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≡ USA FENCING ≡
In November 2022, USA Fencing’s Board of Directors announced the federation would “give preference when selecting host cities for national tournaments to states without laws that harm members of LGBTQ communities as well as states that do not have laws undermining the reproductive health of women.”
That policy has ended.
In a detailed report on its online Board of Directors meeting on Saturday, 7 June, a motion was approved to revise the site selection policy, deleting any direct reference to LGBTQIA+ or women’s reproductive rights issues, but including news references to “Accessibility” and “Safety and security of USA Fencing members and their families.”
The new Site Selection Policy also notes:
“USA Fencing will make every effort to work with cities to provide resources to ensure the safety, security, legality of presence and reasonable enjoyment of all USA Fencing members, event attendees and their families from all backgrounds.”
In early May, USA Fencing Board Chair Darren Lehfeldt was harshly questioned about the federation’s transgender policy in a U.S. House sub-committee hearing, but he was also asked about the site selection policy and the preference assigned to locations which met USA Fencing’s standards for state laws.
The stated preference is now deleted; USA Fencing had previously noted that its then-LGBTQ and pro-abortion policy could only be one factor among many others for site selection because “such a move would reduce the list of possible host cities to just over a dozen – with the possibility that additional states could pass similar laws in the future and further reduce the list.”
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The USA Fencing Board also made a budget allocation of $20,000 for a software system that:
“will track disciplinary and SafeSport cases from intake to resolution, with a service-level goal of closing each case in under 90 days. Members will see clearer timelines, standardized communications and a self-service dashboard for checking a case’s status.”
The slowness of the U.S. Center for SafeSport has been a major complaint against the Center, as well as a lack of information about how cases are closed, in many situations temporarily shut down without any information to the relevant federation or to the complaining party. That can’t be solved with software, but USA Fencing’s own cases can be expedited and continuously updated on status and resolution.
The USA Fencing budget for 2025-26 was approved, with a projected $16.986 million in revenues and $15.716 million in expenses for an operating surplus of $1.270 million. However, other expenses such as event hosting and added general costs bring the projected surplus down to $412,808.
The budget narrative explained:
“This budget is both a reflection of where we are today and where we’re headed. It makes room for growth, acknowledges real-world cost pressures, and funds the people, programs, and partnerships that make this work possible.
“Our $17 million revenue target is bold but within reach. Our $16 million expense plan is built on smart, prioritized investments. We believe this budget puts us on a strong path to deliver greater value to our athletes, members, and partners—while positioning the organization for long-term success.”
The presented budget is $1.5 million in revenue above the current 2024-25 actuals with an increase of $1 million above 2024-25 actuals to date. Funding from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee is shown at $1.239 million or just 7.3% of the total budget.
The main income coursed are events ($9.1 million), memberships ($3.8 million), sponsorships and merchandise sales ($1.8 million). Direct athlete support is planned at $255,000 (funds six athletes per weapon) plus $420,000 in national team support and $119,105 in international programs expense.
USA Fencing revenues in recent years included $17.3 million as of 31 July 2024, which includes $1.1 million equipment and airfares provided in-kind. This was a jump from $12.3 million ending July 2023 and $11.4 million ending July 2022.
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Observed: USA Fencing is to be commended for remarkably transparent announcements of its Board meetings, decisions, prompt publication of its minutes and the attachments provided to Board members.
This is fairly unique among Olympic-sport organizations in the U.S., many of which “hide the ball” as much as possible from their own members, as well as the public.
Other federations which seek to build trust among its membership, and potential event sites and sponsors, would be wise to follow USA Fencing’s example. But few will.
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