10 Things to Know About USA Fencing's Proposed 2026–27 Budget

Published May 19, 2026

USA Fencing posted its proposed 2026–27 operating budget, along with the full board book, agenda and financial materials, for members to read before the Board of Directors meeting on May 30, 2026. The budget was built base-up and reviewed by the Budget Committee: Emily Bian, Maria Panyi, Jade Burroughs, Jake Hoyle OLY, Greg Tyler and Scott Rodgers PLY. Board materials, including Zoom registration for the open session, live at usafencing.org/boardmeetings, where public budgets go back to 2010. The spending plan sits inside the 2023 Strategic Plan, which covers 2024 through 2028.

Here are the ten points USA Fencing highlighted, in plain language for fencing parents.

1. The headline numbers

Total income is proposed at $17,585,537, up 2.1% on the amended FY25–26 figure. That total includes Foundation grants once received, but not the Foundation's own operations, donations or expenses. Total expense is $16,673,868, up 4.2%. Other income is $469,108 and other expenses $557,002, leaving net income of $299,167 — 16.5% above the prior projected $256,708, or roughly a 1.7% net margin.

For context, USA Fencing listed its recent audited net results: $855,678 in 2024–25, $266,448 in 2023–24, -$182,698 in 2022–23, $154,688 in 2021–22, -$136,835 in 2020–21 and -$167,257 in 2019–20. Within its Form 990 cohort of 59 organizations, USA Fencing ranks 9th by surplus, one of 22 in surplus, and 16th by revenue. Size peers include USA Basketball, USA Baseball, USA Climbing, USA Triathlon and USA Lacrosse.

2. The framework behind the numbers

The stated framework is to "invest with discipline, preserve flexibility, prepare to capitalize" — pointing at the runway to LA28 and a path toward 70,000 members. The organization targets roughly a 5% like-for-like expense reduction since 2023 while growing non-fencing income, with limited headcount additions. USA Fencing notes it operates with about half the headcount of similarly sized national governing bodies.

3. National events are about half the business

National events account for roughly $8.8 million of revenue, close to half the total, against about $6.8 million of expense covering venues, officiating, equipment, technology, athlete services, and referee and official travel and per diem. USA Fencing runs 11 national and international events a year, and Summer Nationals with the July Challenge alone draws more than 10,000 people across 10 days.

4. Member services

Member services show about $4.1 million of revenue and $1.3 million of expense. That side covers dues, club programs, background checks, SafeSport, insurance, the membership portal and athlete services for more than 50,000 members and 750-plus clubs.

5. Collegiate growth

USA Fencing is investing in collegiate growth. In 2025–26 it added Arcadia, Fairleigh Dickinson and Denison, with a fourth announcement expected before the end of May 2026, which would bring the count to 47 NCAA varsity programs. College Connect, at collegeconnect.usafencing.org, serves students in grades 8 through 12. This work is co-funded by Foundation grants.

6. Membership fee adjustments for 2026–27

Competitive membership moves from $99 to $109. Collegiate Competitive moves from $55 to $69. International Competitive moves from $115 to $150. The +CheckEd and +Coach add-ons move from $30 to $40. Parent membership becomes free, without voting rights. Club membership and other individual categories are unchanged. Families who renew by Aug. 1 pay 2025–26 rates.

7. Marketing and communications

Marketing and communications is budgeted at about $2.8 million, or 16% of revenue, supporting 20-plus active partners and continued merchandise growth.

8. Sport performance

Sport performance is the second-largest expense line at roughly $5.0 million, covering coaching, personal coaches, sports medicine and science, camps, international support, parafencing and athlete services on the road to LA28.

9. Reserves

The budget protects roughly three months of operating-expense reserve, projects a surplus near 1.7%, tracks variance monthly, and aims to eliminate the COVID-era operating reserve deficit by the end of this financial year.

10. The hardest costs to control

Travel and legal are named as among the largest and least controllable costs in the plan.

Transparency and the Foundation

Board agendas and minutes have been public since 2010–11, the Treasurer has full system access, and audited statements, Form 990s and prior budgets are posted at usafencing.org/budget-reports. The USA Fencing Foundation is a separate 501(c)(3) that provides roughly a 4% endowment operating grant plus initiative grants.

What this means for saber families

The most concrete item for parents is the fee table in point six: if your fencer needs a Competitive membership for the coming season, renewing before Aug. 1 locks the old rate, and parent memberships no longer cost anything. Our USA Fencing membership guide walks through which tier a saber fencer actually needs.

If you are weighing a competitive season for the first time, come see the room first. Saber Nation trains at 4701 Sangamore Road, Suite LL2, Bethesda, MD 20816 — book a trial class through our contact page or read about saber fencing classes in Bethesda. More governance and competition updates are collected on our USA Fencing news hub.

Source: USA Fencing, "10 Things to Know About USA Fencing's Proposed 2026–27 Budget," May 19, 2026 — https://www.usafencing.org/news/2026/may/19/10-things-to-know-about-usa-fencing-s-proposed-2026-27-budget

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