AN OPEN LETTER FROM CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD USA SHOOTING JIM MITCHELL
It has come to my attention that a correspondence was sent to team members during a recent event that commented on future funding of junior programs. This resulted in considerable concern at a time when our team members were competing, and that is most regrettable. Please know that the junior team athletes are critically important to USA Shooting as they represent the future of the sport and that your concerns are taken very seriously.
With that being said, we will partially fund the upcoming Junior World Championships in Changwon and the details will be covered in separate correspondence.
As your chairman, I would like to address everyone’s concerns and clarify the board’s position on future funding as well as our overall operational plan for the future.
At the end of 2022 your board established a modest budget going forward based on input from all parties concerned. In 2023 our teams are participating in a schedule that is nearly double the previous year in terms of World Cups, Championships and Grand Prix events. In leading up to the 2024 Paris Olympic/Paralympic Games, that budget required that we raise significant additional funding to meet all of our dramatically increased program obligations. This funding would be sourced from realignment of our foundation, the establishment of new relationships within industry, other supportive foundations, and new fundraising initiatives such as a variety of special events featuring athletes.
Here is our progress to date: We have met with over 30 organizations and 50 potential patrons who have an interest in serving in many capacities. We are in the process of selecting individuals who will serve as trustees of our foundation and help in fundraising activities in all geographic locations. Three supportive foundations have signed up to help which will result in annual new funding of approximately $500,000. This is only the beginning. Our first event in Colorado Springs raised $40,000. The challenge is appealing to these partners, who are in the middle of a fiscal year’s budget execution, but we are off to a good start! These programs, and others to follow, require support from our limited staff in areas of development, marketing, public relations, finance, etc. Filling these roles is timely and critical to our success.
The next area is membership. In most non-profit organizations, members provide substantial financial support. We have great members but an insufficient number to support our programs. Direct mail to members is one of our important sources of funds. Since our membership has decreased, we see a corresponding drop in contributions. We have initiated a comprehensive program to get new members of USAS. Team members and athletes represented USA Shooting at national conventions earlier in the year. This helps tell the story of their journey and dedication to the sport while representing the United States and appealing to thousands of people. Memberships follow.
Our staff knew that 2023 finances would be very difficult. Enormous increases in airfare alone are challenging especially when our international calendar is very full. Encouraging recent fundraising activity indicates that the picture will be improving as we progress. As this happens, priority will be placed on our juniors. Junior World Championships is a significant event for USAS because it invests in the talent and potential of our athletes. We will partially fund the upcoming Junior World Championships in Changwon and these details will be covered in separate correspondence.
So, what are our initiatives this year and beyond? First, we will not promise and fail to deliver. USAS will be run like a business with each available dollar allocated to programs that result in winning medals, keeping USAS as the premier worldwide leader in Olympic shooting, and supporting our athletes in a fair and comprehensive manner. Supporting young shooters is our future, our priority, our commitment. This all takes money, new funding, and effort above and beyond previous years.
The home office team is nearly in place. Both of the USAS’ boards are volunteers receiving no compensation whatsoever. There is new energy, new ideas. The love of our sport is what drives us along with the success of our team. I have full confidence in our CEO and staff who are working tirelessly to support the coaches, teams, and athletes while aggressively building fundraising programs and building strong, supportive partnerships.
Funding programs is a function of available money, and we realize that many of our programs are critically underfunded. Eliminating this problem is our focus and we ask for your patience and trust as we navigate the road ahead.
Respectively submitted,
Jim Mitchell
Chairman