This Giving Tuesday, Step Into Swim, an initiative of the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) dedicated to creating more swimmers through safe swim education, will inspire generosity and expand its lifesaving impact by rallying support for its 2026 learn-to-swim grant programs. Step Into Swim grants increase access to swimming and water safety education for children and communities across the globe.
For Step Into Swim, participating in Giving Tuesday is a powerful opportunity to strengthen its mission of creating more swimmers, reducing childhood drowning, and ensuring all children have equitable access to swim education. In 2025 alone, Step Into Swim has:
- Raised over $1.5 million
- Funded 180,000+ swim lessons
- Supported 250+ learn-to-swim programs
- Partnered with leading aquatic organizations, donors, and community programs to expand equity in water safety
- Reached children across 43 states, as well as American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Grand Cayman, and Canada
With continued donor support, Step Into Swim plans to expand its reach even further in 2026 by equipping more swim schools, YMCAs, parks and recreation departments and aquatic programs with the resources they need to provide safe, effective and accessible swim lessons.
“Every child deserves the chance to learn how to swim — and every donor who supports Step Into Swim is helping save lives,” says three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Rowdy Gaines, vice president of partnerships & development at PHTA, who leads the Step Into Swim initiative. “Giving Tuesday is an incredible opportunity for the pool, spa and hot tub industry to unite for one cause: eradicating accidental drownings. Together with our supporters, Step Into Swim works every day to ensure more children learn to swim, gain confidence in the water and enjoy a safer future.”
Giving Tuesday began in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past 13 years, it has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. Each action — big or small — contributes to lasting positive change. For more details about GivingTuesday, visit www.givingtuesday.org.
Every dollar donated to Step Into Swim goes directly to learn-to-swim programming. To join Step Into Swim’s GivingTuesday efforts, visit stepintoswim.org/donate.
