In these troubled economic times non-profits have been hit hard.  However, more than 2/3 of churches reported donations equal to or higher than 2008.  Why?

Most churches likely increased the message of urgency of giving to the church.  Churches have the opportunity to speak to their audience on a weekly basis.  Many churches, like mine, send weekly emails as well.  If they didn't have the ability to communicate to their donor base on such a frequency to communicate the message then the philanthropic success of churches would not be as strong. 

Do you have mechanisms with which to communicate your message to your donor base on a regular basis?

Dear Coach,

I hope you're doing well. I am doing fine. I'm married with 2 kids. Joe plays soccer and Ella is in the band. My wife does a lot of work with the band and I'm helping to run the youth soccer league. With my wife and I both working, we keep pretty busy. Not that this is a good excuse, but that's why I've been out of touch. I honestly don't get a chance to keep up with how the program is doing. It's hard to find that info anyway; the school website doesn't have much and the local paper only publishes the results. 

I came across that website you built but it's not updated very often. I was thinking that maybe you could do a few things to reach out to people like me; fans, alums, potential supporters and make it easy for us to be a fan. Maybe you could create a Facebook Fan Page, post news blog on your website or send me an email newsletter. Maybe you could even hit me with a text message if it's really exciting news or send the local media press releases every couple weeks to take your news to them so they could let us know how the team is doing. At least your local fans could know what's going on. You know the Smithtown Post won't come to you! 

I'd also like to support financially but, I don't know how. Where do I send the check? Or better yet, what if you put a PayPal button on your website so I can donate online. By the way, how much money do you spend every year on headgear, tournament entry fees, or per diem for the guys? I'd like to help out where I can. I know you want me to donate but I also want to know how you plan on using my money. I want to know that it will make a difference.

I'd also like to get to know some of the guys on the team. I heard something about your 125 lber... isn't he pretty tough? Or did he graduate? 

Anyway, I know you're busy too and might not have the time or know-how to get all of this done. That's why I wanted to tell you about Riot Sports Marketing. They can do all of this and a lot more and you don't have to do the work. They help you find an intern or supporter to do it! I'd be willing to help you out with the cost to get up and running if it means you'll do a better job of keeping me close to the program that means so much to me. I'm sure there are dozens of alums like me that would be happy to be back in the fold. 

Send me an update if you have time. Gotta run.

Brian Johnson
Smithtown High School '91

As an alumni of Seneca Valley High School (WPIAL), Jim Harshaw was coached by the legendary youth coach Tom Barron. Jim stayed very close with Coach Barron through his college years at the University of Virginia until his coach's death just a couple years ago.  However, when SV hosted a memorial for Coach Barron prior to a SVHS dual meet Jim wasn't there.  Neither were the hundreds of others who were touched by the beloved coach.  Why?  Because there was no mechanism for communicating with the SVHS wrestling community about this or any other event.  Further, he's never been asked to donate money to his alma mater.  Jim realized that this was a problem not only for his school but for college and high school programs everywhere.  Out of his passion for wrestling and knowledge of marketing was born Riot Sports Marketing.  Riot helps programs strengthen their community resulting in higher attendance, increased media coverage and sustainable fundraising. 
Based on a return on investment model, Riot is cost-effective and does not burden the coaching staff with marketing tasks that are best left to an expert. 

More fans.  More media.  More money.  Less work.

Our goal as coaches is to (should be to) provide an opportunity for our student-athletes to learn the lessons that will help us in life.  To provide the most opportunity and the best experiences it takes money.  Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot.  Whether you like to hear it or not, the more money you have the better opportunity and experiences you are able to offer your student-athletes.  Having the funds to develop your program is not the point of coaching but without funding there is no program.

I will again refer to the "Built to Last" quote by Jim Collins:

“Profit is like oxygen, food, water, and blood for the body; they are not the point of life but without them there is no life.” 

There is a well known business book titled "Built to Last" written by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras.  The subtitle is "Successful Habits of Visionary Companies"  The subtitle could easily be "Successful Habits of Visionary Sports Programs".  There is one quote in this book on which I want to focus. 

“Profit is like oxygen, food, water, and blood for the body; they are not the point of life but without them there is no life.” 

