SDF Scotland

The Sports Development Foundation Scotland (SDFS) is a registered Scottish charity,[1] and company,[2] established to increase the finance available to Scottish sporting organisations by raising money through donations from individuals and companies directly to their specific projects of choice.

Activities

The Sports Development Foundation Scotland identified a gap in funding that is available in the development of proposed sports facilities by sporting organisations where there is a desire to produce more expensive and more profitable facilities in the development of Scottish sport. Although there has been limited finance available in development of facilities for local sports organisation and the greater community.

In the early development stages, professional fees to develop the projects such as architectural, surveying, business planning, etc, are potentially unavailable to develop a project for a sports organisation, so that the project can be developed and then apply for other forms of funding. The charity has been developed so that these professional fees can be paid.

There are no limits on the funds that can be raised by the sports organisations, or the number of times a sports organisation can use the charity to raise capital to finance future projects.[3] The Sports Development Foundation Scotland endeavours and develop links with other funding organisations to maximise the funding available to the projects development. The SDFS also lobbies government to raise the profile of sports funding, and collaborate on private / public sector funding where the government may seek an element of private sector funding.

History and development

The SDFS was originally founded in Scotland, and incorporated on 16th November 2006 at Companies House.[4] It was formed through the Hunter Centre at Strathclyde University, and with the help of the Scottish Institute of Enterprise. On the 10th December 2007, the charity changed it name from Better Stadia Developments Scotland (Charity) Limited, to the Sports Development Foundation Scotland. The charity is based in Glasgow.

The Sports Development Foundation Scotland has delayed fund raising and marketing the service that is provided to sports organisation because of the delay in the development of the website and waiting to discover the progress of the charities first project.

The first project

The Sports Development Foundation Scotland started to make links through those involved in Scottish sport. Although no advertising at present has been done to increase the number of projects initial until the website is completed. Through one of these links the charity has been in the process of developing the inaugural project.

The inaugural declaration in the Scottish Parliament

On the 23rd January 2008, the following motion was put to the Scottish Parliament, regarding the Sports Development Foundation Scotland, by Michael McMahon MSP.

{{cquote|S3M-1360 Michael McMahon: The Sports Development Foundation Scotland

That the Parliament welcomes the creation of the Sports Development Foundation Scotland (SDF), a new charity based in Glasgow, Scotland which has been formed with the aim of increasing funding for local sports facilities by allowing individuals and companies to donate directly to a specific sports project either by location or type of sport that they enjoy; notes that the sports projects will then be showcased on the SDF website; recognises that this is a cost-effective way of providing capital for grassroots sports facilities which will be available to all local sports clubs throughout Scotland, and believes that the charity should be considered by the Scottish Executive for any future sports projects where an alternative method of financing could be appropriate.[5] [6]

Fundraising

The Sports Development Foundation Scotland is designed to take funding not just from local business and individuals but, where appropriate, international donations. The SDFS has been established to showcase projects on the charities' website, and accept donati