2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT 1 WELCOME LETTER CONTENTS After battling through the worst weather related crisis USQ has Welcome Letter 2 ever faced, I will never forget the medal ceremony of USQ Cup 12, Our Organization 4 About US Quidditch 4 in the early hours of Monday, April 15, 2019. Inclement weather Strategic Plan 6 led to a staggering six hour delay on day one of competition. My Programs 12 Membership 12 staff and I were both exhilarated and exhausted by the end of the Events 17 tournament. We had done it. Our volunteers had done it. Our Education & Resources 20 Initiatives 22 teams had done it. Media Coverage 24 Weather is a fact of life for any outdoor sport, Our People 25 and as such, USQ has worked inclement weather Supporters 30 planning into all aspects of event operations. Financials 33 USQ Cup 12 tested all of that prep work. Backup turf fields, a communication plan for getting updates to attendees, alternative gameplay schedules, we used everything in our toolkit to ensure that the event could happen safely and as true to our original plans as possible. To our event staff that weekend and to our partners at the Round Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, thank you so much. You all did incredible work. On May 16, 2019, a brand new award program for year round USQ volunteers—the USQ Services Awards—were presented. Year-round volunteers for USQ for five or more years received this award. In the inaugural year, they were presented to 11 people, many of which worked to help make USQ Cup 12 happen. USQ Service Awards are in recognition of outstanding commitment to the sport of quidditch through the activities and contributions of volunteers. Learn more about the award recipients and the rest of our amazing year round staff on page 26. As part of our increased commitment to financial transparency with staff, members, and donors, we have prepared a new format for financial statements that you’ll find on page 33. As the state of activity shows on page 34, we had a loss of about $41,000 in the 2018-19 season. After large growth in events revenue in the 2017- 18 season, the board authorized more spending to hire additional employees with the hope of achieving similar financial gains in the 2018-19 season. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. USQ’s primary sources of income are from membership and events. Membership revenue continued to trend downward in the 2018-19 season, and events revenue did not make up the gap, in large part due to bad weather that hampered ticket sales at USQ Cup 12. 2 Cover photo by Chris Rothery. Photo above by Mary Kimball. The board and I are committed to ensuring that all future budgets (starting with the 2020-21 season) are revenue neutral, with the ultimate goal of building more cash reserves. We’ve also made a number of internal changes to make it easier for board and staff to review up to date financial statements. Moreover, USQ will be publishing quarterly financial statements beginning in fall 2020. Despite our financial difficulties, the 2018-19 season laid the groundwork for so much of the change that was later implemented in the 2019-20 season. The board, staff, and I remain committed to making this the best league possible for all our members and supporters. Thank you for being a part of this journey. Mary Kimball Current Executive Director (Events Director in 2018-19 Season) “The sport is super fun and interesting. It also let me find the best group of people I’ve ever met.” —A Mid-Atlantic player and referee Photo by HIGH Quality Quid Pics. 3 OUR ORGANIZATION OUR MISSION US Quidditch (USQ) is the national governing body for the sport of quidditch in the United States. USQ advances the sport by organizing events and programs that build community and empower all genders to compete together. OUR VISION We envision a future where every person in the United States is aware of quidditch as a sport and has opportunities to play and engage at all levels. OUR VALUES • We establish the foundation for long-term sustainability through regulations, innovation, and expansion. • We provide competitive opportunities for every level of athlete. • We build a safe, inclusive, and respectful community. • We strive to be a leader in gender inclusivity for all age groups. • We create meaningful community partnerships. • We develop and empower future leaders. A 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010, US Quidditch serves an average of 3,500 athletes and 150 teams each season nationwide and provides a range of programs and services. These include hosting regional and national championships; supervising regular season competition; supporting and certifying referees, snitches, and tournament directors; offering grants; and working to expand the sport into younger age groups through outreach programs at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. 