Leveraging sports to help your community
March 18, 2026 | 5 minute read
Large events generate focused, short-term interest and excitement, but you can position your business to benefit from that for an entire season with a local sponsorship. Not only will doing so give your business visibility for months, but it will also demonstrate a commitment to your community and to the values represented by the organization you sponsor. For a sports team, for instance, those might include the pursuit of excellence, determination, team spirit and fair play.
If your business wants to get involved in your community, there are many ways to do so at many different budget entry points:
- Sponsor signage or uniforms for youth sports that include your brand name and logo.
- Donate equipment to either one team or a league.
- Contact a sport’s governing body to find out about existing programs to help, say, underserved communities.
- Offer free promotional services or email marketing.
- Sponsor year-end trophies or even an awards banquet.
- Donate event space.
- Offer discounts on purchases from your business.
- Provide needed services, such as helping maintain fields or fences.
- Offer to buy a team pizza every time they win.
Often, a great way to learn about these opportunities is from community members who participate. Many teams have sponsorship drives when the season starts. Reaching out to local leagues can help you tap into these opportunities.
Bank of America recently announced that as part of becoming the first Official Banking Partner of the U.S. Soccer Federation, to partner with the federation’s community clinics, which use global football to drive social change by supporting youth in underserved communities.
Bank of America is proud to be the Official Bank of FIFA World Cup 2026™.
The FIFA World Cup 2026™ will be hosted in 16 cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States. The 23rd edition of the tournament, which grows to 48 teams, is scheduled to take place between June 11 to July 19, 2026.
Additional information regarding the FIFA World Cup 2026™ can be accessed on FIFA.com. Fans can register for tournament tickets and hospitality information at FIFA.com/tickets.
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