Fowler Ave Collective was created in August 2022 to bridge the gap between USF student-athletes, fans, and NIL in a secure and compliant manner. They focus on developing business relationships for student-athletes by collecting funds from national and local donors to establish contracts, promote activities, and provide support that enables and enhances student-athlete opportunities.
With some memberships, fans are provided the opportunity to get unrivaled access to their favorite USF athletes and have access to one-of-a-kind fan experiences, exclusive membership, merchandise, and unique and interactive events with the athletes. All of this is helping to create a community of supporters who are engaged and invested in the success of the teams they love.
CHALLENGE: USF is a new institution and lacks the strong alumni network that some other universities have had for years with 3rd and 4th generation alumni. The university is growing and has a large number of supporters with many of those who did not attend USF. This presents a significant challenge but also a great opportunity. Without the traditional connections and loyalty from a long alumni history, Fowler Ave Collective needed to find new and innovative ways to engage and attract financial supporters.
SOLUTION: In late February 2023, Fowler Ave Collective discovered the CUE Pledge Per Platform program. The program opened doors and created more opportunities for athletes and awareness for the collective and their work. By using the pledge per platform, the collective now has a new way to attract members and new donors that were previously on the fence about making large contributions. It also created a way to attract those that are heavily interested in a certain team to make contributions based on the on-field success of the team and players.
The program has also created a more fun and engaging way for the collective to share updates and promotions on social media, creating a lot of interaction with fans, contributors, athletes, and coaches. And the best part is that it is recognized and appreciated by many of the student-athletes, they are competitive by nature and like to win, so having some skin in the game that can help drive their success has been incredibly valuable.
RESULTS: The pledge per program has not only been a success for Fowler Ave Collective but also for the student-athletes.
Since launching the program, they have seen a consistent increase in donor participation and a steady increase in overall contributions. They have expanded their network and have raised additional funds that they wouldn't have been able to before, which has allowed them to support more athletes and expand their programs. It has also helped to meet and build relationships with new individuals that are highly motivated and interested in supporting the collective in a great capacity as major gift prospects.
The success of the Fowler Ave Pledge Per Program didn’t happen on its own. It is a very simple and easy-to-operate platform, but like any good activation, it does require a solid strategy and continuous effort to promote and develop. The collective has done a good job of ongoing education with fans, coaches, and athletes to create awareness about how the program works it is having and sharing specific results. When USF fans see their money going directly back to the teams or organizations, they appreciate it and are more likely to get involved and contribute.
This program offers much value to organizations looking to support student-athletes and build a community of engaged supporters to create a meaningful impact.
You can learn more about the Pledge Per Fundraising program here.
