USRowing Announces A $500,000 Endowment Funding Emerging Rowing Clubs and Programs Serving Middle and High School Athletes

Funding to Support One or More United We Row Grants in Perpetuity 

USRowing is proud to announce The Youth Power 20 Fund, a new endowment fund started through the USRowing Foundation with a groundbreaking $500,000 gift from Bill Hudson. The Fund will support small and emerging rowing clubs and programs providing access and opportunity for diverse youth athletes from underserved communities through one or more annual United We Row grants in perpetuity. The Fund is now open to and available for other donors who would like to add their support to this worthy cause.

Rowing has been a central thread in Bill Hudson’s life. His father rowed at Princeton University and coached at Middlesex School and Belmont Hill School. Bill rowed at Phillips Andover Academy, Princeton University and the Marin Rowing Association, where he served as a director and President for several years and where his sons also rowed. Hudson also was an executive producer of the rowing documentary A Most Beautiful Thing and is a founder and current advisor of the A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund which is supporting Arshay Cooper in helping to launch and support youth rowing clubs and programs that are already expanding the sport to new and underserved communities across the country.

“Rowing for me has been a journey in appreciating the importance of teamwork, community and family and the need to work hard every day to achieve happiness and success in life. I hope that the Fund can give diverse and underserved youth the same opportunity that I was fortunate to have to learn these important life lessons through exposure to the great sport of rowing. I am deeply grateful to the USRowing Foundation for establishing the Fund and I hope that others will consider adding their support to the Fund’s cause.”  

Anyone wishing to contribute to The Youth Power 20 Fund for emerging rowing clubs can do so here.

“We are thrilled to provide programs with support through this grant which will increase access to young athletes who may otherwise never have the chance to experience the sport,” said Amanda Kraus, Chief Executive Officer of USRowing. "I want to thank Bill Hudson for this incredible and inspiring donation and we are grateful to all organizations working to make our sport more accessible across the country. This endowment will aid clubs and organizations who are ensuring that passion and potential, not financial resources, determine who gets to participate.”

Fund grant recipients will be selected as part of the United We Row grant cycle and must fit criteria outlined in the endowment specifications. Programs interested in being considered for funding should apply through the publicized grant submission process and schedule here.