Looking for business support for your academy? Stop selling just the space on your shirts. Offer a local company a CSR project that solves real problems!
Many club officials look for companies to work with, offering nothing more than a banner on the fence in return. What if we turned this model on its head and brought together sport, local business and care for the environment?
Imagine a single, well-planned initiative that allows your organisation to:
- Drastically cut plastic use – you build environmentally friendly habits among your players.
- Gain a committed partner – a relationship built on shared values, not just on an invoice.
- Raise the standard of your facility – something parents and coaches will appreciate straight away.
How to do it, step by step
Step 1: Research the market. Find out whether there is a manufacturer or distributor of water purification stations in your area.
Step 2: A values-based offer. Propose a purpose-driven partnership. The company installs a station at your facility, and players come to every session with reusable bottles, which they fill with free, clean water.
Step 3: Education and image. The academy and the company run a local CSR project together. You launch a social media series on the role of proper hydration in sport, while promoting the partner’s socially responsible solutions.
Short of business arguments for a meeting with a potential partner?
Play the numbers game. Show the company the strength of your community. If 200 children train at your academy, you have 200 families connected to your club – potential B2C customers for your partner. If the water at training lives up to expectations, parents will be happy to consider installing the same system at home. For the company, the cost of one unit at your facility is a brilliant investment in community PR and in building genuine trust.
Let’s think about relationships with business more broadly than in terms of classic advertising benefits. Let’s build organisations based on responsibility, create quality and educate the younger generation. Getting business involved in grassroots sport is worth doing – and worth doing wisely!
Would you like your academy to earn more from partnerships while becoming more socially responsible at the same time? Take advantage of our support in implementing CSR!
Want to win over your local authorities, but it just isn’t working?
Mission, vision and values in a football academy – why they are the foundation of success
Consultation with a CSR specialist (in Polish)
Frequently asked questions
Why is a banner on the fence a weak offer for a company?
Because it sells nothing more than advertising space, not value. A partnership built around a shared project gives the company real involvement and a relationship based on values, not just on an invoice.
What might a CSR project at an academy look like?
The example from the article: a local company installs a water purification station at the facility, players come to training with reusable bottles and fill them with free water, and the academy and its partner run an educational series on hydration in sport.
What arguments should you use when talking to a potential partner?
Show the strength of your community. If 200 children train at your academy, there are 200 families within the club – potential customers for the company. For the partner, the cost of one unit is an investment in community PR and building trust.
