It's a difficult task thinking of new ways to raise funds for your club. 
Well imagine how much easier it would be if your board consisted of former presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton, your players were coached by David Beckham and Pele, and your board included one of the richest men in the US, Philip Anschutz. You couldn’t possibly find a way to complain about raising funds then. Lucky for Harlem Youth Soccer this was a reality... kind of.
You might be wondering why Harlem Youth Soccer has attracted such attention. Consider that the club has nowhere to practice, no funds, and exorbitant real estate costs, and one begins to see a club in desperate need of funding! The sad fact is, that most families in the club can’t even afford the $60 membership fees to participate in the organization. In order to continue to offer a soccer program, the fees have regularly been waived to allow the children to participate. The existence of the club alone is a major accomplishment for the sport in America.
After learning of Harlem soccer's difficult position, MLS has decided to offer a hand in the club's fundraising efforts, not for specifically developing talent, but instead to help create a “group of engaged young men”. The club has since gained a ton of media exposure and help from some unlikely, yet worthwhile sources. The Administrator wishes Harlem Youth Soccer the best in their continued efforts to grow a successful soccer community.
As your club works this next season to raise funds and develop its own "engaged young adults", consider ways that you can really make a difference. The first step to raising funds is to show the value which exists within the club. This simply means making the community around you realize how essential your organization is. This is the hard part, but once you’ve accomplished this, all kinds of fundraising opportunities will become apparent.
The key is to use resources you’ve already developed. Club websites are beneficial because they reach so many different households, all accessed at the user’s convenience. Once you’ve illustrated the club's value, you will have a much easier time creating successful advertisements, worthwhile sponsorships, and valuable donations. Also, don't forget to tie your donations into your registration process. When clubs integrate donations and online registration, they average a 14% increase in club revenue during the first year.
As a quick reminder, take a second to look back over some of the articles we’ve written for you about all the different ventures in fundraising: Fun with Funding: Revisiting ways to raise money, Technology Tips for Easy Sponsorship, Healthy Sponsorship Practices, Charitable Notions, Club Funding with Soccer Tennis, and the 5 part article on commercial sponsorships (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4). We hope you get off to a great start fundraising this year. Lt us know how it goes by posting below, sending an email to Sam@bluesombrero.com, calling 404-835-0305.
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