THE NORTH AMERICAN
SPORT FOR DEVELOPMENT FUNDRAISING ACCELERATOR
Powered by Oaks
What is it?
In January 2020, our Fundraising in Sport for Development: State of the Sector report revealed that over 60% of organisations using sport for social change were facing a reduction in income and over 82.8% of these organisations expected stagnation or further reductions in the next financial year. Over 52% of organisations did not meet their fundraising target in 2019 and over 44% failed to match their 2019 fundraising performance in 2020. For organisations across North America delivering social change through sport, fundraising remains one of the largest challenges facing the sector and threatening its future.
In response, together with our partners, we are launching the inaugural US Sport for Development Fundraising Accelerator to help equip a cohort of organisations in the sector with the skills, structure and confidence to successfully build and implement an effective fundraising strategy.
We are seeking between 8-10 North American-focussed sport for development organisations to join us on a unique, free virtual accelerator programme. The programme will last three months and is valued at over $10,000 of support per cohort member. Organisations will spend between one and three hours per week benefitting from a combination of facilitated group workshops and one-to-one mentoring to help review their fundraising performance, explore their fundraising potential, and build an effective, informed strategy.
The Programme
Weeks 1-3:
Understanding existing fundraising activity and fundraising performance to-date.
Weeks 4-6:
Analysing investment readiness to review whether organisations have the right structures, processes and tools to be successful in fundraising.
Weeks 7-9:
Exploring new fundraising opportunities, including grants, corporate partnerships and major donors.
Weeks 10-12:
Prioritising opportunities and action planning.
Selection Criteria and Apply
To join the inaugural cohort, organisations using sport for social change are invited to apply using the link below by September 30th. The programme will launch in November 2021 and last three months (subject to change according to availability).
Selection Criteria
-The Incubator is for registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organisations only.
-Organisations with a budget of between $100,000 and $2,000,000 will be prioritised.
-We are seeking a diverse geographic spread within the cohort.
-Organisations led by women and/or racial minorities will be prioritised.
About Oaks
We help socially-minded organisations access the resources they need to enrich communities and lives around the world. We provide the expertise, support and infrastructure required to excel in strategic planning, fundraising and income generation, enabling organisations to expand and realise the full potential of their social purpose. Our team has collectively raised over £80M from trusts, foundations, major donors and corporates, empowering a group of socially-minded organisations to grow their work, reach more vulnerable people, and ultimately change lives across the world.