11 Places to Find Grants for PE Equipment and How to Apply

Which funding sources are worth checking for PE equipment?

Eleven sources are worth checking, and they differ mostly in who has to apply. Award sizes and windows change from year to year, so confirm each on the program's own page before you plan around a date. Details below were last checked in November 2026.

Whichever source you pick, the request needs the same core: an itemized list, a dated vendor quote and the unit the gear serves.

How do district and school budgets pay for PE equipment?

District and school budgets cover PE equipment through two routes: federal Title IV-A money that the district allocates, and the regular school or department budget.

Title IV-A (federal, through your district)

Title IV, Part A (Student Support and Academic Enrichment) is a federal grant that reaches schools through the district, and the district decides what it buys. It funds well-rounded education, safe and healthy students and technology, and PE requests are normally framed under the first two. Ask the federal programs coordinator or the business office whether the district plan allows PE gear; that office has the final word for your district. In your request, name the unit the gear serves. For secondary grades, our guides to middle school PE unit plans and the high school physical education curriculum help you pick that unit. Our guide on Title IV funds and purchase orders covers the path from quote to purchase order.

School or department budget

The regular school or department budget is the plainest source: ask your principal or department chair, with a quote attached. Ask when next year's budget is set, because a request that misses that date waits a full cycle. Some districts do not reimburse items bought on a personal card, so wait for approval and a purchase order.

Which local groups fund PE equipment?

Three kinds of local groups fund PE equipment: parent groups, education foundations and community organizations.

PTA, PTO and booster clubs

Parent groups and booster clubs fund items for a school, usually through a request you present at a meeting or a short form. Ask the treasurer what the group has funded before, since some boosters focus on athletics and may need a clear reason to include PE. Bring a one-page list with the total cost and the number of students served.

Local education foundation

Some districts have a nonprofit education foundation that awards teacher mini-grants. Ask the district office whether one exists and request last year's list of awards, which shows typical sizes and topics. Expect to submit a budget and a short description of the student benefit.

Community foundations and service clubs

Community foundations and service clubs such as Rotary or Kiwanis make gifts to schools in their area. Contact the club's program chair or the foundation's grants officer, ask about their cycle and offer to present your request in person. Lead with a local number: how many students at your school use the gear.

Which national programs and platforms fund PE equipment?

Four national programs and platforms fund school PE equipment, and each has its own eligibility rule.

Walmart Spark Good Local Grants

Spark Good Local Grants range from 250 to 5,000 dollars and list K–12 public or nonprofit private schools, charter schools included, as eligible. The school needs a Spark Good account on Walmart.com, an NCES number or 501(c)(3) status, verification through Deed and a service area that matches a nearby Walmart facility. The guidelines page lists three cycles for fiscal year 2027 (February 1 to April 15, May 1 to July 15, August 1 to December 31) and also names November 30 as a last day, so confirm before you start.

DonorsChoose

DonorsChoose is open to teachers employed full-time in US public or public charter schools who work directly with students at least 75 percent of the time, and donors fund the projects you post. Once a project is funded, DonorsChoose orders the items and ships them. Write the project around one unit and a specific item list, such as six station sets, rather than "PE supplies."

NFL FLAG-In-School

GENYOUth offers NFL FLAG-In-School kits, and school educators can apply for a kit for the 2026–27 school year, according to its announcement. The 2025 window closed on May 13, so expect a spring window. The kit fits a flag football unit, so apply only if that unit is on your calendar.

NHL STREET starter kit

In 2026, SHAPE America, the NHL and Franklin Sports offered NHL STREET starter kits (sticks, balls and a pop-up goal) to up to 100 schools, with a free PreK–8 street hockey curriculum. Applications for the 2026 round opened May 1, 2026 and have closed, so watch SHAPE America's announcements for a new round. Apply only if street hockey fits your unit calendar.

Which association and nonprofit programs are worth watching?

Two programs belong on a watch list: SHAPE America's Tommy Wilson Memorial Grant for disability programs and the Action for Healthy Kids grants page.

