It is important to determine what your fiscal year is when creating a budget. Most associations require that the budget is submitted for board approval 30-15 days prior to general meeting. Expenses for the year include field maintenance, equipment, referees, coaching education, office supplies, and website services in addition to others. In addition to expenses all possible income needs to be included. Revenue is generated through registration fees, estimated or required sponsorship, and estimated concession or fundraisers.

• Determining Your Budget
• Determining Your Association Registration Fees
• Examples of general expenses          
  • Soccer Equipment
• Office Needs

SPONSORSHIP/FUNDRAISING

Sponsorship is an ongoing process and associations need to place a specific person or group of people in charge of it. Although all various association members and officials should help solicit sponsorship, it is important to have a clear set of goals for sponsorship and fundraising and establish guidelines for the process.

How to Obtain Sponsors

• Create a form to solicit donations  
  • Include form on the website
• sample flyer for team bench sponsorship
• Include information on player registration forms
• Ask parents to scholarship another player
• Try to get coaches involved in getting sponsors for their team

Levels of Sponsorship

Organizations can come up with levels of sponsorship based on the donation amount. Example: Gold 5,000 Silver 2,500, Bronze 1,000. Organizations can also just ask sponsors specific things.

• Association Sponsor
• Team Sponsor
• Player Scholarship Sponsor

What to Offer Sponsor

• Signs at practice and game fields
• Logo on team jerseys  
  • NCYSA prohibits Tobacco and Alcohol names
  • Make sure that donation covers screening costs
• Vending opportunities at games and festivals
• Coupon and flyer mailings to association members
• Logo and information included on sponsor page of website  
  • Sponsor Page Example
  • Sponsor Information Page Example
• Include Sponsor Logos on home page
• Check costs of age group practice shirts with sponsors name

How to Retain Sponsors

• As you bill current sponsors, ask if they would like to sponsor again or another team
• Make sure that team sponsors are visited by players and coaches to maintain relationships  
  • Have coaches email season updates and pictures
  • Have board of directors deliver sponsor plagues
• Feature sponsors in the newsletter or sponsor of the week on the webpage
• Local business are a great resource, but can get annoyed if asked by too many people. Keep a list of contacts   to avoid multiple members trying to solicit the same business. Include:  
  • Who made the contact
  • When the contact was made
  • What donation was made

Corporate Grants

Many corporations have community grants ranging from a few hundred dollars to multiple thousands of dollars. Several organizations will also provide matching grants We are working to gather more information, but here are several companies that offer community grants.

• Wal-Mart
• Lowes
• Home Depot
• Pepsi

 

SCHOLARSHIPS

Many associations try to provide scholarship opportunities for families that are in need. It is important to determine how much a scholarship will cover and whether full or partial scholarships will be offered. It is also necessary to construct a scholarship application form and also a guideline for qualifications for scholarship.

There are numerous ways to raise money for these scholarships.

• Provide a box on registration forms for scholarship donation
• Ask sponsors to support individual scholarships
• Provide a portion of all registration to the scholarship fund

CONCESSIONS

Depending on your association's agreement with your fields and the location of your games, concession stands are a great additional source of income. Some associations outsource the concessions and others run it themselves.

Outside Contractor

Create a contract to determine what association's responsibilities are and what percentage of the profit the association receives.

Association Run

Get goods from a wholesale and supplement items sponsors. Here some ideas:

• Get a deal with the local pizza or sub shop to get discounts on items
• Have each team responsible for working certain days  
  • If a team's parents do not show hold the manager or coach responsible
  • Post a sign saying "Closed due to no volunteers from (insert team name)"
• Seek out volunteers from local organizations ex. One association had members of an elderly community come out and volunteer.

For questions regarding this page please contact

sari@ncsoccer.org