Budget Struggles

Some of the largest struggles with youth sports clubs is usually based around money. We don't have enough and we want to be able to offer more. The easiest way to see where you stand and what you need to get where you want to go is a comprehensive budget. This is where many organizations struggle. They know they need the parents to pay, they would like sponsorships and many have dreams of expansion which will require money on top of those previous two items. So where do you start?

First, you need a good handle on your expenses. Field space, uniforms, coaches, refs, insurance, and that is just for starters. Go back through the bank account for the last two or three years and make sure you categorize every penny; make sure everything has a bucket. That is the least amount of money you need to bring in. Does you organization have plans for anything special? A tournament, an expansion, or a special event? Budget for it. Sometime those items will need their own budget within the organization's master budget.

Second, you will want to figure out if you want to give any discounts. Many organizations give discounts for having multiple children in the club. There are also many organizations that give discounts to board member's children. Scholarships are another item that can have good an bad impacts on your bottom line. Do you give scholarships based on income and if so how much money do you give? How do you determine who receives the scholarship? This needs to be figured and added into the budget before you figure the amount each family pays. Some organizations cannot afford to give any discounts and scholarships. Some can give generously.

Finally, how do you want to charge each player or family? Do you break down each team's expenses (some teams will cost more if there is travel or larger tournaments involved), each player's expenses, or just split evenly throughout the organization? Once you have that answer then you can break down the cost for each player, family or team.

This is just a broad overview of the budget process. There are many things that go into budgets for a youth sports organization and if it can be a daunting task. If you need help please reach out and we would be happy to help!