WMBA Foundation

The WMBA is pleased to announce that it has created a new charitable arm of the league with the formation of the Winnipeg Minor Basketball Foundation, Inc. The WMBA has evolved as a league to fill a significant void in Winnipeg for developmental and elite basketball in a league format. With over 4,000 children playing in either fall, spring or Rising Stars leagues throughout the city, the WMBA represents one of the three largest sporting associations in Winnipeg. Although the league has only been in existence for 6 full seasons, volunteers in the WMBA have always thought in terms of leaving a legacy to the children of Winnipeg. 

In this regard, the concept of a charitable foundation was conceived that would be established to initially fund the following concepts: 

1. Six outdoor court complexes - one in each of the six districts located in Winnipeg.
2. Scholarships for deserving students attending higher levels of education, who have played, refereed or coached in the community club league. Funding may also be set aside for disadvantaged children who are limited by the cost of the entry fee to participate in the WMBA.
3. Provide a partial funding source for community centres to build indoor basketball facilities.

In this regard, a foundation also provides the league with an opportunity to solicit charitable donations from parents and sponsors in the Community to improve basketball facilities throughout Winnipeg. A charitable incorporated structure will be developed to facilitate charitable giving separate from our current Association. 

The Board of the Foundation would be comprised of five board positions. Three of these five positions would be current members of the Board of the WMBA. The Chairperson of the Foundation Board would typically be the past president of the WMBA. In this manner, the WMBA retains full control of the Foundation Board. Thereafter, the WMBA may appoint two other representatives to the Foundation Board who would represent higher profile basketball community individuals having close contact with the basketball community. 

The first project would be to build five outdoor court facilities in Winnipeg by the spring of 2006. The courts would be costed out and drawings would be prepared for presentation to various funding sources. The courts would have a rubberized durable surface, be surrounded by appropriate fencing, have lighting for night play, would be regulation size with resilient hoops and netting. We would also include benches and price out bleachers for future use. A replacement fund would be set up to handle repairs to the courts in perpetuity. Criteria will also be developed to choose a suitable location to build these courts. 

The Foundation has also been granted by the membership to levy a capital legacy charge from each child amounting to $50 per team commencing in the 2003fall / winter club league. The monies collected will be donated to the Foundation on behalf of the parents and children of the league as our contribution to building the outdoor courts. A business proposal will be prepared and submitted together to various governmental and charitable sources for funding. Based on $50,000 per court, the Foundation will require approximately $250,000 to complete the project. Commencing in the summer of 2004, the WMBA would offer to all interested players an opportunity to conduct 3 on 3 leagues on the courts through July, August and September. 

Although the development of the above concept will occupy a majority of the Foundations time in the first year, ever present in our mind will be a proposal to set up a mechanism to offer scholarships and fund future capital projects relating to indoor facilities.