APPLY

Our Military Kids offers grants up to $300 per eligible child, per grant to pay for extracurricular activities for children ages 1-18 or who have not yet graduated high school.

• OMK's Deployed Program is for children of deployed and stateside activated National Guard and Reserve service members

• OMK's Combat Injured Program is for children of service members and Veterans from any branch of service who is receiving care for post-9/11, combat-related illnesses or injuries.

Our Military Kids has never turned away an eligible child, but grant approvals are always subject to the availability of funds. 

WHAT TYPES OF ACTIVITIES ARE ELIGIBLE?

Our Military Kids provides grants for all kinds of sports, fine and performing arts, camps, tutoring, driver's education, high school band trips, STEM programs, and more! Daycare fees, school tuition, and mission trips are not eligible.

Our online applications ensure accuracy and better protect your personal information.

A separate application must be submitted for each eligible child for each activity (to be paid to one activity provider/organization).

Once your child's application is approved, a "Top Secret" award packet will be mailed to your home address filled with goodies such as dog tags, a patch, and a personalized award certificate. Your child's grant check, made payable to the activity provider, will also be inside the award packet so that you may hand-deliver it to the activity provider / organization. 

PLEASE FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE DETAILS AND REQUIRED DOCUMENTS OF EACH PROGRAM BELOW BEFORE APPLYING. 

Eligibility Requirements:

• The child or teen is ages 1 to 18 or not yet a high school graduate.
• Service member parent/guardian is serving in the National Guard or Reserve and is deploying or being activated on a stateside mission for 90 days or more.
• For overseas or stateside missions of 90-179 days (cumulative within 12 months), each service member’s child is eligible for one (1) grant up to $300 to be paid to one activity provider.
• For overseas or stateside missions of 180+ days (cumulative within 12 months), each child is eligible for two (2) grants up to $300 each to be paid to the same or different activity providers. Each grant requires a separate application but may be applied for at the same time.
• The extracurricular activity must start before the service member returns home.
• The following are not eligible: activations for AGR or ADOS assignments, PCS orders, MANDAYS missions, trainings, and stateside activations for greater than two (2) years concurrently in the service member’s home state.

Required documents to upload with your application: 

• A copy of the official mobilization, deployment, or contingency exercise deployment (CED) orders that show that the service member is deployed/activated with the National Guard or Reserve for at least 90 days. *Please redact the Social Security Number before uploading.* 

• One of the following three forms of child identification  proving the grant recipient is the child or dependent of the service member:
  • 1) a copy of the completed Form 1172, Application for Uniformed Services Identification (DEERS Form), OR 
  • 2) a copy of the child’s birth certificate if he/she is the biological child of the deployed service member, OR
  • 3) a copy of DEERS/MilConnect Service Member profile page with child listed as the service member’s dependent. 

• Documentation of the activity’s cost that includes the name of the organization, such as a flyer, brochure, screenshot of website, or a typed letter from the organization on their letterhead which clearly states the cost of the program. Handwritten fees will not be accepted.  
  • Grant requests for tutoring services or private lessons provided by an individual must include a copy of the instructor’s teaching certificate or license.
  • *Please note that grant checks will be made out to organizations, not individuals.

This program is powered in part by Wounded Warrior Project® to honor and empower post-9/11 injured service members, veterans, and their families.

Each child eligible for OMK's Combat Injured Program (CIP) may receive one $300 grant every six (6) months, for a maximum of four (4) grants per child plus an additional fifth (5th) Flexible Extra (FLEX) grant available at any time during the military parent's recovery. Each grant requires a separate application.

Eligibility Requirements:

• The child or teen is ages 1 to 18 or not yet a high school graduate.

• Service Member/Veteran has sustained combat-related illnesses or injuries while deployed in support of any post-9/11 overseas contingency operation.

• Veteran has one individual VA disability rating of 30% or more (not combined) in one of the following categories: burns, amputation, mental health, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, or one of the presumptive conditions outlined in the PACT Act.

• Service Member is on medical orders.

• Service Member/Veteran is actively receiving treatment for injuries or illnesses and has a case manager or medical/mental health provider who is able to certify the above information in writing. Use our Treatment Letter Template.

