Your Gifts and Generosity Make a Difference!

The Puerto Rican Figure Skating Federation is a non-profit 501 (C)(3) organization. We are dedicated in creating an athletic option to the children of Puerto Rico and in the US , in a sport they would never  have access to. We are committed in fostering the development of competitive athletes in the world of Figure Skating and to the development of the kinds of programs that will enable some of the children to have alternative options in both career and future earning potential.

Your gifts of generosity will enhance our service, sports education, and program development. This is a wonderful opportunity to make a lifetime difference for a child who wishes to learn this sport and potentially become an elite competitive international figure skater.

Charitable contributions are available - giving recognition to you as a donor. Now is the time to make a donation in support of the mission of the PRFSF.

The PRFSF is a non-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue tax code.  All contributions made are fully recognized as charitable, tax deductible donations. 

Sponsorship

The PRFSF, a non-profit, Puerto Rican organization, seeks both individual and corporate sponsors. Contributions may also be designated for an individual skater through our "Adopt-A-Skater" program and the Future Puerto Rican Championship Fund. Please call the PRFSF directly for more details on these program.

Corporate Sponsorships

All skating fans have, from time to time, heard stories about skaters riding their bicycles miles to and from the rink, skating in old broken down skates, and even being forced to leave the sport due to the great financial burden. Here is our chance to help. While the most famous certainly make money, the up-and-comers often rely on donations and sponsorships.

Specifically, funds are needed for:

• Athlete training expenses - Annual training costs per athlete are about $30,000.
• International competition expenses - The cost of sending an athlete to an international competition is about $8,000+ depending upon location.
• National Championships - Ice rental, judges' expenses (travel, hotel and food), and administrative costs (program materials, signage, etc.) adds up to around $60,000.
• Website - The annual cost of the PRFSF website averages $4,000 per year.
• Administration - The basic administrative costs of the PRFSF office are $120,000 per year.

  The PRFSF is very appreciative of all contributions, big or small. The PRFSF works closely with all sponsors and contributors  to make sure that in return, credit for their generosity is given. For example, the PRFSF can:
   

  • Include the sponsor's logo on the PRFSF website.
  • Incorporate the sponsor's logo on PRFSF promotional and program materials.
  • Place corporate signage at all PRFSF activities, including its national championships.
  • Website - note the names of contributors and sponsors.
  • Allow PRFSF athletes to participate in the sponsor's print, media and internet promotions.
  • Permit appearances of PRFSF athletes at corporate events.
  • Include sponsor information in press releases.
    We can provide your business with a custom sponsorship package and work with you on other ways to show your support!

      Approximate Competitive Skaters Budget

• Coach fees = $15,000
• Choreographer fees = $2,400
• Music = $270
• Costumes = $1,200
• Practice clothes = $825
• Office training (ballet, gymnastics, etc.) = $5,500
• Travel to and from the practice rink = $600
• Food and lodging at competitions = $5,000
• Travel expenses for coach = $9,000
• Hotel and tickets for family at a competition = $6,000
• Photography and videotaping = $275
• ANNUAL TOTAL = $43,470

Volunteer Help

As a young federation establishing itself in the ISU World of Figure Skating with potential sponsors, and individual donors, we seek the support and ideas from parents and coaches to assist us in meeting the financial requirements in support of our young athletes.

We welcome volunteer help from parents and coaches and the community and any ideas in fundraising initiatives. Please send us an email: volunteer@prfsf.com or FAX: 1-730-739-6601 attention: Volunteer Help

Complete the following form to offer volunteer help:

* = Required Field

Athlete Sponsorships / Other Kinds of Sponsors

Sponsorships are agreements between the sponsor and the athlete only. The Puerto Rican Figure Skating Federation is not involved in this agreement, however, we will provide support in obtaining sponsorship by way of supporting materials and communication. This section gives you guidelines for sponsorship arrangements and includes a link to download the Sponsorship Information packet.

