Aquatic Bodywork Fund

Aquatic Bodywork Fund (ABF) was founded in 2016 by Paul Rich and Donelson Campbell to provide scholarships and small grants that help increase access to quality aquatic bodywork, including Watsu, WaterDance, Healing Dance, and related forms.

Vision: Aquatic Bodywork Fund helps support sustainable funding for training of skilled aquatic bodyworkers, developing programs for aquatic education, wellness, and personal growth, and building facilities that are functional, aesthetically pleasing, and eco-friendly.

What Does ABF Fund?

• Scholarships for training of aquatic bodywork students, practitioners, assistants, and instructors.

• Programs for access to aquatic bodywork in the context of training, retreat and health centers, therapy and personal growth, physical rehabilitation and disability, and education and outreach to the community.

• Facilities for aquatic bodywork, building functional and aesthetically pleasing warm water pools using eco-friendly design, including non-toxic sanitization and solar heating, and in diverse settings – education, retreat and health center, therapy and medical, community and recreation, spa and resort, and private.

Who Does ABF Fund? Anybody can request funding, based on announcements of available funding, and based on developing new funding sources with input from the community.

Where Does Funding Come From? Funding comes from tax-deductive charitable donations, large and small. Please consider contributing.

How Are Recipients Selected? Recipients are selected by a merit-based application process that is administered by our Director, overseen by our Board of Advisors, and coordinated with donors, instructors, sponsor organizations.

How is Funding Managed? Funds are managed through associated reputable non-profit organizations, with 100% of funds going directly to support recipients of scholarships, program development grants, and facilities grants, Administrative and management expenses are covered by donations of labor, web hosting costs, and good will by members of the aquatic bodywork community.

What is Aquatic Bodywork? Aquatic bodywork comprises a diverse set of massage and bodywork forms performed in water. This includes forms specific to warm-water pools (e.g., Watsu, WaterDance, Healing Dance.), as well as land-based forms performed in water (e.g., Aquatic Craniosacral Therapy, Aquatic Myofascial Release Therapy). Aquatic therapy refers to treatments and exercises performed in water for relaxation, fitness, physical rehabilitation, and other therapeutic benefit.