Sow Good Now

ENGAGE AND EMPOWER YOUNG ATHLETES TO SHARE THEIR TIME, TALENT, TREASURE AND TIES THROUGH THE SPORTS THEY LOVE TO BENEFIT YOUTH, COMMUNITIES, AND TO REVOLUTIONIZE THE PHILANTHROPIC WORLD

WALTHAM REPORT FOR 990 2021 IN THE SPRING OF 2021, SOW GOOD NOW LED A COLLABORATION WITH THE BRANDEIS WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM, THE SILLERMAN CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF YOUTH PHILANTHROPY, AND THE WALTHAM BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB. THE SOW GOOD NOW LEADERSHIP TEAM AND THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE SILLERMAN CENTER LED THE SOCCER PLAYERS AND COACHES THROUGH VIRTUAL PHILANTHROPIC EDUCATION AND CAUSE IDENTIFICATION. BY MAJORITY VOTE, THE PLAYERS CHOSE SOCIAL JUSTICE AS THEIR CAUSE TO SUPPORT, AND THREE MISSION ALIGNED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WERE IDENTIFIED AS POSSIBLE GRANTEES. THE TEAM SET OUT TO LAUNCH A FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS TO FUND THEIR PROGRAM COSTS AND GRANTMAKING. AS A COMPONENT OF THE ACTIVITY BASED PHILANTHROPIC EDUCATION AND NON-PROFIT EVALUATION PROCESS, PLAYER LEADS CREATED VIDEOS TO HIGHLIGHT THE SCOPE AND IMPACT OF EACH ORGANIZATION. THE PLAYERS ENGAGED THE YOUTH FROM WALTHAM BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB TO WATCH THE VIDEOS, AND THEN BOTH THE PLAYERS AND THE YOUTH PARTICIPATED IN COMMUNITY CENTRIC NONPROFIT EVALUATION. THE BRANDEIS WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM PLANNED AND EXECUTED A FREE SOCCER CLINIC, CALLED A GIVEBACK, AT A LOCAL FIELD (BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY WAS NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO COVID RESTRICTIONS) AND PROVIDED THE YOUTH WITH T-SHIRTS AND SHARED LUNCH TOGETHER. AT THE END OF THE GIVEBACK GRANTS MADE WERE $1000 BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AND $1000 LAWYERS FOR CIVIL RIGHTS. LATER DURING THE SEASON, WHEN COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS WERE LIFTED, THE WALTHAM YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES WERE INVITED TO A BRANDEIS SOCCER GAME AND WERE PROVIDED DINNER AND CELEBRATIONS WITH THE PLAYERS AFTER THE WIN. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THOSE WALTHAM FAMILIES HAD ATTENDED A SPORTING EVENT ON THE CAMPUS OF BRANDEIS. TO PROMOTE A LONG-TERM TRUSTING RELATIONSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY, THE SOCCER TEAM AND WBGC YOUTH HAVE COMMITTED TO ELEVATING THE GIVEBACK EACH SPRING FOR THE NEXT THREE YEAR PER THE PARTY ROLES LISTED BELOW: SOW GOOD NOW'S VISION IS TO RAISE THE NEXT GENERATION OF PHILANTHROPIC ATHLETES. FOUNDED IN 2018, SGN PARTNERS TEAMS WITH YOUTH FROM UNDERSERVED AREAS AND PROVIDES A PLATFORM TO PRACTICE COMMUNITY CENTRIC PHILANTHROPY THROUGH THE SPORTS THEY LOVE. SGN GUIDES AND EMPOWERS PLAYERS THROUGH ACTIVITY BASED PHILANTHROPIC EDUCATION INCLUDING EVENT PLANNING, VOLUNTEERING, FUNDRAISING, NPO EVALUATION, GRANTMAKING AND UTILIZING CHARITABLE GIVING TOOLS. THROUGH SGN GIVEBACK PROGRAMS, SGN EMPOWERS YOUTH TO ASSESS COMMUNITY NEEDS AND IN RESPONSE TO THOSE NEEDS, COLLECT AND ALLOCATE RESOURCES, WHILE BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH DIVERSE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. SPORTS AND PHILANTHROPY ARE NATURAL PARTNERS; THE SGN GIVEBACK PLATFORM ALLOWS TEAMS TO PUBLICLY DECLARE THEIR COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING CAUSES THEY CARE ABOUT AND TO SERVE AS ROLE MODELS FOR OTHERS TO DO THE SAME. SILLERMAN IS COMMITTED TO ENGAGING BOTH YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT CONSTITUENTS IN YOUTH PHILANTHROPY. SILLERMAN AIMS TO DO THIS THROUGH PUBLICATIONS, EVENTS, AND PRESENTATIONS. IN FURTHERING THIS WORK, ONE MAY ASK, "HOW DOES YOUTH PHILANTHROPY DEMOCRATIZE THE SECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY AS A WHOLE?" THIS QUESTION CAN BE INVESTIGATED BY CONSIDERING HOW THE FIELD OF PHILANTHROPY CAN AND SHOULD SHIFT POWER AND HOW YOUNG PEOPLE SEE PROBLEMS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND UNDERSTAND THEMSELVES AS CHANGE MAKERS. IN LINE WITH THIS WORK, SILLERMAN AGREES TO DIRECTLY SUPPORT SOW GOOD NOW THROUGH A MONETARY GRANT, TO HELP FULFILL THIS MISSION. SOW GOOD NOW AIMS TO PROVIDE THE BRANDEIS WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM AND WALTHAM BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN COMMUNITY-DRIVEN AND COMMUNITY-CHANGE EVENTS AND PHILANTHROPIC OPPORTUNITIES. BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY'S WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM: TEAM IS NCAA III, UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION, AND LED BY HEAD COACH, MARY SHIMKO; ASSISTANT COACH, SCOTT WADDELL; AND A DIVERSE ROSTER OF PLAYERS FROM HOMETOWNS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WALTHAM BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB: LOCATED AT 20 EXCHANGE STREET, WALTHAM, MA FOUNDED IN 1937, PROVIDES OUT OF SCHOOL PROGRAMMING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO NEED US MOST, TO REALIZE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL AS PRODUCTIVE, RESPONSIBLE, AND CARING CITIZENS. SERVES YOUTH IN GRADES 2-12 AND PROVIDES ATMOSPHERE THAT ASSURES SUCCESS IS WITHIN REACH OF EVERY YOUNG PERSON WHO ENTERS OUR DOORS, WITH ALL MEMBERS ON TRACK TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL WITH A PLAN FOR THE FUTURE, DEMONSTRATING GOOD CHARACTER AND CITIZENSHIP, AND LIVING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE.

