Support Pony Club with the 2023 USPC Regional Challenge

By Liz Moyer, USPC Fundraising and Marketing Coordinator

Get ready for the 2023 USPC Regional Challenge, kicking off on September 15. This fun challenge supports the USPC Annual Fund and offers the chance to earn money and prizes for your region while you support Pony Club. When you give a leg up, you get a leg up. The more you give, the more you get! Here’s how it works:

Overall goal: $60,000, but we know we can raise more.

Region goal: The sky is the limit! We want each region to help us reach and surpass our goal of $60,000. We are Pony Club, and working together we know we can do this. The more each region raises, the more they will receive back.

We Are Pony Club!

Who: All 41 Pony Club Regions plus friends, families, alumni, neighbors, businesses, and the larger equestrian community.

What: A fun challenge where each Pony Club region will receive 10% back of the total amount raised for their region through a revenue share partnership.  

Let’s see which region can raise the most money, secure the most donors, and support the USPC Annual Fund.

In 2022, more than $4,200 was available to regions through the revenue share partnership.

When: This year’s Regional Challenge kicks off on September 15, 2023. This is the time when clubs and regions will be holding their required annual meetings. The USPC By-Laws 4.3(b)(vi) requires the Regional Council or Sponsors to discuss the value of the USPC national organization and appeal for donations to the USPC Annual Fund at their respective annual meetings.

Where: You can donate online now at https://donate.ponyclub.org/campaign/2023-regional-challenge/c495049

Why: Because WE ARE PONY CLUB! We all love Pony Club and believe in the important lessons that the organization offers to our members and volunteers. There are so many reasons why we should all support the USPC Annual Fund. The Annual Fund closes the gap between what a member pays in dues and what it costs to serve that member. It also supports clubs, centers, and regions with the educational foundation for all USPC members. It is vitally important to show our financial support of the Pony Club mission and to share our love of Pony Club with others outside of the organization.

AND…….each region will be part of the overall success of the Annual Fund Campaign!

What is the Regional Challenge?

It’s a friendly competition and a fun way to encourage everyone to support the USPC Annual Fund and their own regions. We are challenging each region to:

1. Encourage 100% of your clubs and centers to make a donation;
2. Encourage 100% of your members/families to make an individual donation;
3. Encourage all friends, families, instructors, volunteers, grandparents, neighbors, sponsors, and alumni to donate. This is an opportunity to bring in new donors who want to support the organization you are passionate about. Every dollar counts! Let them know why Pony Club is important to you and ask for their support.

Donors can make multiple donations to different regions. You’ll be able to watch your region’s total in real time and see who is in the lead. ANYONE can donate to the Regional Challenge and support Pony Club.

What’s in it for my region?

MONEY, prizes and Pony Club Pride! Every region will receive 10% of the total amount it raises for its region during the Regional Challenge. The more you raise, the more you’ll receive. There will also be special prizes for the region raising the most money and more.

What are we asking you to do?

It’s easy! We will have the online campaign set up, and every region will have their own page. We are asking you to have your region donate to the Annual Fund, and to encourage your clubs, centers, friends, families, instructors, and alumni to donate to the Annual Fund through the Regional Challenge website (once it is live).  We will support your efforts with social media, emails, and mailings to graduates, donors, and friends.

You can share social media posts, create your own on your region’s social media, and forward emails to your clubs and centers.

Make this a fun event and have a regional challenge Zoom party. Invite a USPC staff member or a Development Committee member to join and discuss the importance of supporting Pony Club.

Anyone can donate to the Regional Challenge.

How much does each region need to raise?

As much as you can! The more you raise for your region, the more you will receive back through the revenue share. The overall goal is $60,000, and together we want to meet and surpass that goal for all of Pony Club. If each region raises a minimum of $1,464, we would reach our $60,000 goal, but we know we can do more than that!

Can the region go in and make changes to their online pages?

Pony Club will maintain all the region pages. We will use the region’s logo and text from the region’s website. Some of the text on the pages will be consistent. If a region does not have a logo, we will use the USPC logo. Minor edits can be made once the campaign starts by contacting development@ponyclub.org

You will be able to watch on your page as your donations come in. You can see in real time how much your region has raised and how much more you want to raise.

Where will the money go?

All donations made to the Regional Challenge go towards the 2023 USPC Annual Fund, which has a goal of $284,000. The Annual Fund is a vital piece of funding for the entire Pony Club organization. The Annual Fund supports all areas of Pony Club from education, testing, training, special events, promotions, technology, communications, and the Annual Fund helps to keep member dues at a minimum.

The funds raised by the Regional Challenge are an important piece of the 2023 USPC Annual Fund.

Can a region choose to donate their 10% back to the USPC Annual Fund?

Yes. If a region would like, they can elect to leave their 10% portion in the USPC Annual Fund.

What if donors from our region have already donated to the USPC Annual Fund?

Any donations from individuals made prior to the Regional Challenge dates will count toward the overall Annual Fund goal but will not count toward the Regional Challenge. You can ask donors to make an additional gift during the Challenge dates.

Donations made through the Course Builders monthly giving program do not count toward the Regional Challenge. We ask that our Course Builder donors consider making an additional donation to their favorite region.

Donations made after the Regional Challenge ends will count toward the overall Annual Fund goal of $284,000, but cannot be counted toward the Regional Challenge.

What if a club, center, or region has already made their annual donation to the USPC Annual Fund?

Any donation by a club, center, or region made prior to the Regional Challenge will count toward the 100% participation goal, and the dollar amount will be counted in the overall goal for the region.

If I make a donation when renewing my membership, will it count toward the Regional Challenge?

All donations made through online membership will count toward the overall Annual Fund goal but will not count toward the Regional Challenge. All donations to the Regional Challenge must be made through the Regional Challenge fundraising page.

What if a donor doesn’t feel comfortable making an online donation?

They can simply mail in their donation to The United States Pony Clubs, Inc., 4041 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY 40511. Make sure they let us know which region they would like to support, and we will add their donation from the National Office. All donations must be received by noon EST on December 4, 2023.

What can my region win?

Look for more details as the 2023 USPC Regional Challenge to support the USPC Annual Fund progresses and follow the leaderboard throughout the Challenge. There will be additional prizes, including registrations to the 2024 USPC Convention, and more.