Does Your Club Need New Equipment?

Taekwon-Do training. It could be training aids such as kick bags and focus mitts, or important safety equipment such as sparring gear and safety mats. They all help a student’s skill progress, and can increase their enjoyment of Taekwon-Do.

It would be great if our clubs had all the equipment they wanted. Unfortunately this is not the case. Some clubs I visit have a lot of new training equipment while other clubs have a small amount of older equipment. The problem is that equipment can be very expensive and most clubs find it hard to fund the purchase of equipment from students training fees or raffles and sausage sizzles.

Clubs with a lot of new equipment have often taken advantage of an easier option: applying to Charitable Trusts for a funding grant. These Charitable Trusts are situated throughout New Zealand and they receive a portion of all proceeds from gambling (gaming machines). The proceeds have to be distributed back to community groups and amateur sports clubs. Each year this amounts to millions of dollars.

The trusts often print a list of all the applications they have approved in the national papers. I am always disappointed at how few of our clubs have applied for funds. Other sports are well represented such as bowling, rugby, soccer and netball, and they frequently receive grants – often for large amounts. As the gaming machine money has to be given back to the community, we may as well put our hands up for a share.

There have been funding articles in Taekwon-Do Talk before but still there are only a few clubs making applications. The application process is not difficult, yet the rewards can be great for your club and its students.

As an example my club has received grants totalling $25,000 towards sparring gear, safety mats, International Instructors course fees and travel costs for our students competing at the World Championships. Obviously our success with applications means we can reduce the expenses and costs to our students. Our club would have to sell a lot of sausages or raffle tickets to raise an equivalent amount, which is why I believe applying to a Charitable Trust is one of the easiest methods.

ITFNZ recently formed a new committee for Sponsorship and Funding. The aim of this committee is to encourage and help our clubs make the most of the funding opportunities available. A representative will soon be selected in your region that can help you with the application process.

A list of the Charitable Trusts in your region can be found on the SPARC website www.sparc.org. nz. An application form can usually be downloaded directly from the trusts website.

For each application you will need:

• a completed application form
• a pleading letter – Why you are applying for funds.
• a letter of resolution from your club’s committee
• two recent competitive quotations from suppliers
• a printed deposit slip for your club bank account
• proof of affiliation to ITFNZ (a printed club list from the ITFNZ website is acceptable)
• ITFNZ Certificate of Incorporation (which can be supplied by the Sponsorship and Funding Committee)

Your club also needs to be formally set up with a constitution and a committee with a secretary and president. (Refer to the article on page 10.) This is not difficult, and once formed it means you can start applying to the charitable trusts.

Once you send a completed application to the trust you should receive an answer within two to six weeks. They may ask for more information, or they will let you know if your application has been successful or declined.

If your application is successful the grant money will be deposited directly into your club account. You can then purchase the equipment from one of the suppliers whose quotes you forwarded in your application. The grant money must be used for the purpose stated in your application. If the purpose has changed, you must contact the trust to get their approval before spending the money.

A receipt and a thank you letter must be sent to the trust after the money has been spent. It is also useful to send photos of your students using the equipment as this can help develop a relationship with a trust. A copy of the application and all correspondence must be kept for your club’s records.

I hope this article has encouraged you to consider applying to a Charitable Trust. If you need help or advice with funding please contact sponsorship@itfnz.org.nz. A full sample application form is available by emailing this address.

I would also like to keep records of club funding applications, so we can improve our success rate in future. If your club applies for funding, please email sponsorship@itfnz.org.nz with the name of the Charitable Trust, the purpose of the funding, the amount sought, and the amount received.