Varsity Brands and GoFundMe Announce Exclusive Partnership to Provide Social Fundraising Solution for America's Schools and Sports Teams

DALLAS and REDWOOD CITY, Calif., July 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Varsity Brands, the market leader in sport, spirit and achievement, and GoFundMe, the world's largest and most trusted social fundraising platform, today announced an exclusive partnership to change the way teams raise money for school groups, sports teams, their players, communities and related extracurriculars.

Dallas-based Varsity Brands works directly with schools, coaches and athletes through their core businesses: BSN Sports (the largest team sports equipment and apparel distributor in the U.S.), Varsity Spirit (leader in cheerleading uniform innovation and educational camps, clinics and competitions) and Herff Jones (leading provider of graduation and educational products and services).

Adam Blumenfeld, CEO of Varsity Brands, said, "Coaches and schools consistently identify fundraising as a top priority and unmet need, with the cost to participate in youth athletics and extracurriculars up more than 15% over the past five years while traditional funding sources have declined drastically. Schools, teams, leagues and clubs need a safe and secure way to raise funds quickly to offset rising program costs, and we believe this partnership will change the paradigm for team and school fundraising forever. The multi-year partnership will pair the reach of Varsity Brand's 1,700 local market sales associates, millions of catalogs and broad digital capabilities with GoFundMe's unmatched awareness, scale and technology. Not only will we be bringing the solution to such a broad market, but we will also be doing it at no cost to the customer."

The partnership will utilize the new GoFundMe Team Fundraising product and include a customized co-branded experience providing teams, schools and coaches the ability to collaborate and fundraise together. The community will also benefit from the same powerful features that make GoFundMe the most trusted brand in the industry, including a 0% platform fee, fast set-up, social sharing tools, renowned customer support and the GoFundMe Guarantee. 

"We're excited to be working with Varsity Brands to bring our new team fundraising product to the school and extracurricular market," said Rob Solomon, CEO of GoFundMe. "With our knowledge and expertise in social fundraising combined with the power of the Varsity Brands market leadership, we look forward to enhancing the fundraising experience for millions of coaches, students and athletes by providing the fastest, easiest and most effective way to raise money."

Exclusive partnership features and a co-branded destination will start rolling out later this summer.

About Varsity Brands 

With a mission to inspire achievement and create memorable experiences for young people, Varsity Brands elevates the student experience, promotes participation and celebrates achievement through three unique but interrelated businesses: BSN SPORTS; Varsity Spirit; and Herff Jones.  Together, with over 100 years of experience in the youth and scholastic markets, these businesses promote personal, school and community pride through their customizable products and programs to elementary and middle schools, high schools, and colleges and universities, as well as club, professional and collegiate sports teams and corporations. Through its 9,000 dedicated employees and independent representatives, Varsity Brands reaches its individual and institutional customers each year via e-commerce sites, catalogs, telesales and direct sales channels.

About GoFundMe

Launched in 2010, GoFundMe is the world's largest free social fundraising platform, with over $5 billion raised so far. With a community of more than 50 million donors, GoFundMe is changing the way the world gives. Find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Contacts
Varsity Brands:
Jon Morgan, Perry Street Communications
Phone:  +1 (214) 965-9955
Email:  [email protected]

GoFundMe:
Heidi Hagberg
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Varsity Brands