Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Provide coordination of resources to organize and promote a national governing body for the sport of pickleball.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Grant Program
The USA Pickleball Grant program provides funds to subsidize new US-based community venues to play pickleball for grade schools, local residents, organizations or individuals. Separate funds are also available to high schools to promote organized pickleball among students.
Recreational Programs
The USA Pickleball Let’s Play Youth Pickleball Playbook is designed to help teachers, recreation leaders, after school staff, and coaches on how to implement pickleball in any recreation setting including schools, parks, youth centers and racquet/paddle facilities. This resource provides teachers and pickleball leaders with fun games, skill activities, play rotations and play manager tips for offering a dynamic program in any recreation setting. Included in the playbook are additional recommendations regarding equipment, space and resources necessary to offer a successful pickleball program. The printed copy and laminated station signs are a benefit to the new Community Membership category. A free electronic downloadable copy will be offered as a benefit of the new Youth Pickleball Provider Registration which will be available within the upcoming months.
The Community Engagement Guide was also made available in 2020. This guide is designed to help USA Pickleball Ambassadors and other volunteers to introduce pickleball in recreational settings including schools, youth centers, parks and racquet/paddle facilities.
Where we work
External reviews

Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The USA Pickleball Association (USA Pickleball ) was organized to promote the growth and development of pickleball, not only on a national but an international level. This organization provides players with official rules, sanctioned tournaments, player rankings, and promotional materials.
USA Pickleball is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation governed by a Board of Directors that meet on a regular basis. The Board is committed to further the growth of pickleball among players of all ages and characteristics. It will continue to provide the infrastructure for the development of the sport through promulgation of official rules, sponsoring and sanctioning tournaments and clinics, ranking players, communicating with its members via e-mail and newsletters, training of all levels of players, touching many aspects to promote the sport of pickleball.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Maintain and increase a membership base for the growth of pickleball. Promote the sanctioning of pickleball tournaments for competition. Provide secondary player insurance for sanctioned tournaments and other sanctioned events. Grow organized recreational play and the teaching of new players interested in learning the sport. Implement an automated player rating system. Grow a database of places to play pickleball. Grow places to play among local areas and schools with the grant program and recreational programs. Create marketing strategy to grow the sport with branding, website, social media, vendors, manufacturers. Grow a testing program for certified paddles and balls to use in sanctioned tournament play. Implement alliances and partnerships with other organizations to promote aspects of the sport, i.e. the Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR), Pro Player Tournaments, etc. Run premier National Pickleball Championships with player qualification requirements.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
USA Pickleball is governed by a talented board of directors that all have diversified backgrounds and knowledge of the sport. In addition, the organization has hired permanent staff coupled with full and part-time contractors to implement the many governing board initiatives created to grow the sport.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
USA Pickleball has signed agreements with the Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR), PickleballTournaments.com (Player Ratings) and Desert Champions, LLC which runs the Indian Wells Tennis Garden - host site of our annual outdoor National Championships. On the horizon next is to develop Recreational Programs that will aid the organization of many club players and school programs that do not play in tournaments but desire insurance coverage or discounted equipment and training material.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
USA PICKLEBALL ASSOCIATION
Board of directorsas of 02/11/2022
Phil Mortenson
USA Pickleball
Term: 2019 - 2021
Laura Patterson
USA Pickleball
Term: 2019 - 2021
Phil Mortenson
USAPA
Laura Patterson
USAPA
Robert Quicksilver
USAPA
Philip Bullen
USAPA
Bob Franceschelli
USAPA
Suzanne Guerin
USAPA
Ernie Medina
USAPA
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 12/22/2020GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.