4 “It’s an inclusive community around a very dynamic sport, it’s fun to play and watch, and very welcoming to people at all levels.” —A Northeast player and referee Photos by Chris Rothery and Isabella Gong. 5 Strategic Plan PURPOSE This strategic plan serves as the guiding document of our organization. It typically operates on a three year cycle. It informs our decision-making, program development and budgeting. The strategic plan provides the long-term vision that guides the league’s actions on a day-to-day and month-to-month basis over a set period of years. PREVIOUS STRATEGIC PLAN Our previous strategic plan covered fiscal year ending 2016 to 2018, and had three key priorities: \ Shape and grow the sport of quidditch. \ Strengthen trust in, and identification with, the US Quidditch brand. \ Ensure US Quidditch is organizationally and financially sustainable. In the past three years, we have made great progress, both as a league and as a sport. Our new strategic plan for fiscal year ending 2019-2021 builds on our previous plan, focusing on the priority of shaping and growing the sport of quidditch through sustainable expansion of the league. The development of the league’s second strategic plan began with a review of our previous plan. In looking back at that document, we identified the successes that we had accomplished, as well as areas in which we will continue to improve. The creation of this plan was also informed by data collected from a variety of sources, including responses to the league’s annual member survey and strategic plan survey, one-on-one conversations with key stakeholders, and program and policy analyses. After a review of the data, we identified three key areas of focus around which the plan was built. This plan is based around the central theme of growth: of our programs, of the league, and of the sport. The plan was developed over a series of drafts; the Board of Directors provided input that was instrumental to the process. STRATEGIC PRIORITIES Three strategic priorities and goals will guide USQ’s decision making, resource allocation, and prioritization of work over the next three fiscal years. Each priority is interrelated, and success in one builds on the success of the others. 6 RETENTION Ensuring league stability and sustainability is focused on retention of current members, and providing high quality services and programs. RETENTION STRATEGIES \ Improve member relations and strengthen relationships with current teams. \ Expand competitive opportunities for all members. \ Develop resources and guidance materials for members. \ Make USQ-hosted events more meaningful to participants. \ Increase safety of all participants in quidditch. RECRUITMENT Growing the number of official members in the league and overall size of the sport in the United States involves recruitment of new players and teams. RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES \ Foster organized and sustainable youth play throughout the season. \ Promote opportunities for experienced teams to mentor new teams. \ Broaden fundraising efforts to support growth and expansion of the league. \ Expand the base of volunteers and officials. \ Implement ongoing adaptive measures to address future barriers to entry. REACH Improving communication and marketing will expand the reach of the organization within our community and of the sport in general. REACH STRATEGIES \ Ensure accessibility of the sport and all information and content shared by the league. \ Improve the quantity and quality of communication and feedback opportunities provided to members and other internal stakeholders. \ Increase interactions of non-players with the league through marketing and public outreach efforts. \ Collaborate to expand exposure and coverage of the sport through external communications efforts. \ Expand engagement on social media. 7 Strategic Plan Goal Updates for the 2018-19 Season These are organized by department. OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Overall Goal Strategy Status Notes Conducted a website audit to identify resources needed for members, in addition to compiling Develop resources and guidance Retention survey feedback for suggestions on other materials for members. resources needed. Resources will be developed in the 2019-20 season. Established a public database of all quidditch Implement ongoing adaptive teams, both official members and unofficial teams Recruitment measures to address future by introducing an unofficial team registration on barriers to entry the USQ website. Implement ongoing adaptive Hired two, part-time/temporary roles in spring Recruitment measures to address future of 2019. Membership expansion manager & barriers to entry communications manager. Created a strategic plan follow up survey Improve member relations and to gather feedback from past and current Retention strengthen relationships with members. Feedback included recommendations current teams. on resources, membership structure, and competitive structure. Increase interactions of non- players with the league through Quidditch Alumni Association (independent Reach marketing and public outreach organization) launched in early 2019.