THE SHIFT

Increasingly, we are witnessing sport being used for good – whether it’s community initiatives led by pro teams, athlete foundations and activism, sport federations fundraising for amateur athletes, sport for development or funding grassroots programs, sport is a vehicle for philanthropy. Yet sport is not widely recognised as a mainstream philanthropic cause, and remains behind other comparable causes in its share of the philanthropic wallet.

 

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THE CHALLENGE

As with innovation in any sector, growth in the area of sport philanthropy has not been without its set of challenges. How does the sector define itself? What are best practices? How do groups, athletes and organizations navigate this? How can we better support this growth and position sport as a leading philanthropic cause in its own right?

 

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THE OPPORTUNITY

To advocate for and promote sport as a philanthropic cause worldwide, and to drive and professionalize the advancement of sport philanthropy around the world. In a sector based on teamwork, building an international think tank to facilitate learning from one another and the sharing of best practices will positively position this industry for growth and standardization. Developing a consistent set of messages around the social, community and health benefits of sport will also aid its advancement as a philanthropic cause.