U.S. Athletic Trust Founder: 'New Model Needed in Sport Philanthropy'

Shot putter Augie Wolf graduated college in 1983 with the talent and the ambition to compete in the Olympic Games. In 1984, he achieved a personal best: 71 feet, three and a half inches. He came to the Games in Los Angeles as the U.S. national champion.

Despite this, "I found myself with no financial support," Wolf says. He had had to postpone his career and depend on family and friends for handouts. By contrast, his competition included athletes from countries whose governments or national Olympic committees had provided them with generous stipends for training, travel, and living expenses.

Today, Wolf is a successful Wall Street executive. But for U.S. Olympic hopefuls, he says, "The inadequate state of funding hasn't changed at all."

Until now.

Wolf founded U.S. Athletic Trust in 2000 for two reasons: to raise money for college graduates with good prospects for an Olympic berth and to serve as a role model for reform of American Olympic athlete support.

"U.S. Athletic Trust is the first American 'sport NGO' [nongovernmental organization]," says Wolf. "Our goal is to influence and eventually transform public policy-to overcome the financially uneven playing field on which American Olympic athletes compete."

The 6 percent 'solution'?

Every two years, the summer and winter Olympic Games generate huge sums of money-for broadcasters, advertisers, and officials, not for athletes.

One American TV network spent $3.55 billion to secure the broadcast rights for the 2000 through 2008 Olympic Games. Only a tiny fraction that money is going to American Olympic athletes.

Most Americans think the U.S. Olympic Committee-which calls itself "the custodian of the U.S. Olympic Movement"-helps Olympic athletes attain their goals. But aside from operating three training centers, the USOC in fact provides little direct athlete support.

In 2004, USOC total revenue was $234,141,794, of which about 6.7% went to direct athlete support. Figures are based on the publicly available 2004 IRS Form 990.

"Six percent is not a solution," says Augie Wolf. Not when it can cost an athlete $30,000 a year or more to pay for training, equipment, travel, and living expenses.

A German model

U.S. Athletic Trust is the first American nonprofit whose mission is to provide direct financial support for Olympic-class athletes. But it's not the first organization of its kind.

In Germany, the Stiftung Deutsche Sporthilfe (German Sport Support) helps 3,500 German athletes achieve their Olympic goals. Since its founding in 1967 by industrialist and five-time Olympic medalist Josef Neckermann, Sporthilfe has provided more than $350 million in direct financial support.

"We see the success of Sporthilfe as an inspiration and goal for U.S. Athletic Trust," says Augie Wolf. "

Currently, U.S. Athletic Trust is supporting more than twenty athletes, with plans to support as many as 1,000 each year. "Over time, we expect to equal or exceed the success of our German counterpart," Wolf says.

How U.S. Athletic Trust works

U.S. Athletic Trust accepts athlete applications from future and present Olympians on its Web site, www.USAthleticTrust.org. USAT-selected committees set selection criteria (including need, income, and likelihood to qualify for an Olympic final) and program guidelines, select recipients, and monitor athlete progress.

Once accepted, athletes receive stipends intended to cover monthly living and training expenses. Athletes may also receive assistance with transportation to events, part-time employment, post-career planning, health and life insurance, community-service opportunities, and mentoring.

Athletes must check in monthly on the www.USAthleticTrust.org to provide updates and affirm their adherence to U.S. Athletic Trust rules of conduct. The Web site also provides a link between donors and participating athletes.

For more information about participating in U.S. Athletic Trust as an athlete, donor, volunteer, corporate sponsor, or career coach, send an email to info@USAthleticTrust.org.