Road to States Grant
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 7th, 2025
TFL Coaches –
On behalf of the entire TFL Executive Committee, we are looking forward to what is promising to be an exciting TFL State Championship. Preparations for an outstanding weekend are ongoing. Information will continue to be provided over the next two weeks to help you prepare for a smooth tournament. .
Earlier this week, the Executive Committee approved the return of the Road to States Grant Program. This program would use a portion of our tournament proceeds to provide direct cash grants to TFL member schools to assist with helping them get to the tournament.
We recognize that decisions over the past three years concerning our post-pandemic finances, along with inflated travel expenses, have increased the financial burden to attend the state's culminating tournament. In short, we are asking programs to pay more than ever before for access to the TFL. Those decisions to raise fees were always about insuring the health of the League for the next 50 years. However, it is incumbent on the Committee to lessen the burden when it can.
On average, the Road to States Grant will provide awards ranging from $250-$1,000 with $1,000 being the maximum grant amount. We anticipate that the average award amount will be around $500 per school. Currently, only member schools with students competing in the 2025 TFL State Championship Tournament are eligible to apply.
While the 2025 iteration of the grant is a continuation of our 2024 pilot program, the Executive Committee hopes to continue to build on this philanthropic work. Our Governance Committee is currently beginning conversations regarding the formal creation of the Tarheel Forensic League with the NC Secretary of State and the filing of 501(c)3 paperwork with the Internal Revenue Service. These steps are crucial in securing the ability to receive tax-deductible donations, apply for grants from community partners, and to seek large-sum donors wanting to support speech & debate in North Carolina.
Our 2025 grant timeline would be as follows:
Please direct questions to Crawford Leavoy, TFL Chair, at [email protected].
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TFL Coaches –
On behalf of the entire TFL Executive Committee, we are looking forward to what is promising to be an exciting TFL State Championship. Preparations for an outstanding weekend are ongoing. Information will continue to be provided over the next two weeks to help you prepare for a smooth tournament. .
Earlier this week, the Executive Committee approved the return of the Road to States Grant Program. This program would use a portion of our tournament proceeds to provide direct cash grants to TFL member schools to assist with helping them get to the tournament.
We recognize that decisions over the past three years concerning our post-pandemic finances, along with inflated travel expenses, have increased the financial burden to attend the state's culminating tournament. In short, we are asking programs to pay more than ever before for access to the TFL. Those decisions to raise fees were always about insuring the health of the League for the next 50 years. However, it is incumbent on the Committee to lessen the burden when it can.
On average, the Road to States Grant will provide awards ranging from $250-$1,000 with $1,000 being the maximum grant amount. We anticipate that the average award amount will be around $500 per school. Currently, only member schools with students competing in the 2025 TFL State Championship Tournament are eligible to apply.
While the 2025 iteration of the grant is a continuation of our 2024 pilot program, the Executive Committee hopes to continue to build on this philanthropic work. Our Governance Committee is currently beginning conversations regarding the formal creation of the Tarheel Forensic League with the NC Secretary of State and the filing of 501(c)3 paperwork with the Internal Revenue Service. These steps are crucial in securing the ability to receive tax-deductible donations, apply for grants from community partners, and to seek large-sum donors wanting to support speech & debate in North Carolina.
Our 2025 grant timeline would be as follows:
- Announce the creation of the Road to States grant to TFL membership on Friday, March 7th.
- The application window opens on Friday, March 7th and runs until Monday, March 17th
- The TFL Governance Committee would review applications and make awards on Saturday, March 22nd and Sunday, March 23rd.
Please direct questions to Crawford Leavoy, TFL Chair, at [email protected].
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GRANT APPLICATION
Coaches of Record can access the application here: |