Having to depend on donations and grants can make long-term, independent operation difficult. As a result, some streetfootballworld network members are going into business for themselves.
Starting and running a social enterprise (a business whose profits go toward a social cause) is a major undertaking. So we’ve gathered insight from Football and Freedom founder Wendy Broomfield’s experience to help you think about what to consider before and after setting up your own.
About Football and Freedom
Football and Freedom was established to create a sustainable stream of revenue for streetfootballworld network member Dads Against Drugs (DADs) and its partners. No longer willing to amend programmes to fit with funders’ aims and tired of spending inordinate amounts of time on grant applications with no guarantee of return, DADs founder Rob Broomfield and his wife, Wendy, decided it was time to make their own money. Wendy founded Football and Freedom in 2007.
Football and Freedom offers salsa nights, a fashion line, seminars and more. For more information, visit www.footballfreedom.co.uk.
Identity: A new part of the same organisation or wholly separate?
Although its profits are directed to Dads Against Drugs and other Development through Football programmes, Football and Freedom is a completely separate legal entity with its own bank account and directors. Along with providing DADs with an independent income stream, this has the added benefit of avoiding a controversial name; Dads Against Drugs found that just having the word ‘drugs’ in its name made some potential donors uncomfortable.
Research: Don’t be afraid to ask
A friendly and engaging woman, Wendy sought advice from anyone she thought could help, approaching both friends and acquaintances with experience in the right areas before creating Football and Freedom. “You need that guidance,” she explains of her approach. Once you’ve identified what you need to know, be fearless in finding the answers and advice you need. The expertise in your organisation may not be broad enough to create and run a successful enterprise, so why not learn from contacts with direct and extensive experience?
Market: Know your audience
When Football and Freedom decided to create a fashion line, the DADs delegation to Foča 08, Europe’s first-ever street football festival, brought along samples for the other teams. Wendy was surprised to see that the boys preferred the T-shirts with pink in the design… which you can now buy online at www.elevenforfreedom.bigcartel.com. Wendy’s rule of thumb is tried and true: don’t assume you know your market before you’ve tested it out.
Partners: “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours”
Neither Label Eleven nor the salsa nights would exist if Wendy hadn’t adopted a mutually beneficial strategy for each of the involved parties. When a local bar owner wanted to attract a bigger crowd, Wendy helped him run salsa nights, with the proceeds going to Football for Freedom. Photographers, hairdressers and other service providers donated their skills to Label Eleven in return for gaining a higher profile. Boutique owners clamoured for the publicity that would come from displaying Label Eleven’s one-off dress made of eleven footballs. You are more likely to get what you need when you can fulfil someone else’s needs at the same time.
Awareness: Be imaginative
To complement its line of T-shirts and badges, Football and Freedom engaged a seamstress to create a single haute couture dress with a football theme. Eleven footballs and a few spools of thread later, Football and Freedom had a product that captured the imagination of shop owners, football fans and media alike. The football dress attracts more attention than any other part of Football and Freedom, and Wendy is happy to make the most of it: when journalists call, they’re told they’ll have to wait for the launch.
GO BACK TO THE OVERVIEW OF 'FUNDRAISING'
