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Local Club is Established: Club Sustainability
Special Olympics Clubs deliver sports training and competition opportunities for local athletes and are vital in providing a sense of community and belonging for their members. Ensuring your club is sustainable takes a lot of hard work and commitment and depends on a wide range of linked factors. Here are the top 3 things to help ensure your club’s sustainability.
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Right People in the Right Roles
Sustainability of a Club depends on the commitment and dedication of your management team. The Club needs to ensure it has skilled people in key governance, leadership, management and delivery positions. Engage people with diverse backgrounds to run club activities. Consider club members’ strengths and weaknesses, provide clear roles and responsibilities.
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Recognize Members’ Contributions
To ensure club sustainability, it is important to retain members. Create a sense of belonging for all team members and make sure they know and promote the mission of your Club. Make sure to acknowledge contributions of your management team and volunteers and thank them for their service.
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Have a Plan!
Have a succession plan for your core leadership team. Another important part of sustainability is consistent operational (short-term) and strategic (long-term) planning. A good plan will identify how the club will work towards the club’s goals. If the club isn’t very clear on what it will do and who will be doing it, then there will always be a risk of the club not being successful. Planning should be done in close collaboration with the National/State Program team and engage all members of the Club management team.
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It’s as simple as 1 – 2 – 3!
It’s not really. That’s why we’ve provided a more detailed walk through in the next pages…
Putting it into practice…
Below are some examples of how to ensure sustainability.
Right People in the Right Roles
One
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- What roles are needed for your club to be successful in meeting it’s goals?
- Who are the people supporting and working within your club?
Two
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- Your club has a list of roles & responsibilities which includes a descriptor that clearly shows the expectations.
- Your club has a list of supporters with an understanding of their strengths & weaknesses
Three
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- List the key roles your club needs to be successful.
- Match the key roles with current club supporters & identify roles that need to be filled
Recognize Members’ Contributions
One
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- What retention and recognition practices do you have for athletes?
- How can you recognize volunteer contributions?
Two
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- Offer athletes regular training and competitions. Share their personal progress with families.
- Provide opportunities and recognition for coach trainings & certifications.
- Give volunteers ways to progress and change roles.
Three
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- Establish Coach-of- the-Year award.
- Develop volunteer appreciation process (e.g. Thank You cards).
Have a Plan!
One
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- What are the goals of the club?
- How will you achieve the goals of your club?
Two
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- Create a simple plan for the upcoming year or season. Consider sport/non-sport events, facilities, member and volunteer recruitment.
- Ensure everyone in your club understands and supports the plan.
Three
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- Write down your club’s vision, goals & needs.
- Get ideas and feedback on the plan from club members, supporters and other clubs.
Ideas
- Which clubs in your community have been working well for a long time? Connect with them to learn, collaborate and seek support.
- Offer leadership and meaningful engagement opportunities to athletes. Provide members and volunteers ways to share experiences and celebrate their successes.
- Talk to your current athletes, families, coaches, volunteers, youth and donors—get their thoughts on sustainability and how to continue and expand the good work of your club.
- Develop succession plans as members leave the Club. Start identifying and training lead volunteers to move to leadership roles in the future
- Consider member recognition ideas: membership photo IDs; anniversary cards to coaches and key volunteers; members survey for feedback; picnics, welcome ceremonies for new members; bridging ceremony for athletes transitioning from school; external speakers at family forums.