GAOC Travel Grant Program

The Georgia Orienteering Club, GAOC, has allocated up to $12,000 annually for travel grants to GAOC members who meet certain criteria indicated in this document. Once the amount set aside has been reached, no further grants will be awarded for the calendar year. All grants are for travel within the same calendar year the grant is received unless other arrangements have been approved by the officers of the Georgia Orienteering Club. This program may be amended at any time by these officers and there will be no grandfathering of previous versions of this program.

Purpose and Goals of the Travel Grant Program

The purpose of the GAOC travel grant program is to provide financial assistance for GAOC primary members. The intentions are:

1. To support GAOC Junior members or teams wishing to compete at an Orienteering USA Junior National Championship event. The national championship orienteering event must be:

• sanctioned by Orienteering USA (OUSA) as the Junior National Championship event(s)
• hosted by OUSA Regular club(s) based outside the state of Georgia
• held outside the state of Georgia

2. To support GAOC Junior members or teams wishing to compete at a JROTC National Championship event. The national championship orienteering event must be:

• sanctioned by JROTC governing body as the JROTC National Championship meet(s)
• held outside the state of Georgia

3. To support GAOC members who have been named to specific international competition squads by Orienteering USA.

4. To encourage GAOC members to attend OUSA Nationally sanctioned events with the intent of achieving and/or improving GAOC members' OUSA rankings, increasing the level of enthusiasm and commitment of GAOC members, supporting other OUSA clubs, increasing visibility of GAOC, and exposing GAOC members to other event organizations, methods, etc. The orienteering event must be:

• an Orienteering USA nationally sanctioned meet(s)
• hosted by OUSA Regular club(s) based outside the state of Georgia
• held outside the state of Georgia

Administration

GAOC travel grants will be awarded on a first-come basis. Applicants must meet all of the following requirements:

• current GAOC full member
• OUSA member with GAOC as their primary club, or JROTC member
• legal resident of the State of Georgia. (Exceptions to this requirement may be made for individuals living in adjacent states who are active members of GAOC.)
• apply for the grant prior to the event

For the purposes of this document a “Junior” is defined as someone eligible for Junior competition awards in the OUSA or JROTC sanctioned event.

All grants must be used to offset travel expenses and/or Orienteering event entry fees for the named GAOC member(s). Grants will only be awarded for participation in Orienteering meets outside the State of Georgia that are Orienteering USA Nationally sanctioned meets hosted by an Orienteering USA Regular Club, a National Championship JROTC meet, or an IOF Championship meet.

The applications must follow all instructions given in this document. Use the online application form link at the top of this page to submit your application.

All decisions regarding timing, eligibility or other matters related to these grants will be made by GAOC Secretary, with any appeals or clarifications decided by the majority vote of the elected GAOC officers.

Any grants not used for travel expenses or entry fees related to the named athlete attending the event named in the application must be returned to GAOC within 30 days after the named event occurs.

If you have any questions, please contact the GAOC Secretary:
Andi Berger
andikno@yahoo.com
770-314-5460

Grant Types

School Team Grants

1. The coach/instructor accompanying and in charge of a group of at least 3 students may apply to GAOC for a $1000 travel grant.

2. Each participating student must meet all requirements in the Administration section plus the following additional criteria:

• Attend the same school (e.g. Middle school, High school, Charter school, Homeschool, or equivalent) or are members of the same interscholastic team as defined by OUSA.

3. The team must have participated in the most recent GAOC Navigator Cup orienteering meet. Participation is defined as at least 3 of the team members competing in or volunteering for the event. See Note 1 at end of this document for more details.

4. The team must have participated in a minimum of eight (8) GAOC local meets within the 12 months prior to the event named in the grant. Participation is defined as at least 3 of the team members competing in or volunteering at the event. See Note 2.

5. The applying coach/instructor must also attend the event named in the grant.

6. There is a limit of two School Team Travel grants to a school or interscholastic team in a calendar year.

Individual Travel Grants – Middle School and High School

1. An accompanying parent or guardian may apply to GAOC for a $595 individual travel grant for his/her child meeting all requirements in the Administration section plus the following additional criteria:

• Attend Middle school, High school, Charter school, Homeschool or equivalent
• Competed in or volunteered for the most recent GAOC Navigator Cup orienteering meet. See Note 1.
• Participated in a minimum of eight (8) GAOC local meets within the 12 months prior to the event named in the grant. See Note 2.
• Not a member of a school team attending the same event

2. The applying parent or guardian must also travel to the event named in the grant with their child/named athlete.

3. There is a limit of two (2) Individual Travel grants per middle/high school student in a calendar year.

Individual Travel Grants – College Students

1. College students 23 years old or younger, may apply to GAOC for a $595 individual travel grant provided they meet all requirements in the Administration section plus the following additional criteria:

• Attend College or University within the United States full time
• Competed in or volunteered for the most recent GAOC Navigator Cup orienteering meet. See Note 1.
• Participated in a minimum of eight (8) GAOC local meets within the 12 months prior to the event named in the grant. See Note 2.

2. The grant must be used to offset travel expenses for the named GAOC member to participate in an orienteering meet in a state other than the state in which the college or university the GAOC member is attending is located.

3. There is a limit of two (2) Individual Travel Grants per college student in a calendar year.

International Squad Member Travel Grants

1. An individual (coach or parent if a minor) who has been named by Orienteering USA to the Orienteering USA squad to compete in an International Orienteering Federation awarded competition - such as JWOC, Ski WOC, WUOC, WOC, World Cup - may apply to GAOC for up to a $2000 international travel grant provided they meet all requirements in the Administration section plus the following additional criteria:

• Provide a written letter from an Orienteering USA Team official naming him/her to the official Orienteering USA squad to compete an International Orienteering Federation awarded competition, such as one of the events named above. The event must be held outside of the United States.
• Competed in or volunteered for the most recent GAOC Navigator Cup orienteering meet. See Note 1.
• Participated in a minimum of eight (8) GAOC local meets within the 12 months prior to the event named in the grant. See Note 2.

2. The grant must be used to offset travel expenses for the named GAOC member to participate as a member of the named squad in the International Orienteering Federation awarded competition named in the official letter provided.

3. There is a limit of one (1) International Travel Grant per person in a calendar year.

Individual Travel Grants – Adults

1. Adult GAOC members, age 21 or older, may apply for to GAOC for a $400 individual travel grant provided they meet all requirements in the Administration section plus the following additional criteria:

• Competed in or volunteered for the most recent GAOC Navigator Cup orienteering meet. See Note 1.
• Participated in a minimum of eight (8) GAOC local meets within the 12 months prior to the event named in the grant. See Note 2.

2. There is a limit of two (2) Adult grants per member in a calendar year.

Notes

Note 1. Competing in the GAOC Navigator Cup event is defined as competing in at least 2 days of competition during the Navigator Cup weekend (Friday, Saturday, or Sunday). Grant applicants who do not compete in the GAOC Navigator Cup must volunteer at least 8 hours for Navigator Cup support. A large number of volunteer options are available in the months leading up to the event as well as during the event. The volunteer hours may be performed any time between 2 months prior to the Navigator Cup and the end of the event. Contact the Navigator Cup meet director to volunteer. Applicants may petition the club officers for an exception if unable to meet their volunteer commitment or in the case that the GAOC Navigator Cup is canceled, postponed or otherwise not hosted.

Note 2. Local meets are events run by GAOC and included on GAOC’s calendar, excluding the GAOC Navigator Cup.