Support Pony Club with the 2025 Regional Challenge for the USPC Annual Fund

By Liz Moyer, USPC Fundraising and Marketing Coordinator

Get ready to support Pony Club through the 2025 Regional Challenge for the USPC Annual Fund, which kicks off on May 1. 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: Our goal for the 2025 USPC Annual Fund is $350,000.

Regional Goals: We want each region to help us reach and surpass our Annual Fund goal. Working together we know we can do this. The more each region raises, the more it will receive back.

A Great Way to Support in Pony Club

Who: All 40 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 that 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.

When: This year’s Regional Challenge kicks off on May 1 and runs through October 1, 2025.

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: Click “DONATE” on the Pony Club website or select the Regional Challenge tile on the homepage any time between May 1 through October 1, 2025.

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 2025 Annual Fund Campaign!

What is the Regional Challenge for the USPC Annual Fund?

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 USPC clubs and centers to make a donation;
2. Encourage 100% of USPC 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 USPC 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 alumni, 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 and to friends and family.

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.

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 [email protected]

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 toward the 2025 USPC Annual Fund, which has a goal of $350,000. The Annual Fund is a vital piece of funding for the entire Pony Club organization. The Annual Fund supports all areas of Pony Club, including education, testing, training, special events, promotions, technology, communications, and more, 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 2025 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 during the challenge dates will count toward the Regional Challenge.

Donations made after the Regional Challenge ends will count toward the overall Annual Fund goal of $350,000, 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 to support Pony Club 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 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 October 1, 2025 to count toward the Regional Challenge.

Get ready to support Pony Club.

Look for more details as the 2025 Regional Challenge to support the USPC Annual Fund progresses and follow the leaderboard throughout the Challenge. There will be prizes, including registrations to the 2026 USPC Convention, and more.