US TEAMS FUNDING
Costs of Worlds Contests
The typical logistics of sending U.S. Soaring Teams to distant World Gliding Championships (WGC) are daunting and costly. While team members are all volunteers the main expenses of food, shelter, airfare, transportation, glider rental or shipping and entry fees are high. As most championships are held in Europe, the complex and expensive logistical challenge faced by U.S. Soaring Teams stands in stark contrast with many European competitors.
Team Captains & the Junior Team
Team captains/managers are recruited by the US team committee and these are funded 100% as this is a crucial purely voluntary role for each team. A good team captain works hard for up to 6 pilots and manages the not inconsiderable administrative and organizational burden of a WGC so that team pilots can focus on flying and not be distracted by the myriad of organizational details. Pilots are responsible for their own travel, rental, shipping and accommodation logistics, but once at the WGC they need to be free to focus on their team and flying.
Junior team members are selected according to team selection guidelines and are funded 100% through the Team Funding sources including the Mozer Trust which is set up specifically to support the US Junior Champion at Junior World Gliding Championships. Should we grow the Mozer Trust through continuing contributions, the SSA Board is empowered to expand support to include additional team members.
ROBERTSON TRUST
Keeps United States Soaring Teams Flying
Since 1950 United States soaring teams have a proud tradition as representatives of our nation and our soaring community at World Gliding Championships. Competitive soaring, the prospect of team membership and international competition builds participation in the sport, provides motivation to achieve at a higher level and pushes the boundaries of pilot skill and technology. The Robertson Trust provides a stable funding source for the United States soaring teams and is critical to their participation in World Gliding Championships.
The Robert Robertson Memorial Team Fund
The Robert Robertson Memorial Team Fund, often referred to as the Robertson Trust, was established in 1988 by Donald Robertson and the Soaring Society of America to memorialize his son and top pilot, Robert “Robbie” Robertson who was tragically killed in a sailplane accident shortly after winning the 1986 U.S. 15-Meter National Championships. The trust charter provides a dedicated source of funding to United States Soaring Teams participating in World Gliding Championships. Through careful administration by the SSA Foundation Trustees and private contributions, the Robertson Trust corpus has increased in size from the original $140,000 while providing critical support to the United States Soaring Teams since its founding in 1988.
While many international competitors receive funding from their governments, our soaring teams are funded by two types of personal contributions – direct and perpetual. Direct Contributions are available for use by the teams at their full value at time contributed while Perpetual Contributions to the Robertson Trust become part of the SSA Foundation to be managed and invested by the Foundation Trustees. The income from the invested funds provides perpetual support for generations of future U.S. Soaring Teams. The Robert Robertson Memorial Team Fund has an established track record of growth and service to the U.S. Soaring Teams since it was established in 1988. The trust’s charter limits the use of the income from the Trust to funding U.S. Soaring Teams participation in FAI sanctioned World Soaring Championships. The Foundation Trustees have provided excellent long term guidance and are dedicated to seeing that the charter is honored.
WOODS TRUST
The Lawrence Wood Fund was established in 1997 to honor Lawrence Wood, a longtime competition pilot, supporter of the U.S. Team and past Soaring Society of America president. Lawrence Wood donated his personal Nimbus 3DT to the US Team Soaring Committee in 1997 to show his support of this effort. The U.S. Team Soaring Committee elected to sell the aircraft on the open market and to apply all proceeds over $100,000 for the benefit of the 1997 U.S. Team. The corpus of $100,000 was used to establish an honorary fund in the name of Lawrence Wood. Interest accrued by the Lawrence Wood Fund will be made available to the U.S. Soaring Team.
The Trustees have established the general guideline of making available from the applicable Trust funds about 5% per year for operations, intending that this would preserve the corpus of the funds, and hopefully provide some of the income and capital gain flowing back into the funds for further growth. This would be applicable to the Robertson Fund as one of the Trust Funds. The Larry Wood Trust Fund has also been established for US Soaring Teams use, and the above is applicable to it, as well.
The Woods Trust, as part of the SSA Foundation, is managed by independent trustees as gatekeepers held under the foundation structure which provides long-term security and stability to contributors while bringing the internal discipline necessary to preserve and manage long-term endowments.
TRUST FAQS
Donations can be done in the name of a business and receive the same tax deduction as personal donations.
Absolutely! A simple line in your will allows you to donate to the Robertson Trust from your Estate. If you wish to donate out of your estate the Trust Manager can assist you in setting this up.
NO! The charter of the Robertson Trust is established to prevent any change in purpose or design. When you donate to the Robertson Trust you can be assured your funds will be working for the team permanently.
