2026 York County Scholastic Chess Initiative

York Chess Club is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting chess and friendship in York County and beyond! 

Mission focus: Chess for Every Child

York Chess Club welcomes players of all ages, but our fundraising focus for 2026 is to support youth chess clubs and programs in the county by raising $20,000 for the purchase of chess equipment, U.S. Chess memberships, and tournament scholarships. Achieving that goal would enable us to sponsor a foundational chess club in every public school district, private school, and homeschool group in York County and host free and low-cost chess events throughout the year.

Goal: $20,000 from 2,000 Donors

For our 2026 Give Local York campaign, we are seeking 2,000 community members to donate an average of just $10 each to help us achieve our $20,000 goal.

Stretching your dollars

Even small donations can make a big difference. In chess, there are no pieces slower or weaker than pawns. Yet, a pawn can become the strongest, most-capable piece if it reaches the far end of the board. 

Give Local York's Stretch Pool is a fund of donations distributed based on the number of individual donors to each charity.

That means whether you give $10 or $10,000, your donation will net York Chess Club the same share of Stretch funds, which in the past have been quite significant.

Last year was our first year participating in Give Local York and our first year of active fundraising. 

So please, donate $10 or more to York Chess Club on Giving Day and ask your friends, family, and coworkers to do so as well.

The Impact of a $500 Sponsorship

For $500, we can give a youth chess club everything they need to start by purchasing:

 * 8 Tournament Chess Sets

 * 4 High-Quality Digital Chess Clocks

 * 4 USCF Memberships and Tournament Entries (to compete officially)

The more money we raise, the better deals we can get on chess sets, clocks, and USCF memberships by buying in bulk. Any leftover funds (from each $500 sponsorship) will go to the team or club for them to spend as they see fit.

Beyond the Board

In addition to funding school clubs, your support helps us cover essential operating expenses (equipment, fees, liability insurance) and allows us to continue hosting free and low-cost community events that bring players of all ages together.

How we Give Back

In September 2025, we hosted a special event to honor our late founder and raise funds for youth chess programs. The Brian Costella Memorial Chess Tournament was held in New Oxford.

During the event, we hosted a free, non-rated section for young players who had never played in a chess tournament before. We gave each participant in that section their own tournament chess set with triple-weighted pieces; a chess book; and a trophy, medal, or ribbon. We also threw the group a free pizza party, fed them snacks and drinks, and gave them their first taste of chess tournament excitement! We also selected two high performing players from the group to receive USCF memberships and free entry in one of our monthly chess tournaments.

Your donations and sponsorships from last year allowed us to rent the facility, pay for liability insurance, 

Join us today! Be one of the ,000 people who build a future of thoughtful leaders and strategic thinkers right here in York County.

Click here to donate and make your move: [Insert Donation Link Here]

Thank you for your generosity and belief in the power of chess.

Sincerely,

The York Chess Club Board

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