Youth Development Fund
The Youth Development Fund (YDF) provides support for activities and initiatives for youth from underserved populations. A population is “underserved” if it encounters a barrier to accessing the sport of Ultimate. Examples of barriers include, but are not limited to, financial need, gender inequity (females currently participate at lower rates than males), and limited knowledge of the sport. The YDF is financed through several means, including tax-deductible donations, fundraising activities, and allocations by the DiscNW Board of Directors from the general DiscNW fund. The YDF is a “restricted fund,” meaning that money placed in the fund can be used only for specified youth activities. These include the following:
- Supplying team and individual scholarships for youth Ultimate events.
- Subsidizing youth Ultimate events targeted at underserved communities, in order to provide them for free or at a low cost.
- Introducing the sport of Ultimate to new youth groups and supporting those groups’ participation.
All DiscNW funding for activities in these categories comes from the YDF. The most current YDF budget and specific examples of activities that have been funded can be reviewed at the YDF Budget Summary page.
Funds may not be used for the following purposes:
- Costs associated with programs that do not involve youth players.
- Costs associated with lobbying activity.
- Costs associated with conducting youth committee meetings.
The fund is administered by the Executive Director (ED), the Treasurer, and the Director of Youth Operations (DoYO), under the direction of the Youth Strategic Committee (YSC). In administering the YDF, the ED, Treasurer and DoYO have the following responsibilities:
- Preparing an annual budget for the YDF.
- Implementing funding initiatives to support the YDF.
- Advertising the availability of YDF funds.
- Presenting requests for YDF funding to the YSC.
- The DoYO and ED will research and provide information to the YSC about the team or individual’s barriers to participation.
- Distributing funds as directed by the YSC.
- Providing fund balance, as well as any information on funds allocated or received in the prior quarter, at the quarterly Youth Strategic Committee meetings.
The YSC has the following responsibilities:
- Providing YDF budget guidance to the DoYO, ED, and Treasurer.
- Developing funding initiatives to support the YDF.
- Making decisions on requests for YDF funds.
In the event that the YSC believes funds are being misappropriated, it may direct the Treasurer to freeze appropriations of funds from the YDF until any issues regarding potential misappropriation are resolved.
The Board of Directors will review fund allocations at least once annually. If the Board believes that funds are being misappropriated, it may override all YSC decisions regarding expenditures from the fund, and it may direct the Treasurer to freeze appropriations of funds from the YDF until any issues regarding potential misappropriation are resolved.
Only the Board of Directors shall have the authority to amend this policy. DiscNW staff and the YSC may make revision recommendations only.
DiscNW also maintains the YCC Scholarship Fund (YCCSF) which is a restricted fund used to offset costs to YCC players.