The only time the athlete should question their eligibility is if the sponsor asks you to participate in an event that is not sanctioned by PRFSF. If this occurs, the athlete can still accept the sponsorship if they complete a form called the Eligible Skater's Compensation Agreement (ESCA). Once this is completed, submitted and approved by the Executive Director, the athlete's eligibility will be protected. Click Here for information regarding the Eligible Skater's Compensation Agreement.

Eligible Skater's Compensation Agreement (ESCA)

Please note the following change: If you are participating in an event worth $150 or more, the contractor is required to pay a 10 percent processing fee.

The eligibility rules of PRFSF and the ISU prohibit skaters from participating in any skating competitions or events not sanctioned by PRFSF or the ISU. The purpose of the Eligible Skater's Compensation Agreement is to provide the vehicle whereby skaters may enter into an arrangement providing financial assistance while still protecting their eligibility to compete in Puerto Rican Figure Skating, ISU. or Olympic competitions.

Prior to participating in an unsanctioned event, please complete and submit via fax at PRFSF (703) 739-6601, sports resources coordinator, for the approval of the executive director. Once the agreement has been approved, a copy of the signature page will be sent back to you for your files.

Sponsorship
The most important question sponsors ask is, "Can I get tax benefits from this?" Well, it depends on whether this is a business or a personal sponsor. If the sponsor is a private person wanting to assist the athlete with their expenses, then the answer is no. If the sponsor is a business wanting to sponsor the athlete, then yes they can get tax benefits. Tell them to talk to their accountants to find out the best way for them to handle the sponsorship. One option for a business to get tax benefits from a sponsorship is to use the athlete as an advertisement since advertising can be a tax write off for a business. Examples of how to do this is to have the athlete carry a duffel bag with the business logo on it, or the athlete can wear a warm-up suit with the logo on it and this is considered advertising. This is just an idea; the best suggestion is to have the business check with their accountants regarding the specific laws and regulations.

Other questions are, Can the sponsor donate to the Memorial Fund and earmark it for a specific athlete to receive the tax benefits from the Memorial Fund's non-profit status? The answer is no, you can not donate to a nonprofit organization and earmark it for a specific person. The business can donate to the Memorial Fund, but the money will be put into a general account and distributed to many Puerto Rican Figure Skating athletes. The same applies when donating to a club with non-profit status; you can donate to the club but not a specific athlete. The money will go into the club's general account and be allocated according to the requests of the club's Board of Directors.

How does the athlete accept the sponsor's money? The athlete may have a "skating account" that the sponsor can write checks to or they can simply make the check payable to the athlete. Again, this is a decision for the athlete and sponsor.

Please Click Here to download the Sponsorship Information and Suggestions packet. This packet gives very valuable information regarding sponsorships and how to acquire them. This information is useful for single, pairs, dance and synchronized team athletes alike.  Click below to provide immediate sponsorship via PayPal.

Beginners Information
Just beginning in the sport of figure skating? Here are a few basic ideas to help fund some of your expenses.

The following are ideas for athletes and their parents regarding assistance early in their careers.

• Ask your skating club what monies, if any, they have budgeted to assist its skaters.
  
  
• Inquire with service clubs or organizations within your city that may have sponsorship funds available to young people. Some examples are the Kiwanis Club, Lions Club, Rotary, Knights of Columbus or even your church or school.
  
  
• Create a fundraising campaign that can help you raise money for training such as bake sales, garage sales, car washes, etc.
  

Etiquette
Donating money to a skater is probably something new for many of you. In order to help ease the process, I have included some general tips as well as some personal accounts of those who have acted as sponsors in the past.

TIPS

• No gift is too small. Every dollar makes a big difference!
  
  
• You can decide how you want to structure your donation. You can give money in one lump sum or you can send monthly checks. There are no rules. It is up to you and whatever makes you comfortable.
  
  
• You are donating money out of the goodness of your heart, not because you expect anything in return.
  
  
• While some skaters may choose to establish a personal relationship, they are under no obligation to do so. Do not donate to someone as a way of becoming friends.
  
