Project Overview: One of the best ways to reach and engage students with climate action at any university is through cooperation with student-athletes who are also passionate about climate. CU has a large community of student-athletes, and an even larger number of students that follow athletic programs at CU, so developing a relationship between these athletes and Mission Zero is mutually beneficial. The Name, Image, & Likeness (NIL) program directly supports student-athletes over the course of their academic career by providing them with compensation to help them pay for their education and other expenses. In exchange for these sponsorships, the athletes will use their influence, through social media platforms and other outreach capabilities, to promote climate action events and programs.
Impact: This program will help student athletes by easing the financial burden of supporting themselves through college by providing them with funding over the course of their involvement with the program. It will also have an impact on the level of engagement Mission Zero has with the student body at CU through social media outreach and awareness of climate action programs.
Donor Benefits: Donors will be provided with tax breaks for contributing to Mission Zero’s student athletes for climate action program.
Action Needed: This program relies on having donors fund the sponsorships given to the student-athletes. Helping student-athletes with the expenses of college not only helps relieve the burden on these athletes, but is also a great recruiting and retention tool for CU Athletics. NIL is changing the way that students are recruited and retained at Universities; Mission Zero aims to help CU attract and retain the best student-athletes available, and help them amplify their voices for climate action.