Introducing Elevate 2028: USA Triathlon Foundation’s 2023-2028 Strategic Plan

February 28, 2023

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The USA Triathlon Foundation today unveiled Elevate 2028, the organization’s 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, which outlines the path toward increasing philanthropic support, encouraging a culture of philanthropy, and providing a greater impact for donors and members of the multisport community.

The USA Triathlon Foundation raises funds for and makes grants in support of three pillars – encouraging youth participation, inspiring pathways to access and inclusion, and igniting Olympic and Paralympic dreams – to advance its mission and create a direct line to individuals, organizations and initiatives across the country that are dedicated to transforming lives through swim, bike and run.

“Elevate 2028 lays out the USA Triathlon Foundation’s holistic approach to fundraising, from creating and enhancing meaningful opportunities to support, developing a culture of advocacy, bringing philanthropic impact to life, and maintaining operational and financial stability, among other areas,” said Alex Egan, Chair of the USA Triathlon Foundation Board of Trustees. “The USA Triathlon Foundation Board of Trustees is looking forward to helping create a brighter future for our sport and community through philanthropy.”

USA Triathlon Foundation’s Pillars

Encourage Youth Participation: Funding towards this pillar helps develop and cultivate youth-centric coaches, clubs and events around the United States to enable kids to practice and train in camps, and participate and race with each other. The goal is to build connections around the country between schools, clubs, coaches and race directors to offer training opportunities, equipment and resources, and to create the next generation of multisport athletes and leaders.

Inspire Pathways to Access and Inclusion: Funding towards this pillar delivers resources for Together, We Thrive – USA Triathlon’s diversity, equity, inclusion and access initiative. It empowers individuals to experience the virtues of multisport and provides opportunities for members of underrepresented populations, adaptive athletes, and women to realize their athletic dreams and progress through leadership pathways in the sport.

Ignite Olympic and Paralympic Dreams: Funding towards this pillar enables the United States to achieve unprecedented global triumphs by building sustained success at the sport’s highest level and helping athletes reach their performance goals. USA Triathlon and its athletes do not receive government funding and USA Triathlon relies on the generosity of its community to develop a world-leading triathlon and paratriathlon talent identification and development program to identify, cultivate and train the best talent in the U.S. and the next generation of Olympians and Paralympians.

“We’ve seen extraordinary growth in both fundraising and grant making, and that is a credit to the passion of the thousands of individuals, families and organizations across the country who care deeply about the sport and community,” said Dr. Gabe Cagwin, President of the USA Triathlon Foundation and USA Triathlon Chief Advancement Officer. “But we have a lot of work still to be done and Elevate 2028 will guide us toward our lofty goals and the ensuing transformational impact we can collectively have.”

To develop Elevate 2028, the USA Triathlon Foundation assembled a working group representing the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, USA Triathlon’s Board of Directors, USA Triathlon and Foundation leadership teams, donors and athletes. A professional facilitator with deep experience in fundraising and the Olympic and Paralympic movement guided the conversations. USA Triathlon CEO Victoria Brumfield led the process, which began in May 2021 and culminated in December 2021, and covered all aspects of the Foundation, from its mission and vision statements to its pillars of support to its strategies and tactics.

To successfully advance the USA Triathlon Foundation’s mission and vision through 2028, the organization will focus its time, energy and effort in three key areas. Each area of focus is bolstered by specific strategies, which are outlined in detail within Elevate 2028. USA Triathlon will play an important role in supporting these three key areas.

• Maximize Best-in-Class Donor Development: Ensure meaningful experiences and provide customized opportunities for donors to give to a cause they believe in, have an affinity for and are passionate about.
• Enhance Awareness, Engagement and Connection: Convey the mission and share the value of the Foundation, drive philanthropic support for its pillars, and inspire a culture of philanthropy throughout the triathlon/multisport community through storytelling, experiences and personal communication.
• Ensure Financial Stability: Focus on financial growth and operational excellence to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the sport and those we serve.

To view Elevate 2028, USA Triathlon Foundation’s 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, in detail — including background and context, guiding principles, areas of focus, and strategies — click here.

About the USA Triathlon Foundation

The USA Triathlon Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and the charitable arm of USA Triathlon. With its mission to transform lives through sport by providing opportunities to swim, bike and run, the Foundation serves to generate a greater impact on the multisport community through charitable giveback and grants that advance the Foundation’s three pillars: (1) Encourage youth participation; (2) Inspire Pathways to Access and Inclusion; and (3) Ignite Olympic and Paralympic dreams. Since the Foundation was established in 2014, it has impacted the lives of thousands by providing grants to organizations and individuals in pursuit of its mission and pillars to create a healthier United States through triathlon. To learn more about the Foundation and get involved, please visit usatriathlonfoundation.org.