Website: www.angelcity.com

Staff Involved: Catherine Dávila - Head of Community

Chris Fajardo - Senior Director of Community Impact

Jessica Smith- Head of Revenue

Jennifer Pransky - Head of Production

Stephanie Rudnick - Head of PR and Communications

Lisa Milner Goldberg - VP, PR

Julie Uhrman, Co-Founder and President

Entry: Angel City Football Club (ACFC) in Los Angeles has revolutionized sports sponsorships by focusing on significant social impact, especially in women's sports, pay equity, and community support. Through an innovative sponsorship model, ACFC reallocates 10% of its sponsorship revenue—totaling $55 million—directly into the community, amounting to at least $5.5 million over three years. This strategy emphasizes social responsibility and community impact, moving beyond traditional branding and marketing.

In just two years, ACFC has reallocated over $2.2 million to various community initiatives. These include delivering 1,212,406 meals with DoorDash, distributing over 237 tons of fresh produce with partners like Sprouts Farmers Market, training 164 female soccer coaches with Gatorade, coaching over 6,700 youth players, distributing 2,000 essential packs with DoorDash and Klarna, running fellowship programs for 19 students with Birdies, donating 22,000 sports bras with Nike, mobilizing over 1,300 volunteers for 4,200 collective hours, and organizing over 960 community events and activations.

ACFC's approach, combining financial responsibility and inclusive community development, has been groundbreaking in its commitment to tangible community benefits, challenging traditional sponsorship concepts. This model has notably empowered women and non-binary individuals in sports and leadership, making ACFC a pioneering force in the sports industry.

Website: www.stlcitysc.com

Staff Involved:

Carolyn Kindle, CEO

Lee Broughton, Chief Brand Architect

Barbra Silva, Director, Community Relations

Kristin Mosley, Director, DEI&B

Courtney Mueller, Director, Public Engagement

Entry: In 1959, St. Louis’ historic Black neighborhood Mill Creek Valley was demolished in the name of “civic progress.” Over 5,000 buildings and 20,000 residents’ stories were largely erased from history. After learning its stadium district is within the former boundaries of Mill Creek Valley, St. Louis CITY SC partnered with Great Rivers Greenway and nationally known artist Damon Davis to create a permanent monument to Mill Creek Valley and its residents.

Located at CITYPARK’s southwestern corner, Pillars of the Valley features hourglass-shaped structures and residents’ names, ages and occupations as a tribute to the people impacted by this racial injustice. Address plaques and plotlines of the homes line its southern walkway, and stories are shared on CITY SC’s website, custom app, and in-game content.

In February 2023, CITY SC and partners brought former Mill Creek Valley residents together to commemorate Pillars of the Valley. CITY SC also partnered with local and national media and community initiatives with Counterpublic 2023 civic arts exhibition and Great Rivers Greenway for ongoing community outreach.

With Pillars of the Valley, CITY SC is shining a light on racial injustice while using public art as a catalyst for continued conversation and change.

Website: Click Here

Staff Involved:

Mayor Brent Latham

Village Manager Dr. Ralph Rosado

Chief of Staff Leo Cosio

Legislative Aide Chris Molina

Entry: This first-of-its-kind tri-party collaboration between North Bay Village, Miami-Dade Public Schools, and the Argentine Football Association constructed transformative recreational facilities and programming that provide green space and healthy lifestyles to children and residents in the North Bay Village community. Unprecedented in scale and innovation, the undertaking brings the life-changing power of sport and recreation through creative partnerships focused on improving lives in underserved communities. This groundbreaking partnership constructed sorely needed recreational facilities including multi-purpose fields, walking paths, and a community center adjacent to Treasure Island Elementary School. Programming like a free after-school program run by experienced coaches provides new opportunities for students and residents. The project leveraged creative public-private collaboration and funding structures to deliver state-of-the-art amenities and accessible sports programming, expanding recreational access for the North Bay Village community. Engaging an international soccer organization brought unique expertise in managing high-quality sports facilities and delivering youth programming. The undertaking pioneered new models for meeting community needs by synergizing public and private resources and capabilities. Impacts span from increased physical activity and public health to improved educational experiences at the elementary school. Ultimately, the partnership embodies innovative thinking and commitment to empowering communities through the unifying power of sports.

Website: www.ussoccer.com

Staff Involved:

Stuart Sharp, Sr. Technical Director, ENT

Jim Moorhouse, Senior Director, ENT

Pascale Rocca, Program Development Manager, ENT

Brittany Barbosa, Social Media Manager, ENT

Entry: When people hear the word adapt, they often think of a person with a disability, but in the context of U.S. Soccer’s Extended National Teams Department, the word "adapt" is meant for everyone. It's for people with and without disabilities. It’s about National Associations, partners, organizations, and society, in general, taking the opportunity to think differently, with inclusive mindsets, thereby creating opportunities for all to experience and "thrive" because of it.

The #ADAPTandTHRIVE program is a first-of-its-kind combination of soccer-based initiatives which aim to impact the disability community. Six creative elements set the program apart and position it as a trailblazer in promoting inclusivity within the soccer community. Its's about empowering the disability community to support leadership and programming in a space that is often underrepresented.

1. ADAPTandTHRIVE Invitational

2. ADAPTandTHRIVE Leadership Course.

3. Young Person’s Working Group

4. ADAPTandTHRIVE Disability Award (presented End of the Year)

5. U.S. Disability Soccer Month

6. Coaching Education

Website: www.orangecountysoccer.com

Staff Involved: Daniel Rutstein, President of Business Relations, Orange County Soccer Club

Entry: In 2019, musician Noah Benardout's life was tragically cut short by a drunk driver. In his memory, the Noah Benardout Foundation was established to combat preventable DUI tragedies. Partnering with the Orange County Soccer Club (OCSC), the foundation launched a campaign to raise awareness of drunk driving dangers in Southern California.

OCSC, where Noah was a huge soccer fan, was centrally located in an area with the third-highest DUI incidents in California, making the issue urgent. The 2023 season-long sponsorship brought several key initiatives:

An enhanced Designated Driver program at every home game.

Awareness training for OCSC staff and players.

DUI awareness messaging is displayed prominently at home games.

Promotion of DUI awareness during game broadcasts and on social media.

OCSC players wore anti-drunk driving messaging and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) armbands.

In September 2023, Marc Benardout, Noah's father, received the 2023 MADD California Civic Leadership Award for his work with OCSC and the Noah Benardout Foundation. Marc praised OCSC's collaboration for addressing these issues effectively during the season, with a sophisticated understanding of DUI prevention advocacy.

Website: Click here

Staff Involved: Shea Salinas, Jed Mette

Entry: To help diversify the grassroots youth soccer ecosystem in the Bay Area, the San Jose Earthquakes, in partnership with the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), launched the Quakes Community Coaching Course. A program designed to address the barrier to licensing that many coaches experience.