Unlocking Play: How Volo Kids is Bringing Youth Sports to Thousands of Kids w/Jen Rifkin

Grayson Harris (00:01.026) Hello everybody and welcome back to the charity chart show. This is Grayson Harris, and today we are joined by Jen Ritkin. She is the executive director of the Volo Kids Foundation, all about increasing access to play for kids across the United States. Jen, thank you so much for coming on today. Jen Rifkin (00:19.39) thank you for having me. Good morning. Happy Friday. Grayson Harris (00:21.846) Yeah. Bright and early on this on this Friday morning. But th thanks again for coming on. And well well tell me a little bit about what VoloKids kind of mission is, right? I I I explained, you know, high level. It's all about kind of increasing access. 'cause I think there was this big problem you all identified that I think about one point three or so million kids are not as active in youth sports. Jen Rifkin (00:26.606) Well it is bright and sunny, thank goodness. Grayson Harris (00:50.23) as they have been in previous years. W what is up with that? Jen Rifkin (00:54.114) I there's there's just so many things that stand in the way and and we realize the benefit of sports. So I'll I'll kind of I'll start from the beginning to talk about how we grew into where we are today. And you know, I'm I'm here in Baltimore on this sunny, a little bit human day. but VoloKid started here in Baltimore in in 2015 and and at the time the city of Baltimore, which I should say is is not unique to Baltimore and not unique to 2015 was Dealing with a lot of racial racial tension across the city. and we were we were really looking for ways to heal the community from within. What can we do to to just be a a bright spot in in everybody's day and and give the opportunity for for kids specifically to come and get together and and just have a good time and not think about everything that's going on in the world. so our founder, Giovanni Marcantoni, worked with local government in in Baltimore at the time. He was working directly with Brandon Scott, who's who's now our mayor, and they came up with this idea for free youth sports. And the the really beautiful thing about that offering and that that first flag football program in East Baltimore that that's now grown across the country is that they really just wanted to capitalize on what youth sports are and the really awesome things that sports offer kids both on and off the field. Like like you and I know. Sports is a great opportunity to make friends and practice social skills. Sports helps you learn how to lead, how to win. It helps you learn how to lose too. And it's you know, as you said, there's there's so many less kids playing now, and we we see the barriers that stand in the way, the financial barriers, gender barriers, language, race, so many barriers are standing in the way. So we're just trying to work with local communities to figure out how can we combat these barriers and just get kids running around and You know, goofing off and playing s playing sports. Grayson Harris (02:47.437) That's incredible and and speaking of that, your kind of origin and your the way that you kind of got involved with the organization's actually on the coach side. Is that correct? Jen Rifkin (02:55.938) Yes, so I I started with the organization in an official capacity full-time in 2018, but before that I was a volunteer coach. At the time I was I was teaching in Baltimore and I just wanted to find more ways to give back to the community and get involved with the kids. And I I quickly found that the impact that I could have through volunteering with this organization was at times more than the impact that I could have in my classroom. you know, teachers are working really, really hard. give it to all the teachers these days because they're they're going above and beyond as always. And so that brought me to Volo Kids and and and you know over the years I've I went from a volunteer coach to 2018. I I started full time in Baltimore and helped grow the organization here in the city. And then, you know, somewhere during COVID, I I transitioned over to the national team and started focusing on expanding our presence across the country and really meeting the needs of of communities all over. А е наур ям тоді. Grayson Harris (03:56.526) That's amazing. Can you tell me a little bit about the actual structure? How does VoloKids actually operate? you mentioned kind of expanding nationally. I know that y'all have presence in I think over twelve states. what does that what does that look like? Jen Rifkin (04:11.222) Yeah, great question. So it all boils down to the people. we we lean on, you know, there's an an adage that I always attribute to our first executive director, although I do know somebody else said it, but if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together. we really lean on the communities that we're we're in for coaches, for staff, for everything to make what we're doing possible. And it it makes expanding and scaling at a rapid pace really possible. Each of the markets that