The purpose of the United States Power Squadrons (USPS) Educational Fund is to promote the development and the furtherance of educational programs and techniques in boating, seamanship, navigation, engine maintenance, marine electronic equipment, sailing, weather, boating safety and other marine activities by issuing grants.
All contributions to the fund are deductible from income, gift and estate taxes.
The USPS Educational Fund is a legal trust, operated by six (6) trustees elected by the USPS Governing Board. It is a separate entity, apart from USPS, governed by its own board of trustees. The Internal Revenue Service has determined it to be a “qualified organization” under section 501(C) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Have a question about the Fund that's not addressed in our Frequently Asked Questions section? Send us your question by completing this form.
News
2024 Fall Meeting
The agendafor the Educational Fund meeting conducted on 18 Sep 24 has been posted to the Meeting Information page. (19 Sep 24)
2024 Annual Meeting
The agenda and minutes for the Educational Fund meeting conducted on 30 Jan 24 have been posted to the Meeting Information page. In addition, the Educational Fund report given to the USPS Annual Meeting have also been posted on the Reports page. (13 Mar 24)
2023 Honor Roll Certificates
Honor Roll certificates for the year ended 30 November 2023 are now available to download at www.usps.org/php/DHinders/edFund/getHonorRoll.html. This link will open a screen where you enter your Squadron name, or if a District, your District number (5, 8, etc.), then hit "submit" and if your Squadron/District has achieved 100% Honor Roll status, your certificate will be displayed for printing. (17 Dec 23)
Educational Fund $1 Member Donation
Starting on April 1, 2021, your dues notice will no longer include an automatic $1 squadron Educational Fund contribution line item. However, this does not mean the Educational Fund is not taking donations; we are. You can still donate by adding a dollar amount (of any size) when paying your dues. If paying online, use the column marked "Educational."
The donation amount that qualifies your squadron for Honor Roll status remains the same, and all donations to the Educational Fund of $1 or more will be counted toward your squadron's Honor Roll status. The only change is that headquarters will no longer be collecting the traditional $1 squadron donation. (03 Mar 21)
Honor Roll Policy
The Educational Fund Trustees have developed a policy that clarifies squadron Honor Roll credits; expands Honor Roll credit for all donations made by a squadron, individuals, and others; and establishes the cut-off date for Honor Roll credit to the end of the fiscal year. This policy is available here (44KB, PDF) and on all EdFund web pages on the left side menu under Useful Information. (10 Apr 19)
Squadron Honor Roll information is available on the EdFund Honor Roll web page. Squadrons wishing to reach Educational Fund Honor Roll status need to make a minimum contribution of $1.00 per active member. The Target column shows the minimum squadron donation to reach Honor Roll status for the current year. Because this information is now automated, it will always be the most current information. Get more information on our Frequently Asked Questions page, especially questions 13-15. (10 Mar 19)