We’re incredibly proud of the work we’ve done at the Over Under Initiative and so grateful to everyone who has supported us along the way. Starting a nonprofit that installs a newly patented product onto government property — and doing so into the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — certainly wasn’t easy, but we made it happen.
Over the past four years, we’ve converted 20 underutilized single-use courts across the United States into dynamic, multi-sport spaces. We’ve done so in refugee shelters, in public housing developments, at public parks, and in schools.
We’re so excited about what we’ve done because we’ve seen that it works. Across every project, the feedback has been overwhelming. “This feels like home,” refugee and immigrant communities across the country tell us. Hearing that kept us going. Some communities reunited with a game they played everyday before moving to the United States, where they learned their favorite sport was impossible to access with out the money to pay league and team fees. Other communities got to experience soccer for the first time. Whether they were falling in love with the game all over again or learning it for the first time, it’s been incredible to see the impact of all our hard work so far.
Now, with the proof of 20 successful courts under our belts, OUI is ready for our next phase, and we need your help to ensure it goes as successfully as possible.
First, we need to gather the support of sustaining donors to cover our $1,500/month operating expenses. That covers bookkeeping, accounting (taxes), hosting our website. It’s not sexy, but it’s a crucial foundation for the next phase. You can become a monthly donor here. Even a $10/month tax-deductible donation goes a long, long way, so please consider it if you can.
Second, we need someone (or a few people) to volunteer to manage some of these operational items. It takes a few hours per week. You can email josh@playoui.org if you’re interested.
Third, we need someone to help address the small maintenance issues as they come up for the Goalpher goals we’re installing. Nowadays, we rarely receive “new” problems, so it’s mostly a matter of navigating our maintenance guide to provide instructions to those overseeing the courts. You can email josh@playoui.org if you’re interested.
Over Under Initiative is committed to its not-for-profit mission of converting courts in areas where underserved communities can benefit and with your financial and volunteer support, we’re looking forward to completing the many other projects that are currently in the development phase, especially in cities where there are big opportunities to build a number of courts for those who could use them.
Thank you for your support.
Much love,
Josh, Kyle, and the Over Under Initiative