Volunteer Levy
Port Darwin Football Club is in need of volunteers, Running a club of this size takes quite some effort and we rely upon the generosity of volunteers at all levels of the club in giving their time. It has become increasingly obvious that a change is required to support the club we all appreciate and want to be part of. In the past few years we have had some great volunteers, but the increasing amount of work has burnt them out and we must act now to stop this and come up with a solution.
The engagement and support of players and their families has been very limited, especially in working bees, match official duties, fund-raising and other duties as listed below.
However, it is acknowledged that one area of success in volunteering roles at Port is in coaching and managing teams and we fully appreciate the time and energy people have put into these vital roles.
As a result the committee has decided to introduce a “Volunteer Levy” for the following seasons to impress upon players’ families the urgent need to have volunteer assistance to successfully operate the functions of the club. Those that participate in a range of voluntary roles available will have this levy refunded, Port are not asking too much, just a few hours per season.
This season we are looking to hold more home games at our home ground ( Fannie Bay Oval) and with the new club house and changing facilities being approved we want to really start to grow the club and our home at Fannie bay.
Why introduce a Volunteer Levy? The levy is introduced to encourage more involvement by members in the day-to-day running and activities required for the continued success of our club. Money raised by the levy is not used to fund club expenses – in a perfect world, every family will volunteer, and every family will have the levy refunded at the end of the season.
How do I pay the Volunteer Levy? If you choose to volunteer or have other siblings playing at the club the levy will be rebated automatically during the registration process. (People who sign up to volunteer and do not do so will be invoiced $25.00 by the club). The levy is paid in addition to any player registration fees that may apply. Each registering individual or family will only pay the levy once per year, so a family with two or three players pays the same as a family with one player. .
How do I qualify for a refund of the Volunteer Levy? The levy is fully refunded to those families who have volunteered for 3 or more hours during the year in one of the capacities described on the Volunteering page www.portdarwinfc.com.au Normal weekly team duties do not count toward the hours that qualify for refund of the levy. These duties are a commitment to your, or your child’s, team, rather than to the Club as a whole; they are generally performed when you are already at training or a game with your child, and as such require only a minimal additional commitment of time. Agreeing to assist with normal team duties is a condition of registration, and is expected of everybody.
How is the Levy refund administered? Volunteer Levy refunds will only apply to players or families that have participated in at least 3 hours per family per season, in approved voluntary roles. These include:
- Committee role (Nominations can be made at AGM time and roles can be created during the season if the need arises)
- Coaching a team for the season
- Managing a team for the season
- Line Marking and help setting up for home games
- Working Bees (would need to attend more than one to complete 3hrs)
- Coordinating /attending functions and events in a helper capacity
- Approved fundraising events
- Administrative support in some committee-managed initiative
- Other significant tasks as approved by executive committee.
- Sponsors of cash or goods in excess of $500 have already met the requirements and are excluded from this initiative
The Volunteer Levy refund does not apply for tasks like:
- Washing jerseys
- Running Lines
- Second or third assistant coaches
- Setting up or bringing down goals or flags
- Providing half-time fruit at games
- Attending games or training, or providing lifts to/from these
- Any members that do not fulfill the 3 hours per family requirement.
The Refund Process When You Volunteer; Since registration and fees are managed through the MyFootballClub web site, every player will have this levy built into their fee paid online.
Refunds will be processed as follows:
- If you choose to volunteer the levy will be rebated automatically during the registration process ( but you need to register as a Volunteer first to activate the discount option )
- Families with multiple players are entitled to an immediate refund for second and subsequent players by selecting the Volunteer Levy Discount.
- Sponsors are entitled to an immediate refund if they have a player in the club and can apply as per above
- Others participating in a club activity will have hours marked off by the committee coordinator of that activity and these will be claimed from the treasurer by contacting finance@portdarwinfc.com
If you are interested in volunteering, let us know: please contact the committee on info@portdarwinfc.com or approach any committee member known to you.
