Youth Sports Nonprofit Business Plan

It is critical that YouthSports takes a proactive strategy in promoting its program in the community as well as creating a strong fund-raising program. To accomplish these goals, YouthSports will have two groups overseeing the program’s growth and development. The first will be a 12-member Program Services Group comprising of community members. This group will provide oversight of the program’s service delivery to the community and will also be responsible for building community support for YouthSports. The second group will be a 10-member Finance Group that will have Richmond business representation. The Finance Group will have oversight over the program’s fiscal operation and fund-raising activities.

The next step will be to recruit the volunteer coaches and facility supervisors for each season and use this group to promote the program at local schools. Coaches and facility supervisors will be recruited by using the community churches and civic organizations. In addition, the Richmond Police Department is initiating a new program to recruit volunteer youth coaches from their own ranks. YouthSports is also working with the Community Service Program of State University to recruit college students as coaches. They will receive three university credits hours for their participation with YouthSports.

Mobilizing a coaching/supervision base will provide YouthSports the people power necessary to get its message to the entire community.

Sign-up for the program will be simplified by providing participation forms at each school and at the larger community markets. At each location, there will be a collection kiosk where the forms can be dropped off.

5.1 Competitive Edge

YouthSports’ competitive edge is twofold. One is the support of the community’s public resources to build a successful sports program that will have a positive impact on the attitude and health of the area’s children.

The school district has committed to strongly pushing the sports program. Each of the area’s elementary and middle schools will choose a school team name. The name will then be used by the school teams. Sport participation will be promoted in the classroom and volunteer coaches will be allowed to visit classrooms and speak to the children.

The city park system has been pivotal in obtaining sports equipment for the program at a discounted rate, saving the program a large expense.

The program’s second advantage is the support of businesses to have a real impact on the metro youth. The revitalization of the Richmond’s urban center can only be built upon the improved quality of life of metro residents. The current demographics, with the majority of metro children under the age of six, provides a unique opportunity to have a dynamic impact on the area’s youth. Richmond businesses are lining up to become sport sponsors and school team sponsors.

5.2 Fundraising Strategy

YouthSports will be directing its fund-raising program at two groups. One will be the metro area parents, the other will be Richmond’s businesses. Being successful with both groups is key to the program’s future.

• Metro Area Parents: The program’s expectations is that sign-up fees will pay for only 30% of operating cost but the fee is crucial for several reasons. First, without a sense of ownership in the program the community will not support the program over time. Second, a monetary commitment to the program creates an expectation of services that will push the program to become more responsive to the community needs. The third reason, and the most important, is that the fee is an organizing tool to recruit volunteers who will commit to work a number of hours for the program as part of a child scholarship agreement.
• Richmond Businesses: Local businesses can become sponsors of YouthSports sport seasons (like PriceRight can sponsor the Flag Football Season), school teams, or sport tournaments. With the sponsorship will come the opportunity to have the company name on field/facility banners, team uniforms, and YouthSports mass mailings. YouthSports will also have four high-profile fundraisers each year.

5.2.1 Funding Forecast

The following is the funding forecast for three years.