About Prideraiser: Partnership with Pride

This page is written for an audience of LGBTQ+ focused charities. Click here if you are involved with a soccer supporters group.

At Prideraiser, our mission is to build larger, more inclusive supporter communities that foster a positive, local impact (and put new fans in the stands along the way).

Using our voices as supporters is one thing, but it's also critical that we use our influence to help realize the full potential of the beautiful game. Prideraiser was accidentally founded in 2017 when a couple of fans realized the power of the platforms given to us by soccer. We not only used those platforms to raise money for important causes, but we also saw that reaching out to new fanbases strengthened our own supporters groups and brought more people together to support our teams. The model was shared with the supporter community and evolved into what it is today - Prideraiser was built by supporters, for supporters. 

We invite your charity organization to join the incredible, growing Prideraiser movement. Partner with a supporters group to organize a campaign through Pride Month that benefits your organization and nurtures a home for members of the LGBTQ+ community with your local soccer club. We are offering our platform at zero cost to make the efforts easy and effective.

The Volunteers of Prideraiser.org

WHAT IS PRIDERAISER?

Prideraiser is an annual event where soccer supporters groups partner with organizations which support the LGBTQ+ community in their local communities. The partnership benefits everyone, as money is raised for the partner org and new fans are welcomed into the soccer club. Funds are raised using a fun and novel model where fans pledge to donate for each goal scored by their team during Pride month, e.g., a $5-per-goal pledge turns into a $25 donation at the end of the campaign if 5 goals are scored. Additional details can be found on our About page for Supporters Groups.

This page contains wisdom and best practices so that your organization can make the most of this partnership.

WHAT IS A SUPPORTERS GROUP?

More than a fan club, soccer supporters groups (often "SGs") are associations of fans of a particular team which operate independently of the team's business structure. Each SG is unique, though it is common that they create an energetic atmosphere during matches from the stands, host pre- and post-game gatherings, organize or appear at other social or volunteer events, and offer their own merchandise lines to fund operations. Many SGs boast a culture of civic service, and participating in Prideraiser is one way that is expressed.

Cities of all sizes have soccer clubs, with more startups every season, and supporters groups are quite common. Get started by finding your local team(s) and reach out to them to ask them to help you connect with their supporters.

HOW TO BE A PRIDERAISER PARTNER

The most successful Prideraiser campaigns are the result of a mutually-beneficial relationship between the supporters group and the LGBTQ+ organization. We suggest considering the campaign as not only a way to receive critical funds for your org, but an opportunity to partner with another community organization, make new friends, tap into new pools of volunteers, and have a ton of fun at matches.

But first, the minimum standards:

• Your organization should be focused on serving the LGBTQ+ community, through mutual aid, support programs, legislative efforts, etc.
• Your organization should be able to accept online payments.
  
  More: To be eligible to receive funds through a local Prideraiser campaign, please ensure the availability of a form that allows arbitary payments (not only fixed values) which allows one-time donations (not exclusively recurring ones, and must not default to recurring). Prideraiser campaigns benefit orgs of all sizes and complexities, so if this is a hurdle for yours, we recommend PayPal.me link as a solution which is easy to set up
  
  For orgs that are not currently a registered 501c nonprofit (or equivalent structure in your country), Prideraiser requires a GoFundMe page for donations. Additionally, you may want to ensure your organization is listed with employer donation matching platforms, especially for those in cities with large corporations that offer this benefit to employees. 

Beyond the logistics of finances, we recommend a few things:

• Communicate with the SG early and often. Each SG has one or more Prideraiser organizers. Maintain a dialog with them to find out what they need from you. Tell them what you need. Look for opportunities to collaborate during planning and during the Prideraiser campaign.
• Attend events and matches. Most SGs have pre- and/or post-match gatherings which are ideal settings to make human connections.
• Promote the campaign. The money part of Prideraiser campaign works by driving donors to a campaign page on the prideraiser.org site. Share the campaign link widely. Ask the SG for compelling images and the Prideraiser-provided logos/QR codes/etc.

At the end of the campaign, Prideraiser will contact those fans who pledge to make a donation directly to your organization. Prideraiser will never charge any transaction or referral fee and will never collect payment information.

SHARE YOUR STORY WITH PRIDERAISER

Prideraiser can post flashy numbers for participation and fundraising impact that are readily available to us. But individual stories are always more compelling to donors, stakeholders, and our tiny volunteer team. Share feedback about your Prideraiser experience with our team by submitting a testimonial.