Canada Soccer plans new philanthropic fund for grassroots, youth programs
Published
Canada Soccer says it plans to establish a new philanthropic program called the Canada Soccer Legacy Fund to raise money for grassroots programs, marginalized groups, and the girls’ and boys’ national youth team programs.
The federation said in a statement Tuesday it would announce its fund’s leadership team and lead donors soon.
“This new fund will give individual Canadians, and the corporate community, more opportunities to make a real impact beyond the pitch,” said Canada Soccer president Charmaine Crooks. “This is about engaging Canadians and bringing together communities as we build up our next generation of soccer heroes.”
Canada Soccer wrote that the fund’s mission will be removing barriers to access and will have a mandate to grow the diversity and equity of soccer at the community and grassroots levels. The fund’s leadership group will focus outreach efforts on corporate, private, and individuals in diverse communities across the country.
The fund will be Canada Soccer’s official fundraising arm, but it may not be its only one.
Former Canada Soccer board member Rob Newman, who ran for the federation’s presidency this year against Crooks and lost, has said he has wanted to build up the Canada Soccer Foundation, which was created in 2010 with the mandate of coaxing tax-deductible donations from the private sector and the public to support Canada Soccer – in particular its men’s and women’s national teams.
Five years after its launch, Canada Soccer officials intended to shut down the foundation, Newman said in an interview with TSN in August 2022. The foundation, which remains active, according to the Canada Revenue Agency, has never raised money for the federation or its national team programs.
It’s possible that Canada Soccer and an independent foundation could work in conjunction, in the same way that foundations raise funds for Basketball Canada, Hockey Canada and Golf Canada.
The Hockey Canada Foundation, for instance, which was registered in 2000, received $8.2 million from 2016-2021 via gifts, donations, and from other charities and fundraising, according to its government filings.
While Hockey Canada has 521,300 registered players, according to its 2021-22 annual report, Canada Soccer has 689,938 registered players, according to its 2022 annual report.