We coaches tend to focus solely on the day-to-day with fundraising as an afterthought.  We do the fundraising equivalent of "get rich quick schemes" by selling cookies or coupon books or a multitude of other products.  While those solve a short-term problem of getting cash in the bank quickly (albeit with a lot of hard work), they fail to add any other building block to our program- like building a stronger community around our program.  We need to focus on fundraising as do successful programs- lets look at our successful universities or successful non-profits.  Do they sell cookies?  No.  They cultivate their supporters, fans, alumni and prospective supporters.  They do this through different forms of marketing.

Then, they ask them for money.  No cookies involved. 

This kind of fundraising is hard work too.  It is also building to last.  It's effects are cumulative.

What steps can you take today to build to last?

Wrestling makes us mentally strong and independent.  When our coach asks us to run through a wall we simply ask "Head first or shoulder first?"  However, we tend to believe that we don't need any help when it comes to running our program.  We can do it all ourselves.  We did it as competitors and we'll do it as coaches- or CEO's- of our program.  I can do it all. I NEED to do it all.

If you think of your program as a business executive thinks of his business then you will see that you shouldn't do it all.  You probably have a to-do list a mile long and only get 60% of it done if you're lucky.  THAT IS WHAT'S HOLDING YOU BACK.   Where is your time best spent?  What tasks can only you do?  What tasks should only you do? 

Running practices?  Then spend your time developing the best practices possible!
Planning the season?  Then develop a season plan and make sure your program is adhering to it on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
Administrating? Then fill out the forms your admin wants in a timely manner!
Fund Raising?  Then plan and implement it flawlessly.
Marketing?  Then build a marketing plan, consult an expert and make a difference!
Recruiting?  Then think about the best ways to do it, plan it out and get after it in a big way!

Is there a better way?  Can someone else do some of these tasks?  Sure, they may not do it as good as you do- in fact they won't do it as well as you do.  Accept that and move on.  The fact is that your program will be better off with you doing the tasks that YOU have to do. 

I hear the excuse already...  you don't have anyone to help. If you don't have an assistant then what about a manager, an intern, a teacher whose class needs a project, an alumnus, a booster, your wife, your kids, the annoying local die-hard wrestling fan that has been asking how he can help.  It's only an obstacle and you're a wrestler- figure it out.

Or you can stay where you are, continue working hard instead of smart and operate at 60% capacity. 

Watch from home! I am presenting twice at the National Web Coaches Clinic this weekend in Cedar Falls, IA.

Sat, 5-5:30 CST re: marketing and fundraising

Sun, 2:30-3 CST re: technology and coaching

Tune in from home at:

http://www.livesportsvideo.com/golive/goliveevents.asp?q=WorldWrestlingResource

As coaches we tell our athletes that the journey to success is a process that involves many things.  For wrestlers it may mean proper diet, live wrestling, film study, flexibility, strength & conditioning, proper rest... etc.  We know deep down that this is the same with any endeavor.  So, coach, let's apply this thinking to program development.

What can you do to develop your program?

Off-season training, fundraising, film study with athletes, expose athletes to sport psychology, alumni development, hire more staff, event promotion... I can go on.  To do all of these you need money and support.  To get money and support you need a marketing plan.

Marketing leads to more fans which leads to more respect from your administration which will give you more administrative support (financially and otherwise).

Marketing leads to more alumi involvement which leads to more money (bring them into the fold then ask for money).

Marketing leads to greater media coverage which leads to more participants and more attendance and more community involvement. 

Marketing leads to more exitement around your program which leads to a stronger fan-base which gives you more money and more respect from the administration which in turn gives you more support. 

Marketing can help our sport more than any other single action that we can take. 

Ok... so you're sold on marketing.  Where do you start?

1. Get a Facebook Page for your program.
2. Send a press release to your local media about the "big story" in your program this year (yes, there is a big story... figure it out).
3. Create an annual giving campaign.

Do something.  Anything.  But be persistent. 

(see Program Development: The Systems Approach)
 

GM (General Motors) has decided to rebrand for obvious reasons.  They've taken an interesting angle of being forthright and honest.  The type of honesty they show in the new commercial below is going to help make them more human and not seem the out-of-touch behemoth they had become.  When creating content for your blog posts, email newsletters, fundraising letters etc we need to do the same.  Be down-to-earth and real.  Let your supporters know that you need them, rely on them, rely on their support both financial and otherwise.