Required Documents (upload with application):

• One of the following four forms of child identification proving the grant recipient is the child or dependent of the Veteran/service member:
  • 1) A copy of the completed Form 1172, Application for Uniformed Services Identification (DEERS Form), OR
  • 2) A copy of the child’s birth certificate if he/she is the biological child of the service member or Veteran, OR
  • 3) A copy of DEERS/MilConnect Service Member profile page with child listed as the service member’s dependent OR
  • 4) A screenshot of an eBenefits profile showing Veteran’s name and list of dependents.

•  Documentation of the activity’s cost that includes the name of the organization, such as a flyer, brochure, website screenshot, or a typed letter from the organization on their letterhead which clearly states the cost of the program. Handwritten fees will not be accepted.
  • Grant requests for tutoring services or private lessons provided by an individual must include a copy of the instructor’s teaching certificate or license.
  • *Please note that grant checks will be made out to organizations, not individuals.

• Letter from a case manager or medical/mental health practitioner certifying the service member or Veteran meets all the criteria for the Combat Injured Program and is receiving treatment. You can use our Treatment Letter Template.

• Veterans: A copy of the Form DD214 (please redact Social Security Number before uploading) and VA disability ratings (broken down by category).

• Actively servicing military personnel: The most recent copy of the service member’s military orders moving them into a Soldier Recovery Unit (SRU) or medical hold.

• What are the eligibility requirements for a grant?
  • The child/teen is age 1-18 or not yet a high school graduate and is the child or dependent of the qualifying service member or Veteran
  • Deployed National Guard or Reserve: Kids with a parent or guardian deployed overseas or activated stateside (not including AGR assignments or training) with the National Guard or Reserve for at least 90 days
  • Combat-Injured Veterans & Service Members: Kids with a parent or guardian of any branch of service who is receiving care for illnesses or injuries sustained during a post-9/11 overseas contingency operation. Veterans must have an individual (not combined) VA disability rating of 30% or more in one of the following categories: TBI, PTSD, amputation, spinal cord injury, burns, mental health, or one of the presumptive conditions outlined in the PACT Act. Service members must be on medical orders.
  • You are able to provide all required documentation, as listed in the corresponding program descriptions above and the online applications linked above. For the Combat Injured Program, a letter from a VA case manager or medical provider certifying the Veteran/service member meets all the criteria for our program and is still receiving treatment is required. You can use our case manager letter template linked HERE.

• How will the grant payment be received?
  • Once approved, a "Top Secret" grant award packet will be sent to your home address. This packet includes special recognition for the child, as well as the grant check, which is made payable to the activity provider. You may then hand-deliver the check to the activity provider. If you made an early payment to reserve your child’s spot, you may then request reimbursement.

• What is the maximum grant award my child can receive?
  • Each grant check is $300 per child per activity/provider.
  • For deployed National Guard and Reserve, an additional $300 activity grant per child is available for deployments or activations of 180+ days, making the total benefit $600. Applications for these second grants may be submitted anytime during the deployment and at the same time as the first grant!
  • For combat-injured Veterans and service members, a total of five $300 grants are available: four regular grants per child (one every six months) plus an additional FLEX grant that can be applied for at any time.
  • Subsequent grants may be used for the same or different activities.

• Can a grant pay for academic tuition, religious trips, or child care?
  • No; we only fund extracurricular activities such as fine arts, tutoring, sports, camp, and driver's education.

• Are children of active component service members eligible for a grant?
  • Not under our Deployed Program. This program currently focuses on serving National Guard and Reserve families who often live away from military communities and leave behind civilian jobs when they deploy or are activated.
  • Under our Combat Injured Program, active duty service members may be eligible if they are receiving care for a post-9/11, combat related injury or illness and are on medical orders.

• Can a grant check be made payable to a family member?
  • No, for security reasons, we only approve grant payments to non-family members.

• How soon can I apply for another grant?
  • For deployed National Guard and Reserve service members deployed or activated for 180+ days, you may apply for two (2) grants per child, per deployment. Each $300 grant requires its own application.
  • For our Combat-Injured Program, you may apply for one (1) regular grant per child every six (6) months for a total of four (4) regular grants. We also offer an additional fifth (5th) FLEX grant available at any time during the military parent's care.

Any other questions? Please reach out to us at: apply@ourmilitarykids.org