Dear Friends of the Challenged America Program,

This Holiday Season you can give the gifts of Self-reliance, Independence, Self-Confidence, and enhance the Quality of someone’s life.

Your donation to Challenged America will give a disabled veteran, adult or child with a disability all of these and much more.

“Challenged America is very important to me not just because sailing is my passion, but because of what it has taught me about myself. Prior to being involved in Challenged America I thought sailing was part of my past. Something I could no longer do as a result of Muscular Dystrophy. This program has enabled me to sail again and experience feelings I hadn’t felt for a very long time – feelings like hope, empowerment, and freedom. I have learned that you can be blind and still sail as Urban the founder of the program does, or have a prosthetic leg as Kevin my sailing companion does. I learned that I could leave my disabilities at the dock, sail in a seven boat regatta and win!”
— Colin Smith, Challenged America participant

Colin is but one of hundreds of stories we experience each year at Challenged America, and after 34 years of providing free therapeutic sailing as a rehabilitation activity and tool, you’d think we’ve gotten use to such stories. But it never ceases to touch the heartstrings of all of us volunteers at Challenged America.

Your charitable gifts  go 100% to the program and providing the opportunity to both youth, from 5 years of age, to seniors in their 90’s, as well as to recently injured and disabled veterans, regardless of the disabilities or medical condition; and to their loved ones.

Each dollar you give to Challenged America is spent entirely on and in the program – No Salaries and No Hidden or Other Disguised “Program Expenses” depleting the impact of your gift.

More than 9,000 volunteer hours are “gifted-in-kind” to the charity each year, and in addition to those who generously donate their time and talents, we need your support to help them fulfill their good work in the community.

Where Does 100% of Your Gift Go?

$25
Assures that a sailor with a disability, and their companion instructor/sailor, will have sun screen, water, and sailing gloves for a safe and exciting day of sailing.

$75
Grants a child or adult with a disability the life-experience of sailing on a Martin 16 two-person, fully- adaptable sailboat for the day, with a companion sailor or instructor.

$125
Gives a youth or adult with a disability, and their entire family a day of sailing . . . or, covers 1 year of bottled-water needs.

$500
Supports 10 to 15 individuals to spend a day of Whale Watching or have an Environmental and Marine education experience aboard the motor yacht “Challenged America” . . . or allows a Challenged America exhibit booth to be at a regional trade show or event.

$1,000
Covers 1 year of costs related to providing equipment, supplies, and insurance for 25 volunteers … or covers 1 year of the office’s local and long-distance phone calls and phone Internet service.

$2,500
Sponsors a Team Challenged America sailor for 1 year . . . or launches the Companion Sailor and Sailing Instructor “Certification” program . . . or pays for crew and vessel cost on an overnight offshore racing experience . . . or gives all sailing volunteers a new Challenged America t-shirt & hat.

$7,000
Gives us delivery of a much-needed “Sip n Puff” steering-device for sailors with high-level injuries . . . or covers 1 year of dock and office supplies . . . or allows Challenged America to add spinnaker gear to 7 Martin 16 sailboats.

$10,000
Subsidizes the working capital to continue the design & development of new and innovative devices, gear and safety equipment for sailors with disabilities . . . or purchase needed mainsail and jib for all 8 Martin 16 sailboats . . . or covers the cost of replacing all standing and running rigging on the fleet of small boats in the program.

$25,000
Allows us to sponsor 5 different Summer Sailing Camps for kids, seniors, disabled veterans, and special groups supporting the disabled . . . or helps cover our minimum yearly boatyard costs of hull cleaning and bottom paint, maintenance and repairs of boats and engine repairs/maintenance.

$70,000
Pays for 1 year of rent of slips, office and storage space . . . or covers the basic operating costs for the big boat sailing program, less racing expenses.

$100,000
Covers costs for 1 year of small boat maintenance, repairs, slip fees, equipment and insurance.

$125,000
Will offer the unique opportunity for Team Challenged America to compete in the 2013 Transpacific Yacht Race to Hawaii.

$225,000
Will cover operating cost for the entire volunteer-driven Challenged America program (less racing) for the entire year.

$500,000
Supports the big boat program and Team Challenged America training and racing campaign for 1 year . . . or covers the costs of inviting 75 disabled veterans and their families to spend 5 days in San Diego to sail and conduct other therapeutic and educational activities with Challenged America.

$1,000,000 ($1 Million)
Launches the Challenged America Endowment Fund . . . and subsidizes 4 years of operating costs.

We are very grateful for you considering Challenged America in your gift giving this year or next year.

All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Challenged America is a charitable program of the 501(c)3 Disabled Businesspersons Association – tax-exempt (EIN) number 33-0484461.

You can make your contribution online through the Challenged America website’s PayPal account at ChallengedAmerica.org, or make your check out to “Challenged America” and mail to

Challenged America Program

2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 108
San Diego, CA 92106
Office: (619) 523-9318

Email: Ahoy@ChallengedAmerica.org