired with fitness courses or playgrounds compete better than splash pads alone.
The National Fitness Foundation, established by Congress as the official charitable nonprofit of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition, funds physical-activity-promoting infrastructure in underserved communities. Splash pads aren't a typical standalone funding target — the Foundation prefers projects with structured fitness components — but a splash pad bundled with adjacent fitness equipment, a walking trail, or a NFL-PLAY 60-style activity zone fits their model. Average awards are $25K-$100K. The application process favors local nonprofit partnerships (parks foundations, YMCAs) over direct municipal applicants. Pair the splash pad with a 'kids in motion' or 'family fitness' programming commitment to strengthen the application. The President's Council also occasionally co-funds with corporate partners on community health-and-fitness initiatives. Check nationalfitnessfoundation.org annually for current Calls for Proposals; cycles are infrequent.