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The Foundation is on a quest to fulfill its mission of growing and servicing the game. Founded in 1992, the USTA Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation supports communities, programs and individuals, providing greater educational opportunities for youth and all persons with disabilities. The Foundation places emphasis on programs and activities that provide a positive, fun and disciplined environment to learn the game of tennis, and create alternatives to negative recreation. It also assists young players who have demonstrated talent and need financial support to compete at higher levels.

You can help make a difference! Because of your enthusiasm, we invite you to apply for a USTA Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation Leadership position. Applications will be accepted until Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 11:59pm ET. Click the link below to apply!

We hope you will consider continuing to give back to our wonderful sport by helping the Foundation to help others pick up a racquet and play.

Click Here To Apply 

The USTA Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation (MTEF) is thrilled to announce the incredible success of its 2026 May Match Point Bingo fundraiser. Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of our community, our dedicated Board of Directors raised a phenomenal $52,388 in just 31 days!

These vital funds will directly power our core mission: “We connect the joy of tennis to educational opportunities and enhance the lives of our youth and all persons with disabilities.” By hitting this incredible fundraising milestone, our community has provided the critical resources needed to break down barriers, expand adaptive and youth programming, and bring life-changing opportunities to individuals across the entire Midwest section.

Recognizing Our Foundation Champions & Sponsors

Bringing an ambitious vision like this to life takes an incredible, dedicated community. This massive achievement was made possible by the collective effort of our outstanding board, our supporters, and key partners who stepped up to champion our goals. 

We want to extend a special shout-out to our Anonymous Matching Donors, whose matching funds provided a powerful, motivating boost to our fundraising efforts throughout the entire month of May.

We also want to shine a massive spotlight on our premier sponsors, whose leadership, dedication, and baseline support ensure our foundation can continue to reach higher and expand its impact. A huge, heartfelt thank you to our official 2026 program sponsors:

  • Jim Hendrix and the Racquet Club of Columbus
  • The Newport Family Trust 

Your partnership, leadership, and belief in our mission help make these massive milestones possible for our foundation, our student-athletes, and our adaptive tennis participants. Thank you for helping our NJTL programs Realize the Dream!

The USTA Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation (MTEF) is thrilled to announce the success of its 5th consecutive Foundation 500 Board Fundraiser, which raised more than $17,000 in just 31 days. With an additional $15,000 in matching gifts from silent donors, the total fundraising impact will exceed $32,000. This is a true testament to the passion and commitment of the USTA Midwest and MTEF’s board members and supporters.

“This remarkable achievement reflects the deep dedication of our board and the generosity of our extended MTEF family,” said Liz Dickison, Executive Director. “Together, we’re creating greater access to tennis and education for youth across the Midwest.”

Founded in 1992 as the charitable arm of the USTA Midwest Section, MTEF (formerly Midwest Youth Tennis & Education Foundation) has worked to change lives through tennis and education. The Foundation places a special emphasis on engaging diverse youth from all cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds providing a positive, structured environment to learn the game of tennis and build life skills.

The annual Foundation 500 initiative is powered by board members who dedicate their time and efforts to raise critical funds in support of MTEF’s mission. These contributions help provide scholarships for young athletes, fund community programs, and support tennis-based youth development efforts across the region.

In 2017, MTEF expanded its mission to include adult populations through programming such as Adaptive Tennis, Wheelchair Tennis, and Wounded Warriors, further extending the reach and impact of the Foundation’s work.

MTEF would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all board members, donors, and silent supporters who helped make this year’s campaign a resounding success. Your generosity brings tennis, and its lifelong benefits, to those who need it most.

2023 Champions of Equity Inaugural Event

During the 2023 US Open’s inaugural “Champions of Equality” event, members from 17 USTA Sections were honored for their grassroots contributions toward leveling the playing field for all.

The event took place shortly before the women’s singles semifinals, celebrating the fight for equality and the pioneering women who have led the way. It acknowledged tennis’s foremost trailblazers at both the professional and grassroots levels. The “Be Open” event was presented by Cadillac, which also sponsored the broadcast of the iconic Battle of the Sexes match in September 1973.

