The ADS Fund

"The ADS Fund has been established to provide support in the form of Grants to qualified Individuals and Organizers (as defined by the board of the fund). The purpose of these grants is to provide opportunity and to encourage the expansion and growth of the sport of carriage driving throughout the United States, to increase knowledge, competence and participation within the sport. Grant eligibility shall be available without regard to race, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability or any other status protected by law to bona fide individuals who satisfy the eligibility criteria set forth." . Mission statement April, 2005

Application

Organizers and Individuals Eligibility, Fundraising & Competition Grant Guidelines

The ADS Fund has been established by the AmericanDriving Society Inc.(ADS) to provide support in the form of Grants to qualified Individuals and Organizers (as defined by the development committee and approved by the Board of the ADS). The purpose of these grants is to provide opportunity and to encourage the expansion and growth of the sport of carriage driving throughout the United States, to increase knowledge, competence and participation within the sport. Grant eligibility shall be available without regard to race, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability or any other status protected by law to bona fide individuals who satisfy the eligibility criteria set forth.

I. GRANT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Before he or she may apply for a grant, an Individual or Organizer must establish his/her basic eligibility for a grant.  An Individual must be an Amateur athlete (within the meaning of the Internal Revenue Code and the Regulations of the International Olympic Committee), who has demonstrated competence, potential and a passion for the sport of Driving in any of its divisions. 

A. Achievement Eligibility. Individuals who are on the current "Long List" or “Developing Driver” list of The USEF, may establish eligibility by certifying this to the ADS Fund. Organizers who have within five (5) years organized an ADS sanctioned Pleasure Driving or Combined Driving Competition.

B. Eligibility By Recommendation. Individuals who do not satisfy these specific criteria may establish grant eligibility by submitting a statement of eligibility as set out below, giving special emphasis to their background, competitive goals, and the reasons, if any, for not meeting Achievement Eligibility. However, the minimum criteria that must be satisfied for grant eligibility is the completion of at least one ADS sanctioned competition. Of particular interest is a demonstration of commitment to improving skills to the highest degree. A demonstration of eligibility made under this paragraph must be accompanied by at least two letters of recommendation from established coaches, organizers or eligible Individuals describing the skill, potential and level of commitment of the applicant.

C. In addition to the above, the Executive Director, in consultation with the Development Committee, shall have the discretion to extend grant eligibility to qualified amateur athletes and organizers who have demonstrated achievement within driving, within five (5) years of the date of application.  Individuals and organizers will be evaluated without regard to race, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability or any other status protected by law.

II. DEMONSTRATION OF ELIGIBILITY
An individual shall demonstrate grant eligibility by submitting to the fund materials demonstrating that the individual satisfies the basic eligibility criteria, state in detail the individual’s qualifications and describe his/her projected schedule towards the specific goal for which the eligibility is to be established.
Letters of recommendation are invited but are not required except when made under Article I, Paragraph A.  Eligibility shall be valid only for a finite period of time, and in no event shall this period extend past the final date of the specific goal outlined in the initial demonstration. The ADS Fund does not have the resources to serve an unlimited number of individuals and, therefore, may need to limit the total number of individuals eligible for grants. In such event, the Eligibility Committee will select among applicants on the grounds of demonstrated potential, need for funds and other relevant criteria.

III. ADMINISTRATION OF DONATIONS
Generally, donations will be accepted by the ADS Fund as they are received and allocated to the General Fund. The balance will be placed in an unallocated restricted account from which grants and their administrative expenses are paid. Donations accepted to fund specific grants will be subject to a charge (currently 10%) to provide for the administrative costs the fund incurs. Acknowledgment letters will be sent to all donors.  Due to Internal Revenue Service restrictions, certain limitations are made as to who can make donations. For example, the ADS Fund cannot accept a donation from an Eligible Individual  for their personal benefit. For obvious reasons, one cannot deduct as a donation gifts potentially benefiting ones self. Donations may be "earmarked" for the benefit of a team, project or organization. The selection of the individual recipients of grants provided by the ADS Fund will be made by the Development Committee. To insure the continued status of the ADS as a valid 501 (c) 3 corporation and preservation of the tax advantages essential to the effectiveness of the ADS Fund, it may be necessary at times to restrict the acceptance of large donations (either individual or aggregated). If at some point during the calendar year the Executive Director determines that the ADS Fund is in danger of being classified as a "private foundation" for IRS purposes, he may invoke the "Restrictive Acceptance Procedures" described below. The Fund accepts donations of capital items, however, it expressly reserves the right to decline acceptance of any proffered donation of capital items. No donation of capital items will be accepted unless the Fund receives a corresponding cash contribution equal to 10% of the donated value of the capital items. 