BASEBALL 2021 FOR 990 IN 2021 SOW GOOD NOW CULTIVATED A NEW RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHILADELPHIA BASEBALL TRAINING ACADEMY AND THE ANDREW HICKS FOUNDATION, JR. OF CHESTER, PA IN ORDER TO PRACTICE YOUTH SPORTS PHILANTHROPY AND GROW COMMUNITY AND INCREASE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION THROUGH THE SPORT OF BASEBALL. EARLY IN 2021, SOW GOOD NOW'S LEADERSHIP TEAM ENGAGED THE OWNERS OF PHILADELPHIA BASEBALL TRAINING ACADEMY LOCATED IN NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA AND DEVISED A PROGRAM TO DEVELOP A CULTURE OF COMMUNITY AND SERVICE IN ALL OF THE PLAYERS WHO TRAIN AT THEIR FACILITY AND PLAY ON THEIR BASEBALL TEAMS. SOW GOOD NOW LEADERSHIP HOSTED A SERIES OF MEETINGS WITH THE PBT COACHES AND STAFF, WHICH INCLUDED AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR FROM THE ALHJ FOUNDATION, WHICH SERVES RACIALLY DIVERSE YOUTH IN LOW-INCOME AREAS OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PA, PREDOMINANTLY IN THE CITY OF CHESTER. SOW GOOD NOW'S GIVEBACK PROGRAM AND YOUTH SPORTS PHILANTHROPY EDUCATION ADVANCES PBT'S MISSION TO DEVELOP COMMUNITY FOCUSED ATHLETES WHILE RAISING LONG-TERM OPPORTUNITIES FOR RACIALLY DIVERSE YOUTH IN UNDERSERVED AREAS AND INCREASING DIVERSITY IN ITS PLAYER POPULATION. THE SOW GOOD NOW GIVEBACK PROGRAM INVITED YOUTH OF COLOR AND A DATE FOR THE FIRST GIVEBACK WAS SET. SOW GOOD NOW LEADERSHIP MET WITH THE PLAYER VOLUNTEERS IN ADVANCE OF THE GIVEBACK TO OUTLINE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. THE PLAYERS AND COACHES SET OUT TO FUNDRAISE FOR THEIR EVENT BY SOLICITING CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS AND BY HOSTING A FUNDRAISING NIGHT AT FREDDIE'S BURGERS IN BROOMALL. THESE FUNDS WERE PUT TOWARD THE COSTS OF THE GIVEBACK CLINIC AS WELL AS TRANSPORTATION AND T-SHIRTS. THE PLAYERS HOSTED 27 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AGE YOUTH IN A SKILLS AND DRILLS CLINIC AND SHARED LUNCH AND CAMARADERIE. AN EQUIPMENT DRIVE WAS ALSO HELD AND ALL YOUTH FROM CHESTER WERE PROVIDED WITH A BASEBALL AND BAT OF THEIR OWN. THE PLAYERS AND COACHES ALSO DONATED $1000 TO THE ANDREW L HICKS, JR. FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT THEIR MENTORING PROGRAMS. (DATA ON THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF CHESTER AS PROVIDED BY HTTPS://DATAUSA.IO/PROFILE/GEO/CHESTER-PA/#ABOUT IN 2019, CHESTER, PA HAD A POPULATION OF 34K PEOPLE WITH A MEDIAN AGE OF 31.3 AND A MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF $32,403. BETWEEN 2018 AND 2019 THE POPULATION OF CHESTER, PA GREW FROM 33,977 TO 33,982, A 0.0147% INCREASE AND ITS MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME GREW FROM $30,949 TO $32,403, A 4.7% INCREASE. THE 5 LARGEST ETHNIC GROUPS IN CHESTER, PA ARE BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN (NON-HISPANIC) (67.6%), WHITE (NON-HISPANIC) (17.1%), OTHER (HISPANIC) (5.46%), WHITE (HISPANIC) (3.47%), AND TWO+ (NON-HISPANIC) (2.67%). 0% OF THE HOUSEHOLDS IN CHESTER, PA SPEAK A NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE AT HOME AS THEIR PRIMARY LANGUAGE. IN 2019, THE MEDIAN PROPERTY VALUE IN CHESTER, PA WAS $72,400, AND THE HOMEOWNERSHIP RATE WAS 36.1%. MOST PEOPLE IN CHESTER, PA DROVE ALONE TO WORK, AND THE AVERAGE COMMUTE TIME WAS 22.2 MINUTES. THE AVERAGE CAR OWNERSHIP IN CHESTER, PA WAS 1 CAR PER HOUSEHOLD.)