The legendary Billie Jean King received the night’s Lifetime Achievement Award, while Venus Williams was awarded the first US Open Billie Jean King Champion of Equality Award for 2023. Among the 2023 honorees was Joy Albi, recognized for her work in the Midwest. The honorees had the opportunity to meet King before a dynamic conversation between her and Williams, who have both been at the forefront of the fight for equal pay in tennis. 

2024 Champions of Equity 

This year, the US Open will continue their efforts to champion equal pay, equal opportunity, and equitable representation for women in sports and society. We will again recognize women in each of the Sections who embody the spirit of a Champion of Equality through their dedicated work and commitment.

The USTA/Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation is thrilled to announce that Dr. Susan Klumpner will be receiving this esteemed award.   

On Thursday, September 5, Susan will be recognized during the Champions of Equality event at the 2024 US Open. The event will include a cocktail reception, a meet & greet, tickets to the women’s semi-final matches for the honoree and one guest, participation in a panel discussion, and a collective award show recognition within the stadium during the match. She will return home with a commemorative award.

MTEF and the USTA Midwest Section would like to thank Dr. Susan Klumpner for her years of volunteering and dedication to serving youth. She truly exemplifies our values of community, inclusion, and wellness, and inspires change within her section with a focus on advancing the next generation.

Who is Dr. Susan Klumpner?

Dr. Susan Klumpner is known in the Midwest tennis community for starting her own 501c3, The ACE Project, which is a USTA National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) chapter. Since its inception, The ACE Project has grown beyond its home city in Chicago, Illinois and expanded to locations in Detroit, Michigan and Baltimore, Maryland. Klumpner is known recently as a Professor and Associate Director of Field Education at the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice.  For many others, she is known as a social worker, friend,  tennis coach, and volunteers with the USTA. She has been on the Junior Recreation Committee, CTA Taskforce, NJTL Committee and Diversity and Inclusion Committee to list a few.  We honor her for the years of service as a USTA Foundation Board Member.

What an exciting time it is to be involved with USTA Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation! As we get ready to ring in 2017, the Foundation will celebrate its 25th Anniversary with events that will span throughout the year.

Continuing with the “Generations of Giving” theme that was started to honor Mary Seelig, in January the Foundation will recognize the 35 Charter Champions and two Foundation Champions. These individuals, through their generous philanthropy, helped start the Foundation and made it the successful organization it is today.

In August, we will commemorate “Generations of Greatness” when we celebrate the Foundation’s 25th Anniversary at the Western & Southern Open in Mason, Ohio. This will be an event you won’t want to miss!

Along with celebrating our 25th Anniversary, the Foundation is preparing to take on new endeavors in 2017. The Foundation will be expanding its support beyond junior players and youth programming because we believe the sport of tennis provides opportunities for everyone. To that end, the first step we have taken is to remove the word “Youth” from our name.

In 2017, we will also begin awarding grants to organizations that serve Adaptive Tennis, Wheelchair Tennis and Veterans’ Tennis programs, and provide grants to adults who participate in these programs. The expansion of our mission will allow the Foundation to continue to support youth programs that use tennis as a vehicle to cultivate leadership, discipline, sportsmanship, healthy living and positive self-esteem in our youth while allowing us to share those same life lessons of tennis with specific adult populations.

Your support is needed to continue to impact lives through tennis. Won’t you please help the USTA Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation continue to make a difference and change lives in 2017? To make a contribution today, please CLICK HERE. No donation is too small and every donation is meaningful and appreciated.

Sincerely,

Violet Clark

President, USTA Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation

Donation Form

The Midwest Youth Tennis & Education Foundation (MYTEF) Nominating Committee is seeking self-nominations for individuals with an interest and passion to fulfill the MYTEF mission to apply for a MYTEF Board of Directors position for the next term starting January 2016. We are seeking applicants who exhibit these various skills: fundraising, management, strategic planning, marketing, finance, community outreach, and human resources.

The following MYTEF Board of Director positions will be open to residents of the USTA/Midwest Section:

Executive Committee:

President

Vice President

Secretary

Treasurer

One Director

Directors (10)

Self-nominations for a board position are available by submitting an online application (click Apply Now button below), and the application process will remain open until Sunday, October 11 at Midnight Eastern time.

Please contact MYTEF Nominating Committee Chair Mark Schuering with questions regarding the self-nomination process as well as more detail regarding the Board of Director positions at 217-257-6662 or via email at judgemark.s@gmail.com.

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