2019 Year in Review
2019 was an important year for Girls on Track Foundation. We finalized our business organization and got to work on the real goal of the foundation: funding junior programs!
First Funding Campaigns
2019 saw us usher in our first global campaigns! We received forty applications from Junior and Adult roller derby programs across the world in late 2018. Our advisory board helped the Board of Directors choose two fantastic recipients: Albany Roller Derby, in Australia, and No Coast Junior Derby in Nebraska, USA. Both requested skates, gear, and cash assistance for very worthy programs that will help expand access to the sport in their areas.
We were able to fund $7,584 towards the goal of $13,685 in support that the two leagues requested in their proposals. In total we provided 30 full gear packages to these two programs!
This success would not have been possible without the help of manufacturer sponsors who donated gear, adult skaters who created and posted videos, our Advisory Board, and supporters like you who clicked our links and donated your dollars. Read more about our 2019 campaigns here.
We also learned a lot about how to streamline and improve our application and evaluation processes, and the marketing efforts required for effective fundraising.
Finance and Organization
In 2019 Girls on Track Foundation received 501(c)3 designation in California, USA. This official non-profit status now allows us to collect tax-deductible donations of both cash and material items – like roller skates donated by gear manufacturers! In the process of organizing our business documentation, we also streamlined many of our processes and administration, including bringing on two new Directors. Find out more about the organization including our Board of Directors and Advisory Board here.
In 2019 we raised over $6,700 in cash donations from individual, league, and small business donors, plus modest merchandise sales. We also received $9,900 in donated services and equipment discounts. We spent over $3,200 in administrative costs, primarily related to legal and filing fees for the 501c(3) status, and the costs of fundraising. We donated skates and protective gear (including shipping costs) valued at over $7,500! All figures are in USD.
Other Projects
RollerCon provided a great opportunity to assemble Girls On Track ambassadors with over 30 local kids from youth organizations and junior leagues. We teamed up with the STEM showcase bout (Deep Sea vs. Outer Space) featuring all women+ working in STEM fields. Our local kids played shoe derby, met with our off-skate STEM Ambassadors, and watched the bout, live!
We had other projects on our to-do list (like resources to help leagues be successful), but they took a backseat this year, to allow us to focus on getting our first round of funding completed. We look forward to bringing these exciting projects to life in 2020. If your league is in need of a particular resource in order to be successful, particularly with recruitment and retention of teen girls, please contact me directly with your ideas.
2020 Goals
Now that we’ve got one round of applications and funding completed, we are excited to put all our learning into action! We’re planning for a more streamlined application process, and providing enhanced value to both our beneficiaries and the junior roller derby community in general.
Now that all our start-up efforts and costs are behind us, and we are an officially registered non-profit foundation, we are looking forward to improving our fundraising ratio – more of your donated dollars will go straight to the recipients! And we’ll put our other learnings into action to increase outreach and improve our capital campaigns
As I write this, we’re accepting applications for our 2020 Advisory Board, and looking for more kids to get involved at the decision-making level. And we’re planning a huge summer blitz! Please join us in this good work. Look for us on facebook and instagram @girlsontrackorg. Get our updates and campaigns straight to your inbox by joining our mailing list.
Thank you for a fantastic formative year. We can’t wait to show you what the next one will bring!
Carla Smith (aka Booty Quake)
Co-Founder, President
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