  
• Do not donate money to a skater if you will be upset by the results of that person's next competition. You are helping to support someone you admire, not investing in a commodity.
  
  
• Donations to established training funds are often tax deductible while money given to individual skaters typically is not.

Personal Account #1 -- Anonymous
Before I sent my first check to a skater, I spoke to some skaters and other people who have helped out skaters, and learned that etiquette is a big part of donating. After all, since my intention was only to help, I didn't want to inadvertently make the skaters uncomfortable. These are some questions I asked.

How Much Should I Send?

Money sent to skaters should be solely from spare funds you won't be needing at all, and you should set up guidelines based on your own finances about how much to give. For example, if you have a certain amount each month that is not earmarked for living expenses or savings, you might decide on 20% of that. It can become tricky if you don't set up rules for yourself, because helping out skaters can become very addictive, especially when you know the skaters are in need. But it's best for both you and the skater if you take care of your own financial needs first.

Of course, you should let the skaters know what to expect: is this a one-time donation? A monthly or annual check? I am not rich at all. I worried that if I sent money, it would be such a small amount that the skaters would be insulted, or they'd laugh. I asked what amount would be too small, and the answers I got ranged from "a nickel" to "$20." Okay, I could afford at least $20. I could also pool $5 here and $10 there with my friends to send all at once. Once I asked around, I found that even people without a lot of money were willing to chip in that much for a skater whose work they'd enjoyed.

What Should I Send with the Check?

I make sure to write accompanying letters about what, in this person's skating, moved me to want to help. After all, the focus is on the skating, rather than the money. The skaters work year in and year out, but only a very few get to show their work to a wide audience, so it's good for them to know they're appreciated.

What Is the Skater's Responsibility To Me?

I think of the money I send as my gratitude for how much joy the person's skating has brought me already, not as down payment on that person's future skating. I was warned early on about something very important: no matter how much you donate, even if it's $50,000 a year there is absolutely no guarantee that it will affect a skater's competitive results. So many factors go into competition that results cannot be predicted. It is not the best mindset for either you or the skater, if you see your assistance in terms of an investment that you hope will pay off. The skater might get the flu. They might decide to quit skating. They might have an off day at a competition who knows. Be honest and protect yourself by making sure you will not be too emotionally affected if such things happen. That's the nature of the sport.

A check to help with training costs is not an investment, and it is definitely not a loan. It is a gift. Gifts are given freely out of goodwill, or a desire to please someone. According to Miss Manners, the ONLY thing a gift requires in return is a thank-you note. Here are some things that skaters are NOT required to give in return: regular correspondence, personal appearances, backstage passes, their e-mail or home addresses, private information, their friendship. In some instances the skater may choose to establish more contact than a simple thank-you, but that is entirely their choice, and theirs alone.

Elite skating is so expensive, it's difficult to understand where the money will come from. But as all skaters and skating fans know, there is nothing in the world like this sport. I've found it incredibly rewarding to know that even in my own small way, I can help talented athletes pursue their dreams.

Personal Account #2 -- Ann Jensen, supporter of Christina Connally

I know that other sponsors have warned against expecting a personal relationship with the skater or the family, but my experience was slightly different. A friend had admired Christina's skating at the Nationals in San Jose. My friend threw a stuffed animal to her. Christina responded with a thank you card. My friend began corresponding with Christina. The next Nationals were in her hometown. Her family had been very lovely to us and made our visit very enjoyable. My friend wanted to help support Christina's skating but did not know how to ask. I simply asked Christina's mother how we could help. She gave us the address for the Skater's trust and we started making donations. We are very friendly with the whole family at this point, and have spent quite a large amount of time with them.

As far as etiquette goes, I would encourage people to never be shy about asking if you can help support a skater. If they don't need money (and it has been my experience that 99% of them do), they may need some other sort of support. As far as how much to give, that is completely up to you. Even if you cannot afford much, any lessening of the burden can help. I picked an amount I knew we could budget for every month and set up an automatic payment. Depending on her cash flow, my friend would send more some months than others. If you know what rink they skate at, you can just buy them some ice time. You could get them credit at a shop where they get their equipment or costumes. You do not need to give them thousands. All you are trying to do is show support for a skater you like.

