Elevate your Sports Organization
Within the sports nonprofit industry, the word fundraising may not even come to mind. Instead, these organizations are stuck in the habit of collecting membership dues to survive. Unfortunately, that is exactly what most sports nonprofits are currently doing — surviving.
Many sports clubs and organizations have not reached their full potential. They have yet to launch efforts such as:
Eliminating the pay-to-play model
Building or upgrading their facility
Offering scholarship programs
Purchasing new equipment.
So, why is it that the vast majority of clubs, academies, and teams are struggling to thrive?
Likely, it’s because they have not established a professional development strategy. Less than 1% of youth sports clubs and academies implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy. Yet, industry data shows it is the number 1 most effective strategy for driving incremental revenue growth.
There is a huge opportunity for sports organizations to elevate into their next iteration. We’ve seen it happen with hundreds of sports-related 501c3s across the United States, and know that every sports organization is capable of success with the right development strategy.
WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER
Most sports organizations have very little time to spare. And zero organizations have time to plan and launch fundraising projects or campaigns without the expectation of exceeding their return-on-investment.
So, why not dedicate your energy towards a strategy that is proven to be successful over time?
Development is the approach taken by the largest, most prominent 501c3s. It’s proven to work as long as the correct donor tracking tools and team have been established at your organization.
Through development and the art of building relationships with donors (and their networks), your organization will increase its likelihood of receiving major gifts, being awarded grants, connecting with corporate sponsors and receiving corporate donations, and even generating government funding opportunities.
While the results may not happen overnight, they will generate a massive return for the future of your organization.
MAKE A REAL IMPACT
Speaking of affluent people, it helps to know some! By drilling into development and building relationships organically, your nonprofit will absolutely uncover some affluent friends.
This is key. Candidly, people with money tend to know and spend time with other people with money. These connections may have an affinity for your mission and be willing to introduce your organization to their network.
Building a proper network takes time, but reaching even one or two of the right people can make an incredible impact on your organization and those you serve — which is the reason for the nonprofit in the first place, right? There are too many organizations out there overworked with too little to show for their efforts. Focusing on development will turn what seems like a pipe dream into an attainable goal.
STICK AROUND FOR THE LONG-HAUL
It is impossible to implement a development plan without thinking five, ten, even twenty years into the future of an organization. Unlike a fundraiser that can start and stop with a single project, development revolves around the donor, their lifespan, and even beyond.
The process of collecting, tracking, and stewarding donors for the long-term will have a ripple effect that will help the sustainability of a nonprofit. So, if an organization chooses to embark on the development journey and trust the process, it can be expected to not only survive for a significant time, but also continue to grow and evolve for years to come.
STOP WASTING TIME!
If you are involved with a nonprofit that you want to see thrive, creating a culture of development is something you should absolutely consider.
Is it easy work? Not necessarily.
But if you’re thinking about where you want your nonprofit to be in the next five years, and you want to think BIG, then we challenge you to learn more about development and the building blocks needed to create a solid development strategy.