we work in has a dedicated full-time leader that's in charge of overseeing all the operations, all the community impact, everything that goes into making sure that the kids are getting the quality program that they they need and deserve. And from there they oversee the little army of volunteers that we have that are ensuring that kids are having a good time on the field and learning. And, you know, it it truly all boils down to the people. It's it's what's made our expansion possible. and and super scalable, you know, and and they also they're so in touch with the community too that and and they care so much. It's it's I'm so unbelievably grateful for everybody that works and volunteers with us because they come up with all the ideas for here's what we need here in LA now. And you know, we here's we just launched in Miami, here's where the kids really don't have anything. Here's where you can go. So it's been really an awesome journey. Grayson Harris (05:23.981) Mm. Grayson Harris (05:33.28) And you have that that really great history on the program side before stepping into the executive director. For our audience, I want to give full context into just how expansive some of these programs are. Just in Baltimore, which is kind of where you're at, right? There's soccer, basketball, dance, volleyball, dodgeball, flag football, tennis, kickball. It really is an exhaustive list. And I'm sure every city may not start at that full kind of extent and capacity. but kind of going back to your days, you know, managing that national program side, how was it in terms of keeping, you know, all of this organized and and really the structure of of all of these different youth sports programs? Jen Rifkin (06:12.308) well well the cool thing is we've we've really kind of worked hard to figure out what's the special sauce and formula to each of our programs. And we figured out what structure can really lend to kids having a good time and and learning but still having fun. And, you know, how can we do that in an efficient manner so that it's not a huge load on our employees or volunteers, but it's still awesome for the kids and it's scalable. So we we we really did lean into the operations and and I know that. you know, anybody from a nonprof profit listening right now, it's programming and operations for sure isn't the only bucket in a nonprofit, but it's it's such a core and important part of what we do, making sure that our operations are solid and sound so that we can scale and just kind of re replicate almost like cookie cutters. And, you know, it also gives us the opportunity to to flex a little bit depending on the community and and the sport and the need. We can say, well, we have this really good foundation of a program. It's got this six week structure and It has X, Y, and Z ingredients and we can take that and kinda place it anywhere and, you know, add sprinkles on top and it'll still be cool. Grayson Harris (07:18.893) That's amazing. Well, I and I you mentioned this briefly in your answer, right? But like adapting to the community's needs. I'm sure that the community of Miami versus the community of Baltimore is kind of pretty different, right, in terms of culture, what sports are popular, and and really what the youth need within that. Whenever you're going into a new city, how are you establishing these connections with the with local community leaders and and really starting to understand how should we shape this program for for this new city that we're going into? Jen Rifkin (07:47.693) Yeah, that's a really great question. And and you're incredibly right. The communities where we play are completely different. They have different interests and they have different needs and different barriers that they're dealing with too. And and that makes this really fun, embracing the differences. But I I think the biggest thing for us in the communities is building trust. What we don't want to do is show up in a community and say, we know exactly what you need. We're here to fix everything and say, because it's it's just not true. so you know, we go in and and we try to understand the landscape. We start attending things like events, community meetings, we talk to schools and local government so that we can learn where the need is and where we can plug in. We don't have to force ourselves or we don't even want to force ourselves into a community and just, you know, take a picture and say, We did it and that y so we we really try to build those relationships and you know find like like minded organizations and individuals that can help steer the way and and we can help them along the way as well. Grayson Harris (08:48.065) Whenever you're coming into a new city, is it oftentimes like someone an another nonprofit, a local municipality that actually reaches out to you and is like, Hey, we're seeing what you're doing in our neighboring city and it looks really interesting. What would it look like to have you in our city? Is that is that generally how it's going, or is it more of y'all actually kind of reaching out? Jen Rifkin (09:07.392) It's it's kind of a mixed bag and it it depends on it depends on the the market, the location. It depends on a lot of things. I can confidently say that not a single city has had the same exact blueprint for a launch, but we're taking the same again the same formula for programming and the same, you know, guiding star that at the end of the day what we really want to do is is unlock play for these kids. So while that remains the same, each each entry has has varied depend depending on, you know, some cities haven't even heard of us yet and that's okay. That's very normal. And some cities have or they've they've seen what we've done with with other organizations. So they want to replicate that. And again, the really cool thing is because we have this really solid operational base and support system of of humans, we can we can flex and, you know, meet the needs of the community. But truly, every every city is different, which again is what makes it so, so awesome. Grayson Harris (10:06.625) That's awesome. And, you know, we've we talked a little bit about scaling nationally and and and kind of the the role on the programmatic side that you that that that's come with. But on the other side of that is really the funding, right? A as you're looking to expand, the the funding constraints are one of the biggest challenges. And as you've kind of transitioned more into that role of executive director, I'm sure that's a lot more of what your day to day has been filled with. How Jen Rifkin (10:07.492) Yeah. Jen Rifkin (10:19.587) Yes. Yep. Jen Rifkin (10:26.979) Yeah. Sure, sure is. Grayson Harris (10:30.785) How has that been coming from the programmatic side? it's something that we see in the nonprofit space a lot. And I I've seen that you know leaders can oftentimes more authentically speak to their donor base because they have that, you know, wealth of experience. How is that something that you've seen and and how has this transition been? Jen Rifkin (10:46.457) So it it was a a definite clear transition. And you know, the fundraising world is is obviously incredibly important to nonprofits, but it's different than the programming world. the one thing that I think remains the same is that principle of working together and really believing in what we're doing. So whether we're, you know, seeking out a partner that can help offset core costs or we're you know, applying to different grants, the same idea of look we we know what we're doing and we believe in what we're doing and we're gonna let that guide the way and we believe that you can help us do that and and we're here to help you do what you want to do in this city. It it it works and it it truly is there is truly a community of people that want to help their communities and build from within. So that has helped. And then and truly truly truly truly partnership always always helps. We do have a partner in Volo Sports, a separate company with the same founder. Volo Sports is a for-profit adult company, so adults get to come and play just like the kids, they pay to play, but they get to play everything from skee ball and you know bocce to flag football and and soccer and lacrosse it's is very awesome. But a lot of times when we expand, we'll go into a market with Volo Sports and lean on that partnership too. and see how they can help us because they really believe in helping the community as well. So it's it's it's truly a a game of going together, no matter what. Programming, fundraising, whatever side of the house we're on, we're in it together. Grayson Harris (12:20.437) And then can you t elaborate a little bit because I know there's a a a big collaboration in terms of everything that Velo Sports does, especially in terms of the coaching and stuff like that with with the Volo kids side. From a kind of revenue perspective, how does that work? I think there's something on the back of each shirt. what what tell me a little bit more about that. Jen Rifkin (12:37.55) Yeah. Yeah, so anybody that plays for Volo sports, on the back of their shirt it says we play so the kids play free. And it's it's true. When adults come and play with Volo sports, they register for their it the World Cup's coming, so everybody's registering for soccer, so they register for their soccer program. when they play and they wear that shirt, I they know hopefully and proudly that a portion of the revenue that's brought in from them paying to play. helps Volo support the Kids Foundation. So they help offset a lot of our core costs. I always say they're kind of like the foundation of the foundation, but it allows us to scale really sustainably because we can we can really focus on bringing in funding ourselves that goes directly into the programming. And that's an incredibly, incredibly successful model because everything that we bring in truly goes to the kids and that's awesome. And then we have all these adults that know that they're playing Grayson Harris (13:11.277) Mm. Jen Rifkin (13:35.821) And it's making a difference in their community. And they can come volunteer as well. And that's awesome. So they could even further their impact. And the kids adore the players because to them, you know, and I remember this from a teacher. we're like like old, old adults, you know, but they're like, they must be professional soccer players. Look at them. It's amazing. And it it's it's just very, very cool to be passionate about a sport and share that with a kid and build that mentorship and have a kid look up to you so much. So And our volunteers that play with Volo get to play for free. So that's very awesome. And it it It all works together. