Gainbridge℠, Parity, and Women’s Sports Foundation Award $250,000 to Organizations Expanding Opportunity for Girls and Women

Fourth annual Gainbridge Assists program carries forward Billie Jean King's legacy and reaches its widest geographic footprint yet – 20 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico – with first-ever grants in adaptive sports, juvenile justice, boxing, rowing, and skateboarding

ZIONSVILLE, Ind., September 03, 2026 - Gainbridge℠, Parity, and the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF®) today named the 2026 grant recipients of Gainbridge Assists Powered by Parity, awarding $250,000 across 32 organizations expanding access to sports and education for girls and women nationwide.

The 2026 cohort spans 20 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico – with six states represented for the first time – and pushes the program's cumulative investment to almost $700,000 across 87 organizations.

Gainbridge Assists has become a force in advancing equity in sports, directly supporting grassroots leaders and community-based programs that use sport and education as a platform to build confidence, opportunity, and leadership.

What's New in 2026

This year's grant recipients reflect several notable firsts for the program. Four adaptive sports organizations join the class alongside the program's first-ever grantee serving girls in juvenile justice facilities. The 2026 group also includes inaugural grantees in boxing, rowing, and skateboarding, plus investments in STEM, robotics, and engineering education – a deliberate broadening of what sports and education for girls and women can look like.

"When we launched Gainbridge Assists, the goal was to put real dollars behind the organizations operating at the grassroots level," said Group 1001 Chief of Sponsorship Strategy and Activation Mike Nichols. "Four years in, we're proud to be backing a nationwide cohort that reflects the full spectrum of what leadership on and off the field looks like – from adaptive sports programs to robotics, engineering, and STEM initiatives."

The Billie Jean King $5,000 Tribute

Most grant recipients will receive $5,000 to fund an event, project, or new program that supports girls and women in sports and/or education – a figure chosen in tribute to Gainbridge ambassador and equality icon Billie Jean King, who founded the Women's Sports Foundation more than 50 years ago with a $5,000 check.

"Gainbridge is a leader in women's sports around the world," King said. "Gainbridge Assists demonstrates the importance of supporting grassroots organizations that serve girls and young women regardless of where they live or what they look like. These organizations are the ones doing the real work, and they are delivering a lasting impact in their communities."

Two special grants of $50,000 each will be awarded to City Parks Foundation (New York) and Wildchild Athletics (Michigan).

2026 Gainbridge Assists Grant Recipients

1. 1. A Place Called Home - Soccer, basketball, volleyball - California
2. 2.Ability to Include - Adaptive soccer - Florida
3. 3.Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks - Adaptive sports - Maryland
4. 4.Bearcat Diamond Academy - Softball - Arkansas
5. 5.Black Girls Do Engineer - Engineering - Texas
6. 6.Box United - Boxing - Illinois
7. 7.Bras for Girls - Equipment access - Washington
8. 8.City Parks Foundation - Tennis - New York
9. 9.College Skateboarding Educational Foundation - Skateboarding - California/New York
10. 10.Dennis Tennis Serving Love - Tennis - Florida
11. 11.District Ice Rink Org - Ice skating - Washington, D.C.
12. 12.FIRST New Hampshire Robotics - Robotics - New Hampshire
13. 13.First Tee – Greater Wichita - Golf - Kansas
14. 14.First Tee – Puerto Rico - Golf - Puerto Rico
15. 15.Georgia Hi-Lo Trail - Cycling - Georgia
16. 16.Girls on the Run Greater Charlotte (and Carolina Ascent) - Sports, leadership, and confidence - North Carolina
17. 17.Life Beyond the Ball, Inc. - Sports, education, and leadership summit - Texas
18. 18.Matrix Heart Hustle Harmony Foundation - Flag football - Georgia
19. 19.New Shoe Day - Volleyball, shoe access - Indiana
20. 20.New Youth Leaders - Soccer, leadership - New York
21. 21.Phambili Sport Impact Foundation - Soccer, leadership, career development - Massachusetts
22. 22.Play Like a Girl - STEM - Tennessee
23. 23.Portland Plays Together - Football, coaching - Oregon
24. 24.PowerPlay NYC - Tennis - New York
25. 25.Rising Phoenix Sports Program - Youth development with sport for incarcerated girls - New York
26. 26.RIVERSPORT Foundation - Rowing - Oklahoma
27. 27.Snapfinger Elementary: Girls in Gear - STEM, racing - Georgia
28. 28.Special Olympics Idaho - Adaptive sports - Idaho
29. 29.ThruGUIDANCE - Hockey - California
30. 30.West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition - Well-being, holistic health - North Carolina
31. 31.Wildchild Athletics - Flag football - Michigan
32. 32.Wisconsin Adaptive Sports Association - Adaptive sports - Wisconsin

Most grant recipients will execute their events or projects in November 2026. For more information on Gainbridge Assists, visit https://www.paritynow.com/gainbridge-assists.