It is critical that college athletic programs raise external funding to supplement their athletic budgets and programs in the current environment. There have been many changes to the “normal” day to day activity and routine of these programs. Most colleges have suffered enrollment drops, less income from ticket sales and sponsorships and decreased university budgets. Staffs have been cut and overall costs have increased to operate athletic programs, along with increased expenses for medical and preventive measures and normal day to day operational costs.
How can schools keep their current level of sport sponsorship, increase revenue and help the university by maintaining or increasing their current roster sizes and improve retention numbers? College budgets are only going to get tighter as we work our way out of this pandemic. It is imperative that small college athletic programs must have an established and organized fund-raising plan! That is where professionals like Executive Management Partners LLC can help you. We have partners with experience in raising as much as 75% of an annual operating budget while maintaining a nationally competitive program.
The professionals at EMP have developed and created unique programs to generate communication and excitement with alumni and local sponsors and community members that will allow you to build a consistent revenue enhancement program for your athletic department. Athletic programs have unique opportunities to engage and create enthusiasm with donors than most other areas of campus that have not been involved or actively engaged with the university.
Every university needs to develop:
1. An effective and well-planned campaign to communicate and generate excitement with your alumni base. Alumni need to support 75% of your fund-raising efforts. The more engaged they are and the better your athletic staff communicates with them, the more involved they will be in your fund-raising efforts.
2. Establishment of an email distribution list so that your coaches can communicate directly to their alumni, friends and families of the program. The coaching staff can generate excitement by bringing these people into the inner circle of the program. Honest precise communications build trust and connections.
3. An annual athletic campaign with three major asks during the course of the year. Establishing a priority list of capital, annual and individual program needs, wants and wishes. The more unified an athletic department is in the messaging, the more likely their goals are achieved.
Every athletic program will have different needs. You have to determine the best approach to generate income from alumni but also from local community sponsors and supporters. A defined plan will determine ways that the athletic program can best attract new funding from local sources.
1. Camps and clinics are great fund raisers and outstanding public relations pieces.
2. Special event nights like athletic banquets and auctions should be considered.
3. Sponsorship packages should be developed and pursued.
4. Local partnerships explored to determine ways to mutually benefit local community organizations.
5. Create Top 10, Top 25 or Top 50 recruiting nights.
Contact EMP and let us help you EMPower your athletic fund raising.