SHAPE America Tommy Wilson Memorial Grant

The Tommy Wilson Memorial Grant lets nonprofit organizations that run recreational programs for people with disabilities request 500 to 1,500 dollars. Eligible costs include equipment, registration fees and facilities, but not administrative costs. Applications open March 1 and close June 1, and SHAPE America may award no funds in a given year, so check the SHAPE America grants page. It targets nonprofit organizations rather than school PE in general, so read the eligibility rules before planning on it. Our guide to building an adaptive PE curriculum covers the teaching side.

Action for Healthy Kids

Action for Healthy Kids runs school wellness programs, and its grants page said no grant opportunities were open when last checked in November 2026. It posts new grants there and offers an email sign-up. District PE and wellness coordinators can join the NFL FLAG-In-School PLAY 60 Champions initiative for free through its District Impact Network. Teachers at individual schools are pointed to GENYOUth instead.

How do you write a short, specific grant request?

A short request fits on one page and answers four questions: what you need, how many students it reaches, what it costs and what changes in class.

1. State the change as a ratio. A class of 30 shares 5 balls today (6 students per ball); with 10 more balls it has 15 (2 students per ball).
2. Size the list to your stations. Six stations of 5 students need 6 sets of each station item, and a partner drill with one ball per pair needs 15 balls for 30 students. Match gear to age group and space, for example foam balls for indoor throwing games with younger students.
3. Attach a dated vendor quote with item, quantity, unit price, tax and shipping.
4. Count students reached: 6 class periods of 28 students is 168 students.
5. Name the unit and the standard it serves, from your state PE standards or the SHAPE America National PE Standards (2024 edition, S1–S4). Our guide to I Can statements for PE by standard helps you phrase the outcome in student terms.
6. Say who stores, counts and repairs the gear, and promise the before-and-after numbers from step 1.
7. Get your principal's sign-off before you submit.

What do funders expect after you get the equipment?

Plan on a thank-you note and a short report for each funder, and read each award letter for its own deadline. DonorsChoose, for example, asks teachers to thank donors with notes and photos of the project in action once the materials arrive.

• Report the numbers you promised: students per piece of equipment before and after, counted the same way both times.
• Add the number of students reached and the unit you taught with the gear.
• Use photos only with your district's media permission, and leave out student faces unless permissions are on file.
• Keep receipts and a simple inventory with item, quantity, location and date received. It speeds up next year's request.
• If the funder is a PTA or club, offer a short update at their next meeting.

Frequently asked questions

Can Title IV-A pay for a PE lesson plan app?

Only if your district's Title IV-A plan allows it. The district decides what the money buys, and your state's rules apply too. Ask the federal programs coordinator whether the purchase fits the well-rounded education or safe and healthy students share, and bring a quote. Our guide on Title IV funds and purchase orders walks through the paperwork from quote to purchase order.

Can private and charter schools apply for these grants?

Public charter schools can apply to Walmart's Spark Good Local Grants and to DonorsChoose, and nonprofit private schools qualify for Spark Good. DonorsChoose names full-time teachers in US public and public charter schools. NFL FLAG-In-School accepts applications from school educators. Read each program's eligibility list before you register.

How much should I ask for?

Ask for the exact total of your itemized quote, then check it against the funder's range. Walmart's Spark Good Local Grants run 250 to 5,000 dollars, and SHAPE America's Tommy Wilson Memorial Grant runs 500 to 1,500 dollars. A PTA or foundation sets its own limits, so ask the treasurer or grants officer what they funded last year.

When is the best time to apply for PE equipment funding?

Late winter through early summer covers most national windows. Walmart's first two cycles run February 1 to April 15 and May 1 to July 15, the Tommy Wilson grant runs March 1 to June 1, and the 2025 NFL FLAG-In-School window closed on May 13. Ask your principal when next year's school budget is set, since that date usually comes first.

What if no grant comes through?

Rebuild the unit around the gear you already have and request the smallest set that makes it work. Station rotations with one set per station, or partner drills that share equipment, stretch a small supply. Our guide to PE warm-ups with little or no equipment covers the start of class, and a smaller request can suit a PTA or club budget.

What PE equipment should I put in a first grant request?

Start with multi-use items that serve several units and every class period: balls in two or three sizes, cones or poly spots, pinnies in at least two colors and a set of hoops. They reach the most students per dollar. Size quantities to your largest class, with one item per student or per pair. Add specialty gear such as nets or paddles only when a unit on your calendar needs it.