Fundraising Credits: Answers to FAQs

  • Why does the Valley Royals Track & Field Club reward athletes with Fundraising Credits?  The club gives Fundraising Credits, 50% of the fundraising profit earned by athletes, to help each athlete pay for their Entry Fees because we are working to build a strong culture of fundraising and want to encourage our athletes to take part.  
  • There are lots of fundraisers to choose from. Which one earns the most fundraising credits?  The fastest way to fundraise is to get a Sponsorship for the Club because a sponsorship is larger (ranging from $100 to $10,000) and there is no cost for products which have to be deducted to find the profit margin.
  • If I get a Fundraising Credit for 50% of the profit does that mean I get to keep some of the money that I fundraised?  No, the club gets all of the money that has been fundraised by each athlete.  All of the money goes into the club’s bank account and is accounted for by the book-keeper. 50% of the profit is recorded and tracked by the club administrator for use in paying the athlete’s event entry fees for meets. 
  • If a Fundraising Credit is not money that I get to keep, what is it?  “Fundraising Credits” are not actual money belonging to the athlete but are a “thank you gift” from the Club, tracked by the Club Administrator, that can be used to help the athlete to pay for Entry Fees or the following year’s Club Membership. 
  • Who keeps track of my Fundraising Credits and how can I know how much I have?  Fundraising Credits are tracked by our Club Administrator, Christa.  She will bill you for your Entry Fees at the end of each season and deduct the dollar value of the credits that you have earned.  For example, at the end of the Track & Field Season if the club paid $75.00 for all of your entry fees and 50% of what you fundraised was $40.00 then Christa would email you showing your $75.00 total, $40.00 credit and final bill for just $35.00. If you want to know how many Fundraising Credits you have accumulated contact Christa at [email protected]
  • Do Fundraising Credits expire?  Yes, all Fundraising Credits expire on December 31st each year. They may not be carried forward into the following year.
  • What if I have credits left over after I have paid for all of my Entry Fees for the year?  If you have Fundraising Credits left over at the end of the Fall Season, you can use use them toward purchasing next year’s Club Membership as long as the Membership is purchased before Dec 31st. 
  • Why do Fundraising Credits expire?  If the credits didn’t expire, and carried over into the following year, it would create administrative problems for the Club. For example: An athlete that got thousands of dollars in sponsorship contributions in one year could be taking 50% of that money back from the Club, in the form of a credit, to pay their membership fees and entry fees for years and years. (This would make it difficult for the Club to budget and plan each year). 
  • Am I expected to fundraise even though I could pay all of my Entry Fees myself without the help of Fundraising Credits? Yes, we are a Non-Profit Society that depends on fundraising to help offset the costs and ensure that we can grow to serve athletes in the future. Our Club’s Bylaws state that all members are expected to fundraise. So, even though we don’t specify a minimum fundraising requirement, we encourage and expect athlete participation in fundraising. This helps the club to function well, helps each athlete to save money on entry fees by earning Fundraising Credits, and gets athlete families pulling together as a team by doing creative fundraising events & getting Sponsors for the Club. 
  • Who pays my Entry Fees when I am registering for a race or event and how do I spend my Fundraising Credits on them?  The Club Administrator does registrations and event fee payments to the various organizations hosting races/events. She tracks these fees for each athlete over the course of the season (Track Season or the Fall Season). At the end of each season, she calculates the amount owing for Entry Fees minus the Fundraising Credits that the athlete has accumulated. She emails these details and the total owing to the athlete for payment. The Athlete is responsible to pay for their Entry Fees Total for the Season, and can use Fundraising Credits toward this payment.
  • Are any of my Entry Fees Covered by the Club?  Yes, some Entry Fees are covered by the Club as a gift to all of our athletes. There are two annual “BC Championships” hosted by “BC Athletics” and we want as many Valley Royals athletes to attend these events as possible. To facilitate this, the Club will pay Entry Fees for: up to 3 events/races at the “BC JD Track & Field Championships” for athletes age 8-13 or the “BC Athletics Championship Jamboree” for athletes age 14 & up and the entry fee for the race that the athlete is eligible for in the “BC Cross-Country Championships”. (These “BC Championships” are not to be confused with “High School Provincials”—which are for athletes representing their schools not clubs)
Updated August 2019