Restrictive Acceptance Procedures: When the Executive Director (with notification of the Development Committee) determines that there is danger of losing public foundation status, "disqualifying donations", i.e., donations from related parties or donations in excess of the threshold disqualifying amount ($5,000 or 2% of total income, whichever is greater) will not be accepted. Rather, all such donations will be held by The ADS Fund, to be accepted and credited only when the Executive Director determines that a sufficient amount of qualifying contributions have been received by the ADS Fund. In addition to notification that these Restrictive Acceptance Procedures are in effect, the Executive Director will notify all donors that their donation has been received but has not yet been accepted. If the ADS Fund is not in a position to accept disqualified donations, checks constituting disqualified donations may be held until the ADS Fund is in a position to accept them. When more than one gift is being held, priority for acceptance will be given to new donors.

IV. GRANT APPLICATION
Eligible Individuals and Organizers may apply based on the approved schedule for a grant to offset their expenses. A grant application shall set forth at a minimum

a) the period for which the grant is requested;
b) the applicant's anticipated schedule;
c) how the anticipated activities of the grant period contribute to the Individual or Organizers final goal;
d) estimated budget for the grant period;
e) the Individuals or Organizers financial need for the requested grant;
f) a specific grant request.

VI. DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS
Grants may be made based on anticipated revenues, not funds on hand. Funds will be disbursed to Individuals and Organizers on a "first come first serve" basis, up to the grant amount. Disbursements will be made only in the form of expense reimbursement. Requests for reimbursement shall be made as follows:

1. The Individual or Organizer shall submit a Grant Disbursement Request form supported by original invoices before claims for reimbursement can be honored.
2. As an alternative to submitting records of actual costs, a daily food allowance of Thirty-Five Dollars ($35.00) will be allowed for each day away from home. Travel will be reimbursed at the rate then currently allowed by the Internal Revenue Service for business use of a personal vehicle.
3. Grant funds will be advanced only to accommodate difficult or unusual circumstances. Detailed expense reports including original invoices, must be submitted to the ADS Fund, within thirty (30) days for final settlement.
4. Expenses for which Grant funds generally are available as a matter of course include the following:
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   • a. transportation, meals & lodging – Driver/Clinician
   • b. transportation, meals & lodging - groom
   • c. transportation - horses
   • d. hay & feed
   • e. stabling
   • f. entry fees
   • g. veterinary services
   • h. coaching/clinician fees
   • i. equipment required for competition/training

VII. OBLIGATIONS OF GRANT RECIPIENTS
Each Individual or Organizer who has received a grant from the ADS Fund shall adhere to the following:
1. The Individual shall maintain his/her amateur standing. The Individual shall immediately notify the ADS Fund in writing in the event that he/she is no longer an amateur athlete.
2. Each Individual or Organizer who in any calendar year has received a Grant from the ADS Fund shall submit a completed Individual /Organizer Activity Report.
3. Individual/Organizers who accept grant funds are required if asked to participate in the fundraising activities of the ADS Fund. This participation may include public appearances, endorsements for the ADS Fund by the Individual/Organizer, providing participant lists, and related fundraising activities.

 VIII. TAXABLE NATURE OF ADS Fund GRANTS
The ADS Fund has taken the position that grants are reimbursement of expenses made by the Individual or Organizer on behalf of the ADS Fund. It is for this reason that original receipts are required for reimbursement of expenses. Accordingly, it is our position that these grants are not normally taxable to the Individual or Organizer.  However, the ADS Fund has not applied for, nor has it received, a ruling from the IRS, which would confirm this position, and it is possible that the IRS might rule differently. The ADS Fund makes no representation whatsoever regarding this tax treatment and each Individual or Organizer is urged to consult his or her personal tax advisor concerning the taxability of ADS Fund grants in light of his or her individual tax situation.

IX. TERMINATION FOR CAUSE
The Board of Directors, in the exercise of its fiduciary responsibility over the operations of the ADS Fund, shall at all times have the absolute power to terminate an Individuals or Organizers eligibility or rescind a grant in the event that it determines that an Individual or Organizer has violated the terms of these Guidelines, the Internal Revenue Service Code of 1986, eligibility criteria of the International or United States Olympic Committees, or any other applicable statute or law. In the event that such violation is suspected, the following procedure shall apply:
1. The Executive Director shall notify the Individual or Organizer in writing of the nature of the charges against him/her and that the eligibility may be terminated. The letter shall request a written response to the charges within ten (10) days of the receipt of the letter.
2. Not sooner than ten (10) days after the receipt of the written charges by the Individual or Organizer, the Development Committee shall consider the charges and any response of the Individual or Organizer, which may excuse, justify or mitigate those charges.
3. After considering the charges and the responses thereto, the Board shall
vote by secret ballot whether or not to terminate the eligibility. A majority affirmative vote of the Development Committee voting shall be required to terminate a Driver or Organizers eligibility.
4. An Individual or Organizer whose eligibility has been terminated for cause may reapply to reestablish grant eligibility only after a waiting period of one year following the date of termination.

X. EFFECT OF TERMINATION
When an Eligible Individual or Organizer loses eligibility, whether for cause or by completion of an Individuals or Organizers goal, any unused Grant funds shall be returned to the ADS Fund, and all capital equipment leases shall terminate. An Individual or Organizer whose goal has been attained but anticipates a subsequent project may, upon appropriate showing, continue grant eligibility.