Insights

Field notes on sport-powered fundraising.

Short essays and frameworks on how nonprofit organizations powered by sport actually raise money. Updated as we learn things worth sharing.

Field notes

10 essays

7 min read

How to increase donations for a youth sports nonprofit

Families spend 46% more on youth sports than five years ago. Donations have not followed. Four levers that raise more without adding another event.

Essay · September 2026

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8 min read

Grants for youth sports: where to find them and how to win

A practical guide to grants for youth sports nonprofits: the source types that actually fund programs, durable programs to know, the 501(c)(3) requirement, and how to write an application that wins.

Essay · September 2026

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9 min read

How to start a youth sports nonprofit (step by step)

A step-by-step guide to starting a youth sports nonprofit: board, incorporation, EIN, 501(c)(3), bylaws, and what to do the day your status comes through to actually fund the program.

Essay · September 2026

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8 min read

Companies that sponsor youth sports teams (and how to land them)

Which companies sponsor youth sports teams, why local businesses beat national brands, how to build a sponsorship package that sells, and the 501(c)(3) move that makes the yes easier.

Essay · September 2026

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4 min read

Google Ad Grant eligibility: does your sports nonprofit qualify?

A plain-English eligibility check for the Google Ad Grant. Who qualifies, who doesn't, and the athletic-foundation rule that lets sports nonprofits in when schools are shut out.

Essay · August 2026

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4 min read

How to apply for the Google Ad Grant: a step-by-step guide

The Google Ad Grant application in five clear steps, from Google for Nonprofits enrollment to your first compliant campaign, plus the rules you must follow to keep the $10,000/month.

Essay · August 2026

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9 min read

Google Ad Grants for sports nonprofits: how athletic foundations claim $10,000 a month

Schools can't get the Google Ad Grant, but their independently registered athletic foundations usually can. Who qualifies, the rules that trip teams up, and how to run $10,000 a month by season.

Essay · August 2026

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8 min read

Donor retention for sports nonprofits: how to win the second gift

Only 14% of first-time donors ever give again, and for sports nonprofits the leak is worse. How to win the second gift and the recurring pledge, by season.

Essay · August 2026

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5 min read

The 0.66% problem.

For-profit companies spend between 7 and 9 percent of their revenue on marketing. Among nonprofits that advertise, the median is 0.66 percent of expenses. Why nonprofit organizations powered by sport are invisible and what it's costing them.

Essay · May 2026

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6 min read

Why your fundraising calendar should follow your season, not the fiscal year

The standard nonprofit fundraising year has three big moments: end of fiscal year, end of calendar year, and #GivingTuesday. For nonprofit organizations powered by sport, that rhythm makes very little sense.

Essay · May 2026

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