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Grayson Harris (14:10.497) That's awesome. Yeah, very symbiotic. I I like it a lot. And and then I guess as we're looking to the the the rest of the year, the future, what kind of I think you're coming up on three years in this role. What what has you excited a as we're looking to to what Molo Kids is is bringing to the rest of the United States? Jen Rifkin (14:33.122) Well, I I've I've seen the difference that I'm gonna tell a story that I I tell all the time and it's it's kind of a goofy story, but going back to COVID and the pandemic, when we first launched in Baltimore coming out of the pandemic, I remember being really l we we thought about everything. We reserved a field that had like three whole fields as part of the permit. So we had the kids super spread out, we had masks, we had Everything that we needed. And I and I was very nervous. I was thinking, are are we s I I know we're making sure the kids are safe, but are we doing what we need to do to still provide the program that they deserve? And and that first day it was soccer. And I remember the kids were just like they they were like rolling around almost like the soccer balls themselves. And I don't know how much dribbling they learned that day or or any actual basic soccer skill. But I know for sure that they had a good time. They they it was so clear how badly they wanted to interact with their peers again and just be outside and run around and be kids and learn from that experience. And I think about that really frequently today in my role because, you know, I I think about, well, we want to expand here now. And, you know, the the world is is a kind of funny place sometimes. And, you know, there's all these implications right now that sometimes make it hard to to operate as a nonprofit or grow. Grayson Harris (15:58.861) Mm-hmm. Jen Rifkin (15:58.979) But I think about that moment. So when I think about the future, I'm like, you know, at the end of the day, every day that that that I come to work, I know that I am working alongside a bunch of people that are working just as hard as I am to make sure that some kid out there is rolling around themselves like a soccer ball. But having like such a memorable core memory time. So, you know, the my future here is the more I can make that possible, the more kids we can make that possible for. the better. So I'm just gonna do as as much as I can to keep making that possible. So eventually we'll just have a million kids rolling around like soccer balls across the country. Mission accomplished. Grayson Harris (16:36.045) New mission statement. That story made me think, you know, a 'cause y'all have been operating now, you know, s you know, for for quite a long time. Have you interacted with some of these kids that have grown up through Volo Kids and maybe are now an adult, maybe now coming and volunteering? what does that look like and what does that kind of make you feel? Jen Rifkin (16:47.502) Yeah. Jen Rifkin (16:57.815) old but it's it's actually really, really amazing. And it's it's something that we think about a lot because our age range, five to thirteen. You know, if a kid starts when they're five, we don't want them to get to twelve or thirteen or whatever and and maybe they're ready to matriculate up into something a little bit more competitive. But we don't want to just like rip the opportunity away and be like, Okay, good luck, you know. Grayson Harris (16:59.716) Yeah. Jen Rifkin (17:24.833) so we do a lot to make sure they can return as junior volunteers or, you know, stay in touch with the families or do whatever we can do so that they know that they're part of the Volo Kids family. And just because their time as a player with Volo Kids might be coming towards an end doesn't mean that the relationships that they've made are ending. And that's where the the people that are running the local markets and our volunteers really play a big role because they build those relationships and those relationships last. And I I hear I hear Frequently I hear our coaches and our staff talking about the kids and the families and using everybody's name. They know everybody and it it's a good feeling to know, Okay, this is this is a real community they've built within this community. So it's very cool. Grayson Harris (18:06.347) Hmm. And getting to kind of see that grow up too and then graduate and start doing more competitive sports. That's awesome. Jen Rifkin (18:11.169) Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's