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The Challenge:
Lack of Funding

Play 8

Measure and Evaluate Programs

Many of the ideas put forth in this playbook would benefit from additional budget support. A few depend on it to come online. Given the strain that schools are under to float their current programs, it’s easy to think “we just can’t do that now.” But there is a way they can. They can demonstrate impact to untapped funders, giving them the incentive to unlock resources.

Right now, the measure of success in school sports is the scoreboard. Beat your rival, your community buzzes. Win a league or state title, and your accomplishment gets stitched into the banner that will hang on the gymnasium wall for generations. These have been the key performance indicators since the mass introduction of school-based interscholastic sports at the start of the 20th century, promoted by, among others, captains of industry who sought to encourage competition and even a winner-take-all ethos in American society.

The 21st century presents new opportunities and challenges. Corporations, foundations, philanthropists, and government all recognize the need to address the major problems of our time – from rising obesity rates to economic divides, immigrant assimilation to political polarization. Some see sports as part of the solution, and everyone knows schools are where nearly all the kids are. But they need the evidence of positive outcomes at scale to invest. As one corporate grantmaker effectively told us, We have dollars for those who have numbers.

If sports are so great, prove it. Step one is defining athletic program standards that a school can be evaluated against, ideally by a third party. Step two is documenting how sports experiences contributed to the educational and health outcomes of students, through exit surveys and other tactics. Step three is presenting the impact of programs in a form that can compete with other worthy causes. In 2020, the philanthropic sector alone distributed a record $471 billion, boosted in part by new commitments to racial equity.⁴⁰ The slightest fraction of that could probably cover everything proposed in this playbook, and then some. Along the way, your school will glean insights that will allow for continued program improvement and demonstrate value to the philanthropic sector.

There’s game-changing opportunity out there, beyond bake sales and Friday Night Lights gate revenue.



To pursue philanthropic dollars, a school or school district must have not only the legal authority to do so but a mechanism to apply for grants, sponsorships and donations. Some options:

PEFs are nonprofits that are set up to develop community resources that can be directed to local school districts. Oakland’s PEF has raised more than $200 million for more than 150 education-related projects and placed more than 10,000 volunteers in local classrooms. Other cities with PEFs include Chicago, Jacksonville, Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Washington D.C.

Most K-12 institutions seeking tax-deductible contributions are private or church-related schools that have obtained non-profit status in their state and have been designed as a 501(3) organization by the IRS.⁴¹ Thus, they are well-positioned to pursue this option, as are some charter schools managed by a non-profit organization. In Los Angeles, ICEF View Park charter schools have raised funds from several local and national sources.⁴²

PTOs are entities dedicated to making schools a better place for students to learn and thrive. They develop human and financial resources to support regular activities and new projects, from sports facilities to library resources.⁴³ Some of them have legal status as non-profits.

A booster club is defined by the NFHS as “an organization that is formed to help support the efforts of a sports team or organization. Support is shown in many ways, including volunteering time, raising money and contributing funds to better enhance the team or organization’s performance.” They work closely with the head coach or athletic director,⁴⁴ and would need to define performance in broader, human development terms to position themselves for new forms of philanthropic support.

WHO CAN HELP

Membership Organizations

State high school athletic associations should create Generally Accepted Standards of an Exemplary High School Athletics Program, as some states have done (see below). Identify evidence-based practices that can help coaches and personnel organize their behavior and demonstrate adherence to objectives.

Local School Districts

Require that schools audit themselves against the standards, conduct student impact assessments, and report the results to the district office. Then, hire a grant writer to package it all up for submission by an appropriate entity affiliated with the district. One reason that major foundations and corporations don’t invest in sports is the space is too fragmented, with too many small providers. School districts can aggregate providers in a manner that is attractive to large funders.

Policymakers

In Ohio, sports betting legislation included a provision calling for a cut of proceeds to go to school sports programs. That’s great – if you’re going to legalize it, make sure some goes to sports for youth who sit at the base of the larger ecosystem that allows that form of gambling to occur. More states should do this.

Families

Sports-specific booster clubs are great but limited in scope. If all you do is solicit $250 donations from parents to cover equipment, uniforms and other near-term costs, you may be missing the larger opportunity. If the school or school district isn’t going to aggregate and capture the impact of programs, do it yourself and fund the necessary mechanisms. Turn one dollar into 10. Some family in your larger orbit may run an entity that is willing to invest.

Sports Organizations

National organizations can learn from the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) on how to measure and evaluate programs. Initially, the USTA provided grants to high schools that wanted to offer tennis in PE. The USTA realized these grants sometimes bought equipment that was never used. The USTA adapted by providing a grant for equipment and linking a school to a local club that can help support programming. This feature provides a level of accountability.

FINDING SUCCESS

In 2015, the governing body for high school athletics in Massachusetts had yet to articulate the standards of an exemplary athletics program. So, Hopkins Academy (Massachusetts) used the model from neighboring Connecticut and surveyed students, coaches and parents on awareness and program fidelity to its mission. Independent reviewers noted strengths and areas of improvement, laying the groundwork for Hopkins to get better at what it describes as the purpose of its athletics program.⁴⁵



Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, the governing body for high school sports, reviews high school athletic programs against five standards. A high-level summary:

A mission statement that clearly defines what the school/program is seeking to achieve and delineates the expectations of the program for athletes, coaches, school administration, parents, and the community.

Programs, activities and curricula that enable the school to achieve its athletic mission and expectations.

Sufficient support and resources by its governing body and the community to assure the achievement of the athletic mission and expectations. Equitable and appropriate resources, facilities, and opportunities are afforded to all athletes and sports programs, including intramural programs.

The administrative structure, policies, procedures, and personnel in place to allow for the attainment of the athletic mission and expectations.

Reporting by the athletic department of its progress in meeting its mission and expectations to the school administration and an action plan for improvement.

Learn more here.

DIVE DEEPER