Northwest Elite FC (NW ELITE FC) administers a unique program for our families to raise funds to offset the costs encountered throughout the soccer year. We offer multiple opportunities for teams and players to work to defray their costs. This document will describe the opportunities, parameters, and process associated with various fundraising campaigns offered by the club or created by a team or individual. Please review this page prior to emailing
[email protected]NW ELITE FC Fundraising campaigns may be coordinated by the Club as a whole or by teams. The beneficiary of any campaign (i.e. club, team, player or a combination) may vary by campaign and will be clearly communicated at the initial communication about the fundraiser.
NW ELITE FC offers two types of club-wide fundraising opportunities throughout the year.
A club organized event to support the club as a whole with funds going into the club’s general fund in support of operating expenses such as but not limited to coach training and retention, scholarship fund, field rental, etc. An example of this would be a Golf Tournament or a Gala Auction.
A club-organized event that benefits the player with proceeds going directly into the individual player’s account that took part in the event. An example of this would be a Winter Greenery Sale or Spring Plant Sale.
The designated event leader will communicate to and coordinate with team managers regarding specific components of each Club fundraiser event including team volunteer needs, timelines, roles and responsibilities and fund allocation.
NW ELITE FC encourages team fundraising. Two types of team fundraising opportunities throughout the year to support team general funds as well as individual player accounts.
A fundraiser that has the funds going to the team general fund for the purpose of offsetting general team expenses such as, but not limited to, coach travel expense, tournament admission fees etc. An example of this would be shared proceeds restaurant nights or a team raffle.
Team fundraisers are dependent upon team participation. If a team has less than 70% player participation in an approved fundraiser, the funds raised may be allocated to the player accounts of players who participated.
Team fundraisers exceeding $20,000 in net proceeds will become candidates for club-level fundraisers in the future.
A fundraiser that has funds go directly into the participating player’s player account based on participation. An example of this would be a merchandise or gift card sale.
The Club has defined the following beneficiary parameters.
90% of all team fundraiser proceeds will go to the Team/Player
10% of all team fundraiser proceeds will go to the Club scholarship fund
In an effort to ensure fundraising campaigns are well thought out and executed well, all fundraising campaigns will be proposed to and approved by the NW ELITE FC Fundraising Committee. The Fundraising Approval Request is outlined in the Team Fundraisers section below and should be used to propose a fundraising campaign. Every effort will be made to review and respond to completed requests within 48 hours of receipt.
Approvals will factor in considerations such as recency of similar fundraiser, timing of most recent fundraiser, similar campaigns and safety risk posed with player participation (e.g. does the location of the fundraiser put players in a safety risk).
Once the campaign has been approved by the Fundraising Committee, the campaign execution and administration is the responsibility of the team.
Please provide a summary of your desired fundraising campaign to the Fundraising Committee by completing this form:
Organization of a fundraising committee typically makes execution of fundraising events easier.
If you are using an official facility, site, for your campaign, ensure you have verified requirements and permissions for your sale in advance. For example, sites like THPRD require vendor applications* with fees be submitted or have unique insurance requirements. Teams are responsible for factoring in the timing and cost of these items into their campaign plan and budget.
* Currently THPRD requires 45 days approval period and $200 fee
Execution tasks may include, but are not limited to, communication to team families, gathering of necessary supplies for the campaign, coordinating location, set-up and clean- up, results communication back to the team.
Administration tasks may include, but are not limited to, funds collection and calculation of allocations, reporting results back to Fundraising Committee.
The “reach potential” of the fundraiser and appeal of the campaign to the targeted contributor. For example, selling NW ELITE FC branded items has a limited reach as they appeal only to our families and fans.
Designate a Fundraising Coordinator volunteer on your team that is not your team manager. Team managers have their hands full, thus it is ideal to have someone else focused on team fundraising efforts in partnership with the team manager and treasurer.
The extent of communications to the team and parents; the stronger and more clear the communication, the more well understood the campaign will be and more smoothly it will go.
Set a clear but realistic goal. Set a clear timeline that makes sense for your team. Fundraisers planned during the most important tournament of the year or that “never end” can lead to stress and burnout.
Communication throughout the campaign as well as end results are important for the excitement of the participating members as well as their willingness to participate next time.
Q: Can corporate matching funds from businesses be directed to a specified team?
A: If a corporate matching program permits designation of specific beneficiary, the donor may enter the team name. Upon receipt of matching funds the club will apply a 70/30 split ratio in which 70% of matching funds will go to the club and 30% to the team designated by the donor. Under no circumstances may a player be a designated recipient of a corporate matching donation.
Q: Are there any limitations on apparel items that can be sold as a fundraiser?
A: Apparel items may not conflict with any club kit items or items already sold on club coordinated fan gear sites (SOCCER.COM). This means no jackets, parkas, backpacks, jerseys, or items resembling any part of the club uniform kit or official club fan gear may be sold as fundraisers.
Q: Is there a club distribution email list that teams can use to announce their fundraising campaigns?
A: Teams are responsible for preparing their desired communication and determining the appropriate audience. The Club Administrator will send out all messages to predetermined audience(s).
Q: What if a player transfers teams or leaves the Club, can their fundraising dollars be returned to the team for general team use?
A: The club policy on player accounts described in the Club Financial policies will be followed in cases where players transfer teams or depart the Club.
Q: Are there Team Sponsorship opportunities?
A: Please refer to the Club’s Sponsorship policy.
Q: Is team participation in club coordinated fundraisers mandatory?
A: Club coordinated fundraisers benefiting the club as a whole require participation and/or volunteer time contribution from each team.
Q: What is a shared proceeds restaurant meal campaign?
A: A team can work with an area restaurant to have a “share” of the proceeds gained from all NW ELITE FC families who frequent the restaurant on a set day.
Q: How do we avoid overlap with other teams?
A: The Fundraising Committee will review and provide suggestions to the requesting team if overlaps exist. Approval of fundraisers are done on a first come, first served basis.
