Experts see a growing number of female athletes with the financial clout to make significant contributions to the philanthropic world, but they're cautioning them to make sure they don't commit some of the errors made by many male athletes.
"As women's opportunities to perform at a professional level increase — along with increased media coverage and growing salaries — we will begin to see their charitable side grow," said Marc Pollick, president and CEO of the Giving Back Fund.
But Pollick, whose 2-year-old Boston-based organization oversees $5 million worth of charitable foundations established by sports stars, warns the women to "not make the same mistakes as the men."
Pollick and others note that many male sports stars start their own foundations with the right goal — to help the less fortunate. Unfortunately, they quickly find out that "giving money is one thing," said Joe Pierpont, co-executive director of the Association of Small Foundations, "but running a foundation is another."
The Michael Jordans of the world, for instance, can fly through the air and sell cologne, but it takes a different set of skills to run a charitable organization with efficiency.
In March 1996, Jordan's foundation took a public beating when he was forced to close his organization because of "administrative burdens" and inefficiencies.
According to Pollick, Jordan made one of the classic errors in the field by leaving some of the foundation's administration to members of his family. "If you want something done right, you should hire a professional in the field, not family members," Pollick said.
For 80 years, the National Charities Information Bureau has educated the public on the fundamentals that a charitable organization should follow: Create an active and responsible governing body; develop a clear statement of purpose; structure a program consistent with that purpose; pay only for reasonable expenses, ethical publicity, fund-raising and promotional activities; and make sure there's public accountability.
Unfortunately, "few people seek out help and do the needed research" before opening their doors, Pierpont said.
Two women who have sought the help of The Giving Back Fund are professional basketball players Val Whiting and Kara Wolters.
Whiting, a former ABL player who was recently drafted by the WNBA's Detroit Shock team, said she could not find a charity that focused on her hopes of helping young girls from minority communities. So last August, she formed The Val Whiting Foundation in order to accomplish her altruistic goals.
"I want to be hands on, more than a spokesperson," said Whiting, "but I also realize that I needed help."
Another great athlete, Billie Jean King, successfully founded the Women's Sports Foundation and is currently developing her own charitable organization (in her name). This time she is seeking professional advice.
"This one will go beyond sports," said Mike Hoffman, owner of Mike Hoffman Associates, a New York-based fund-raising company that is heading King's efforts. "It will focus on equal opportunity for all."
Although King has donated seed money in the six-figure range to get the ball rolling, she is smart enough to join forces with an already established Arizona community-based foundation in order to ensure her effort's success.
Still, not all female athletes are seeking professional advice. Dawn Staley, a former ABL player recently drafted by the WNBA's Charlotte Sting, formed The Dawn Staley Foundation in 1996. "I like to have a hand in everything I am doing and don't like turning it over to someone else, which probably has stunted its growth," said Staley.
With the majority of funding coming from her sponsor, Nike Inc., Staley anticipates "starting off small" and eventually hiring a manager to oversee the daily operations of the organization.
Other philanthropic efforts by female athletes, such as Cynthia Cooper's Mary Cobbs Building Dreams Foundation and Bonnie Blair's Bonnie Blair Charitable Gift Fund, are still in their infancy.
With only a handful of women athletes in a position to establish their own foundations, it is crucial that they start off on the right foot.
"The women do not have to go down the same path as the men," Pierpont stressed. "Their instinct to 'do the right thing' is present, but they need to remember that being successful off the court, just like on the court, requires putting the correct team members together and making everyone accountable."
Ellen Zavian, a professor of sports and entertainment law at American and George Washington universities, may be contacted at zavian@deniz.com.