TENNIS GIVEBACK FOR 2021 990 RADLEY RUN JUNIORS TENNIS AND YOUTH FROM CHESTER, PA SOW GOOD NOW LED A TENNIS GIVEBACK PROGRAM WITH 17 WEST CHESTER AREA HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS PLAYERS TO EXPAND THE CIRCLE OF COMMUNITY AND INCREASE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION THROUGH THE SPORT OF TENNIS. THE GIVEBACK PROGRAM CONSISTED OF A EIGHT WEEK TENNIS RACQUET DRIVE, A DAY OF REGRIPPING ACTIVITY, AND A FOUR-HOUR FREE TENNIS GIVEBACK PROGRAM HELD IN THE CITY OF CHESTER. THE TENNIS PLAYERS, LED BY THE RADLEY RUN COUNTRY CLUB TENNIS PRO AND COMMUNITY MENTORS, PROVIDED 68 YOUTH FROM LOW-INCOME AREAS WITH A TENNIS RACQUET, BALLS AND EXPERT COACHING OF THE GAME AS WELL AS FUN TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES. COLLECTIVELY, 135 VOLUNTEER HOURS WERE COMPLETED BY THE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES. AS A COMPONENT OF THE YOUTH PHILANTHROPY EDUCATION, A SOCIAL MEDIA FUNDRAISING ACTIVITY WAS ALSO COMPLETED AND A GRANT OF $500 WAS MADE TO SHINE TO BENEFIT LOCAL FAMILIES SUFFERING FROM CANCER.

SOW GOOD NOW OFFERED ADDITIONAL GIVE-BACK PROGRAMS INCLUDING SOFTBALL AND VOLLEYBALL. HOWEVER THE VOLLEYBALL PROGRAM WAS CANCELLED BECAUSE OF COVID PROTOCOLS.