All SSA trustees and managers are volunteers. The funds are managed in accordance with the trust’s charter by an approved professional money management firm who may charge a small fee.
In 1997, the Soaring Society of America established the Soaring Society of America Foundation as a unique entity with its own operating by-laws and officers, specifically to facilitate the raising of endowment type funds through planned giving and other contribution mechanisms, for the various SSA Trust funds. The Foundation assumed the management of the SSA Trust Funds with the intent of mounting a strong fund-raising effort for the Foundation
Donations to the Robertson Trust are fully tax deductible under the 503.1B rules. See your tax professional.
YES! There are tangible tax advantages to donating stock and securities to the Trust. Contact the Trust Manager for more information.
You bet! The Robertson Trust accepts equipment at fair market value. Proceeds from the sale of the equipment will in turn be donated to the trust in the name of the original donor.
No. The team is open to all participants who, through talent, drive, hard work and no small amount of sacrifice earn the right to represent the United States at the World Gliding Championships. True, some team members have been financially successful, but selection to a US team is performance based only. Past team members have included teachers, architects, welders and many other professions. With the addition of the Club, World and Junior class, the world championship dream is available to a wide spectrum of US soaring pilots. There is little more discouraging than winning a place on a U.S. Team only to be faced with a $10,000 bill for participating. Our best pilots will loose interest if championship participation means a huge personal bill. Meaningful team funding helps keep this dream alive.
The point of the Robertson Trust is to create and preserve a permanent fund that will sponsor US Soaring teams for generations to come. Any contribution amount is welcome. Every effort is made to keep administrative costs to an absolute minimum.
The World Gliding Championships are the highest expression of competitive soaring. The possibility of world team membership encourages pilots of all levels and from around the globe to strive to be their best. This effort can only energize the overall soaring movement. Beyond the individual and the sport comes the nation. The United States and our nations ideals are held high when we field successful, fully funded teams, at World Gliding Championships.
The Robert Robertson Memorial Team Fund was established in 1988 to memorialize the late Robbie Robertson who was tragically killed in a sailplane accident shortly after winning the 1986 15-Meter National Championships. The Robert Robertson Memorial Team Fund, often referred to as the Robertson Trust, was established by Robbie’s father, Donald Robertson and the Soaring Society of America to provide a strictly dedicated corpus of funding the income from which would be used to help fund the United States Soaring Teams participation in sanctioned World Soaring Championships.
The Robertson Trust is one of several trusts and endowments administered by the SSA Foundation. In 1997, the Soaring Society of America (SSA) established the SSA Foundation as a unique entity with its own operating by-laws and officers specifically to solicit, manage and distribute endowment type funds held by the SSA. The thinking behind the SSA Foundation was that an independent foundation managed by trustees as gatekeepers would be the best way to solicit and manage the various endowments held by the Soaring Society. The clear corporate identity of the foundation structure provides long-term security and stability to contributors while bringing the internal discipline necessary to preserve and manage long term endowments. This means that the income from your contribution to the Robertson Trust will be sending US Team pilots to World Soaring Championships for generations to come.
Unlike many European teams the United States Soaring Teams receives no government assistance and must rely on donations and private funding to participate in the world gliding championships. This hand-to-mouth existence has allowed the US Soaring Team to participate on only the thinnest of margins in years past. The advent of new FAI sanctioned teams has stretched the funding of our teams to the breaking point.
This is an important distinction… There are two primary types of contributions critical to fielding U.S. Soaring teams, direct and perpetual. Direct contributions are fully available for use by the teams while contributions to the Robertson Trust are invested, with the income from these contributions providing perpetual support but at a lower per year return when compared with direct contributions. Both direct and perpetual contributions are critical to insuring our soaring teams can participate internationally. The challenge with the Robertson is to build the trust and restore the balance between direct and perpetual funding.
Competitive soaring rewards excellence while providing some of the spark that keeps our sport going. Many of the astounding improvements in equipment and techniques our sport has enjoyed over the years can be traced back to a need for competitive excellence. Most of the used single place gliders in this country were imported originally by competition pilots.
Competitors tend to be among the most active participants in our sport, often shouldering key roles on a local, regional and national level. The drama of international competition is the ultimate expression of competitive excellence as the worlds best soaring pilots compete for the title of World Champion.
For many nations, including the United States, fielding soaring teams to compete internationally is a point of national pride within the countries soaring movement.
So if, fostering competitive excellence, helping to spark participation, appreciating the international competitive drama and holding our nation’s place in soaring high are not enough, there is this. The simple fact is that not all competition happens in the air. Adequately funded teams are in a much better place to compete and win against the world’s best.