In general, I would encourage you to expect nothing but a "thank you". Do not go into this because you think a skater will go to the Olympics. Do not go into this because you want to be best friends with a skater. Do not go into this because you want input into a skater's costumes, or programs or anything else. Go into this because you love the sport and you want to support this skater in this sport. Anything else you get is a bonus. The thrill of being able to do more than clap is all you can count on.

Personal Account #3 -- Sandra Loosemore, former sponsor of Michael Chack

I was Michael Chack's sponsor during the last three years of his eligible career. I initially got hooked up with him from having sent him a couple of fan letters, first after 1995 Nationals, and then again in early 1996 when he'd missed the season due to injury and I'd heard rumors that he had decided to retire. I thought I ought to put my money where my mouth was, so I told him that I very much wanted to see him skate again and that I was willing to give him some funding if he was going to remain active in the sport. As it turned out, Michael had already decided that he wasn't ready to quit yet after all.

Sponsoring a skater can be incredibly rewarding from a personal perspective, but you have to do it out of a motivation of just wanting to help the skater compete and stay in the sport, and nothing more than that. It's not an investment. You are funding the process, and not the results. Michael's comeback didn't turn out to be as brilliant as we had hoped, but I did get to see him skate three more years, and I think that in leaving competitive skating now he is at peace with himself and his career in a way that he wouldn't have been if he'd quit in 1996.

Overall, the experience was good enough that I'm planning to continue being involved as a sponsor of other skaters now. It's a way for me to give back to the sport. I also find the enthusiasm of the young skaters, and their love of skating, to be a refreshing contrast to the politics and commercialism at the higher levels of the sport.

In terms of general etiquette for funding skaters, I think there has to be a distinction made between small gifts, say $100 or less, and cases where you are giving hundreds or thousands of dollars to a skater.

Think of a smaller gift as just a way to say "thank you for your lovely skating". You can simply send your check with a letter or card, with no other formalities. As a gift, it carries no obligation to the skater except a "thank you".
If you are thinking about paying a significant portion of a skater's training expenses, though, the "rules" are somewhat different. While a skater would probably be pleased and flattered to get a check for $100 in the mail from an unknown fan, $1000 would probably completely overwhelm them. They might wonder what your motives are, or what they're expected to do in return. So you should talk to the skater about it first; and, if she is a minor, I think you should absolutely go through her parents, coach, or an official from her club first. It's not unreasonable for you to ask to see a training budget in deciding how much to give, or to arrange to pay for specific expenses (ice time, coaching, costumes) directly, but it's also not unreasonable just to give the money to the skater and let them decide how to use it, which is the way I've handled it.

No matter how much money you give, remember that you are just paying for the skater to skate, and not for the privilege of becoming their friend, parent, or coach. Don't think of it as "buying" personal contact with a skater, or a license to interfere with their training arrangements. Let the skater decide how much contact they want with you. In a lot of cases, I think the skaters enjoy the attention and will seek out your approval and even advice, but if they have a lot of supporters it just might not be practical for them to have much personal contact with any of them. (For example, think of Todd Eldredge or Kim & Wayne Seybold, who were supported by community fundraising efforts in their respective home towns.) And it's also reasonable for the skater to prefer to keep sponsorship a business arrangement. Again, let the skater decide what they feel comfortable with and have time for.

Finally, a bit of legal stuff. Money sent directly to skaters as an outright gift isn't tax-deductible for you and isn't taxable income for them. On the other hand, if you want to arrange a form of commercial sponsorship where you pay a skater in exchange for them performing services (such as making personal appearances for your business), not only is the income taxable for them, but you must get the USFSA to approve the contract before any money is exchanged; otherwise, you could cost the skater their eligibility to compete.