Most people don’t usually think of sports when it comes to helping save lives. However, universities across the nation have partnered with non-profit organizations in order to help spread their message. Sports bring people together.
Most Americans love to watch sports. They grow a special connection with their favorite teams, specifically colleges and universities. You’ll find college graduates tend to have a very strong connection with their alma mater.
A major issue in the world of nonprofits, specifically organ donation, is the lack of men signing up. Most men just don’t sign up or register. Sports can help make a huge impact on that. A lot of times it takes an organic story to spark the interest of the viewer.
A lot of nonprofits believe that they cannot find success in sports sponsorship, but that is not the case. Sports can attract tons of people who have never really even thought about donating or helping a non-profit organization.
Over at the University of Tennessee, Tom Satkowiak, the sports information director for the Tennessee Basketball team, received a life-saving liver transplant many years ago. The team and Coach Barnes adopted that story, they wanted to pay it forward and help Tom and other organizations save lives. This story sparked a spark in the hearts of Tennessee fans and even their student-athletes, in particular, Josiah-Jordan James. He donated a lot of his time and effort to helping organizations save more lives.
“A lot of those basketball athletes were touched by Tom, they got to see firsthand how someone like him can go from, I’m dying, so now I’m back to work living my best life… Josiah’s family even mentioned how it meant so much for him to be a part of something that big.” Billy Jarvis, from Donate Life Tennessee, said.
The University of Tennessee held a “Donate Life Night” when UT Basketball faced off against Vanderbilt. The message Do Donate Life was able to reach so many fans in the state of Tennessee. They designated that game to the donation of life, there was plenty of pre-event marketing. After the game, there were a total of 400 new donors in just one night.
“There were donor families at the game, and seeing those relationships where they meet each other, and the hugs and the tears, that goes beyond just the dollars spent and signups we had. That’s why we do what we do,” Billy Jarvis said.
What happened at the University of Tennessee is a great story that shows how beneficial sports sponsorship can be for non-profit organizations. People are more attracted to the idea of helping out when they see organic stories about their favorite teams and universities.
There are opportunities in the non-profit sector, it is a win-win situation for both partners involved. It is an untapped category. It is an opportunity to do great work, and the industry should think about it in the long term. It is a relationship that moves the business forward but also helps an organization accomplish its goals.
If you want to learn more about non-profits in college sports, listen here!