REACH FOR THE STARS
Together we can level the playing field
A strong team is made of talented players and not privileged players. We are removing the barriers and enabling young boys and girls to join our teams, be trained by coaches and participate in national tournaments.
JUST INR 4200 IMPACTS A CHILD FOR ONE MONTH
The children will receive structured football coaching, jerseys, shoes, insurance, match fees, medical support, food, and transportation to matches.
If you contribute INR 50,000 you will impact one child for an entire year
ABOUT GREAT GOALS
We started Great Goals in 2013 on an inspiration. We were overjoyed by how wholeheartedly parents and children across the city embraced it. We ensured that our coaches emphasized socio-emotional and football skills and our children excelled in local and national tournaments. But something was missing. We wanted every child who wanted to be a part of Great Goals to have access. We wanted to break economic barriers and close gender gaps so that all children who love football could play football.
Great Goals Trust, our sports nonprofit, was established in 2018. We began on a small scale with an invited pool of donors, mostly family and close friends, to birth this program. We began by offering sponsorships for children from low-income families through the Reach for the Stars program to be a part of Great Goals. We began the Just for Girls program for girls who loved football.
In addition to structured football coaching, sponsorships cover uniforms, home and away match kits for team players, shoes, insurance, match fees, medical support, and food and transportation to matches. Children receiving sponsorships are never identified to their coaches or teammates and have the same opportunities to participate and compete as other players.
We have sponsored 50 boys and girls up until now. With your support, we seek to reach hundreds of other underserved children who dream of playing football and basketball.
CASE STUDY
STORY OF RAJU
STORY OF RAINA
SUPPORT US
When we sent out a call for donations in 2019 to support our tournament, a sponsorship student’s mother handed us an envelope with a few thousand rupees and many blessings. If she can find a way to support other children, to pay it forward, to give back, can’t we all?
ABOUT US
Sandhya Rajan, Co-founder - Great Goals and Reach for the Stars
I am a Gold Medalist in Chemistry with a postgraduate degree in Biochemistry, both from the University of Madras. I started my career in R&D in India. I discovered that I had an interest in, and enjoyed, working with children when I started teaching science to children of all ages.
I believe that sport is a wonderful medium for imparting life skills to children. Being the mother of a serious soccer player, I understand what it takes to play soccer at higher levels.
Priya Gopalen, Co-founder - Great Goals and Reach for the Stars
I am an engineer from BITS - Pilani and I hold an MBA from the Asian Institute of Management and a Masters in Public Policy from Columbia University. My professional career as a policy analyst and planner focused on urban poverty, sustainability, and food security in many countries around the world. On returning to India, I focused on enriching children's learning through fun, progressive, and substantive experience.
I learned many of my life lessons on the basketball and volleyball court. Through Great Goals, I hope to provide children with a safe and well-managed platform to learn similar lessons.
COLLAGE
TAX BENEFITS
There are no Tax benefits at the moment. We can apply for 80G status only after we complete one year of operation and file taxes. There are some steps in this process and we hope to secure our 80G status by March 2020.
Risks and challenges
We have funded the scholarships out of our personal funds since we instituted the program. When we reached 50 scholarships we realized we need a more widespread and sustainable funding model.
Not reaching our funding goal will restrict the number of players we can reach. But we will continue to do as much as we can, with the resources available.
FAQs
I want to ensure my contribution goes to a girl. Is this possible?
Absolutely.
How long will the player that I sponsor be with great goals?
Our goal is that the player stays with us through their youth playing career, but things change, priorities change for the player. Our guarantee is that the player is with us for the year and the funds will cover their training for the year.
I can't do an entire scholarship. Can I still contribute?
No amount is too big or too small. Every contribution helps make this a reality.
Will you send me updates on the progress of my sponsored player?
In the interest of the player's dignity, we generally prefer not to identify them. However, if this is important to you, we will work this out. We believe in being accountable, and will work with your request in a way that the player's dignity is also maintained.
How does Crowdfunding work?
Crowdfunding in India is a relatively new concept & is growing very quickly.
It’s a concept that allows a large number of funders (like you) to fund an idea or a cause or event by giving small amounts of money online. Fueladream.com is a crowdfunding platform in India that allows for such pooling of funds. You can fund innovations & ideas on FuelADream and be the first to get these products or make them come true. You can also do a good turn by funding charities and causes through crowdfunding. When you fund a charity it’s more like a donation & you get small innovative rewards like a shout-out on an FB page or a thank you email from the beneficiaries.
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