really awesome. And and they sometimes will like especially if they have younger siblings, they'll stop back by and be like, I did this, you know. And it's really cool. and we do we always want them to come back as as junior volunteers and volunteers. You know, again the kids, especially at younger ages, they older kids are just the coolest thing on planet Earth. So they sometimes they'll learn more or be more receptive to, you know coming out of their shell or turning a of a bad day around, you know. So we love we love when older friends come back. Yeah. Grayson Harris (18:44.661) Mm. That makes a lot of sense. Well, a moment ago you mentioned you know some of the challenges right that nonprofits have been facing in in recent years. What what has that looked like for you and and kind of how has navigating that been, especially in terms of some of the grant side? Has that really impacted the organization recently? Jen Rifkin (18:53.775) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Jen Rifkin (19:04.643) Yeah, it's had a a bit of an effect. Funding is the funding landscape is ever evolving as and I could I could say that sentence any any year in the history of of years in fundraising. but i this is a particularly hard time to fundraise. I think there's there's not as much money to go around right now, and there's still a lot of nonprofits, and everybody's doing an equally amazing job. So there's a lot of people vying for the same pool of money. Grayson Harris (19:16.503) Yeah. Jen Rifkin (19:33.401) and then and then there's there's you know, I think the need for nonprofit services fluctuates as always. I think it's higher than than normal right now. and so you know you got you got more of a need, more demand, less supply, and less funding to to support the supply. So it, you know, this really truly is a time where we want to lean on on our friends for support. keep building those relationships with individuals to help. Grayson Harris (19:43.541) Yeah. Jen Rifkin (20:02.827) and and just get really creative to see how we can make this work. Because at the end of the day we know we gotta figure out something to make this work. So we're just we're gonna try one thing. If that doesn't work, pivot, try something else and then just keep going until we, you know, find what works. Grayson Harris (20:18.231) What are you seeing working right now? What what is what has been maybe some lessons that you have been able to take out of this surrounding, you know, being adaptable? Jen Rifkin (20:26.325) I I think that while grants continue to be more and more competitive, reasonably so and and understandably so, I think that personal interaction really works. The more people that we have that are supporting what Volo Kids is doing and spreading the word about what Volo Kids is doing, the more opportunities we have to open the door to a new relationship. That could be a funding relationship. That could be the relationship that says, we can support this, we believe in this, we can sponsor this or we can donate, you know, X, Y, and Z services or materials to, you know, offset something so that you can serve more kids. So all our our coaches, our volunteers, the Volo players, the more people that go out and s and and just talk about the kids, the better. And that's that's really worked for us. Grayson Harris (21:12.907) That's that's incredible. And then Jen, how how can our audience get involved with Volo Kids, either within their local community or maybe if there's not a a current establishment there? What does that look like out outside of that? Jen Rifkin (21:26.339) Yeah, that's that's a great question. So truly in the most nonprofit way possible, anything helps. So if you have Volo kids in your community and you want to coach, come coach or or you just want to check it out and and learn more and see what it's all about, come learn more. If you if you want to support on a funding side, you know, we have fundraising boards across the country, we have a governance board. there's all kinds of ways to give back, even if it's like I don't have a a stable enough schedule to come coach every week, but I I'm really into soccer and would love to help write curriculum virtually or come be a a photographer one day. You know, everything can help. Anybody can get involved. And you know, anybody can also go and play with Volo sports and and as that that helps us too. So the best place to find things is our website, volokids.org. and there's there's a a million ways you can give back to your community and help with VoloKids. Grayson Harris (22:21.517) Jen, thank you so much for coming on today. I've really enjoyed this conversation, learning more about what you're up to and really spreading this mission of play right across the United States. Jen Rifkin (22:30.263) Yeah. Yeah, well thank you so much for having me. This was an awesome way to start a Friday talking about the kids and and hoping to get everybody involved. So I'm I'm grateful for you for having me on. Grayson Harris (22:42.104) Mm-hmm.