Beyond Sport Programs Sharpens Its Focus in 2021
December 17, 2021
As the world collectively works to find secure footing in an ever changing reality, it was heartening to see sports for development organizations, professional sport teams and leagues and a multitude of programs and platforms using sport for social change resume operations. And as we looked back over the year, the thing that continues to resonate is that our greatest impact as a sector comes when we work collectively.
In 2021, Beyond Sport looked to elevate and heighten our support, platforms and impact, resulting in increased funding - a record $1.8 million in grants awarded to 41 organizations globally; programs that are bringing expert minds together in new ways; tools to help community sport organizations strengthen internal systems to be in a better place to address systemic social issues; and, a public-private collaboration to aid sport for development organizations through the pandemic.
So while we can't say that our 2020 hope to be back to normal was realized, it was a productive year at Beyond Sport and we're pleased to share some of the highlights:
According to the WHO, more than 80% of the world's adolescent population is insufficiently physically active, thereby missing out on the physical, mental and social benefits of movement. In April, we were therefore thrilled to partner with leading deodorant brand, Rexona - also known as Sure, Degree or Shield - on a cutting-edge program to empower young people with the confidence and opportunities to move more.
The resulting "Breaking Limits Programme" is currently equipping coaches, teachers and community leaders in Brazil, the US and the UK with resources to support young people to "break [the] limits we put on ourselves and those put on us by others." By the end of its first year, the program will have impacted 500,000 youth aged 12-18 and attracted over 3,000 coaches to engage with the Breaking Limits Training Series across the three countries.
Beyond Sport was proud to:
•Support 36 NGOs with grant funding totaling $1.65 million
•Develop the Breaking Limits Training Series – a digital course designed in partnership with the best-in-class sport for social change organizations around the world. The nine, hour-long video lessons focus on gender equality, disability inclusion, racial equity and more.
With the ongoing pandemic making historically marginalized communities even more vulnerable, we were pleased to partner with ESPN to launch the Return to Play Fund (RTPF) in October alongside a selection of cross-sector experts. Working at the intersection of race, sport and community development in the US, the Fund will support programs to get Black and Brown youth moving again, while ensuring that health, wellbeing and systemic solutions are placed at the heart of community recovery.
The RTPF is guided by an Expert Advisory Council - encompassing youth sport, health equity/trauma-informed approaches, and diversity, equity and inclusion specialists - who are collaborating across the Fund's key areas of Operations and Strategic Guidance, Advocacy and Infrastructure. We look forward to the impact of the collective effort to leverage sport to promote youth mental and physical wellbeing, address racial inequities and help young people work through trauma.
Learn more about the Fund and how you can get involved
With increasing momentum across the world of sport to address racial inequities on and off the field, in September we released a resource for U.S.-based sports organizations to help support work to advance racial equity across the sector. The free online Racial Equity Assessment & Learning Tool (REAL) allows users to self-assess their internal systems and practices and provides steps that can be taken to improve an organization's ability to address structural racism. REAL was prompted by the work of America SCORES New York, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, Memphis Inner City Rugby and PeacePlayers US, winners of the 2020 Sport for Reduced Racial Inequalities Collective Impact Award supported by The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation.
The creation of the resources was also inspired by a nationwide survey of youth sports providers led by Beyond Sport and the Play Equity Fund to better understand how sports are utilized to address issues around racism. The findings were released in July in the report, Mapping Sports’ Role In Reducing Inequality In the U.S.
Learn more and access the tool here
The Sport for Good Response Fund
The Sport for Good Response Fund launched in May 2020 in partnership with Laureus Sport for Good to galvanise financial and in-kind strategic resources to support sport for development organizations through the pandemic. Over the course of operations, the Fund distributed £1.6 million in grants to over 100 organizations in over 20 countries with the support of partners including Chivas, Comic Relief, Comic Relief US, Degree, Hong Kong Rugby Union Community Foundation, the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation, the LA84 Foundation and the Z Zurich Foundation. Organizations also benefited from a range of design thinking workshops, fundraising masterclasses and 1-to-1 strategic consultancy, totaling over $500,000 worth of support.
In August, we released the final report in collaboration with Laureus to showcase and celebrate the project's achievements. The comprehensive report brings together shared learning and insights for the sector, highlights the impact of the Fund and details innovations in community support provision through sport that it helped create.
Learn more and download the report here
Thank you to all of our funding and program partners for a wonderful year, and here's to much more in 2022!
To learn more about Beyond Sport's programs, get in touch today at [email protected]
Don't miss out on any of our future funding or partnership opportunities. Make sure you're signed up to receive our weekly bulletin!