The Dons Trust

What The Dons Trust does

The Dons Trust, legally Wimbledon Football Club Supporters Society Limited, is a UK fan-owned supporters' trust established in 2002 following the relocation of the original Wimbledon FC. The Trust operates on a one-member-one-vote democratic basis and is the majority shareholder of AFC Wimbledon PLC, with members approved a 50.01% permanent majority ownership structure in April 2026 that was accepted by the Financial Conduct Authority in July 2026. The Trust is a member of the Football Supporters' Association and is headquartered at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, Plough Lane, London SW17 0NR, employing 7 staff.

Name

The Dons Trust

Legal name

Wimbledon Football Club Supporters Society Limited

Website

https://thedonstrust.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Dons Trust is a UK supporters' trust and majority owner of AFC Wimbledon PLC, operating on a one-member-one-vote democratic basis with 4,500+ members holding equal ownership stakes and governing the club through elected board members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Football Club Fan Ownership

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKABAJ

Franchise Ownership Groups & Multi-Club Organizations (Multi-team owners, holding companies)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Professional Sports Teams & Clubs

SECONDARYEDALAIAN

Athletics Fundraising, Sponsorships & NIL Support

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Athletics, Recreation & Fitness

Keywords

• Fan-owned supporters trust
• Football club ownership
• Democratic fan governance
• Supporters society membership
• Community sports ownership

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from adult, concession, and junior members providing voting rights and club ownership stake. Membership integrates with AFC Wimbledon ticketing platform (Secutix).
2. Dons Draw: Monthly prize draw lottery where members enter for chances to win prizes including signed shirts, hospitality experiences, and match balls. Funds support AFC Wimbledon Academy.
3. Golden Goals Bond Program: Bond program enabling fans to lend money to the Trust to help fund the Plough Lane stadium development. Bonds pay interest and support capital projects.
4. Donations: Voluntary donations from members and supporters to support Trust activities and club funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Dons Trust is a fan-owned supporters' society that holds 50.01% majority ownership of AFC Wimbledon football club. It sells annual memberships that confer equal co-ownership, voting rights at Trust meetings, eligibility to stand for the Dons Trust Board, and club benefits such as priority ticketing, discounts, and prize draw entry. It also runs fundraising programs — Golden Goals (a bond/lottery scheme funding the club) and Dons Draw (a monthly prize draw funding the AFC Wimbledon Academy) — and a Junior Dons program for under-18 supporters.

Product overview

The Dons Trust operates as a supporters' trust and majority owner of AFC Wimbledon, offering a membership-based structure centered on fan ownership and democratic governance. The core product is the Dons Trust Membership, which from 2026/27 is combined with AFC Wimbledon club membership into a unified offering. Supporting products include Golden Goals and Dons Draw, both lottery-based fundraising programs that fund the AFC Wimbledon Academy, and Junior Dons for youth members under 18.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dons Draw: A fundraising lottery operated by the Dons Trust where members can win prizes and support the AFC Wimbledon Academy.
• Golden Goals
• Junior Dons
• Plough Lane Bonds

Products and services

• Dons Trust Membership Annual fan-ownership membership granting equal co-ownership of AFC Wimbledon, voting rights at Trust meetings and elections, eligibility to stand for the Dons Trust Board, and benefits including priority home match tickets, ticket discounts, shop discounts, hospitality upgrades, monthly prize draw entry, stadium tour discount, and exclusive member content. From 2026/27 combined with AFC Wimbledon club membership.
• Golden Goals A fundraising program combining a regular prize draw with the Plough Lane Bonds bond scheme. Lottery entries provide chances to win regular prizes, while bonds enable fans to lend money to the Trust for stadium development in return for interest payments. Funds raised support the club and community projects.
• Dons Draw A monthly prize draw lottery where members enter for chances to win prizes including signed shirts, hospitality experiences, and signed match balls. Proceeds fund the AFC Wimbledon Academy.
• Junior Dons Youth membership tier for supporters under 18 priced at £25 per year, providing age-appropriate engagement including Junior Dons activities, player of the year voting, Christmas parties, and matchday experiences.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Football Supporters' Association (FSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Dons Trust is a member of the Football Supporters' Association, a national organization representing football supporters' trusts. This membership connects the Trust to broader fan ownership advocacy and campaigns for supporter rights in English football.
• Chesterfield GordonminorOthersCorporate sponsor of the 1889 lounge at the Cherry Red Records Stadium where Dons Trust holds season launch events and member engagement activities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Football Supporters' Association (FSA): National umbrella body of which the Dons Trust itself is a member; represents supporter-trust interests to regulators and leagues, providing the advocacy infrastructure in which fan-owned clubs operate.

Direct peers

• Spirit of Shankly: Liverpool FC supporters' union operating as a democratic, membership-based advocacy and ownership-influence organisation; the largest UK supporters' trust-like body and a close functional counterpart to the Dons Trust.
• Bury AFC: Supporter-founded phoenix club created after Bury FC's expulsion; shares with the Dons Trust the distinction of being a fan-led re-founding of an English football institution.
• Chester FC: Fan-owned phoenix-style English football club founded by supporters in 2010; most analogous governance and funding structure to AFC Wimbledon within the English non-league/EFL pyramid.
• Manchester United Supporters' Trust (MUST): Independent democratic supporters' trust for Manchester United advocating fan ownership, governance reform, and member participation; matches the Dons Trust in mission, democratic elections, and FSA affiliation.
• Arsenal Supporters' Trust: Member-led supporters' trust advocating fan voice and transparent governance at Arsenal FC; directly comparable to the Dons Trust in terms of democratic elections, board representation, and FSA-aligned advocacy.
• Ebbsfleet United (EBBFC Supporters' Trust): English football club with significant fan ownership and supporters' trust board representation; directly comparable as a fan-influenced operating model inside the English football pyramid.
• FC United of Manchester: Democratically run, fan-owned football club founded in 2005 by disaffected supporters; uses one-member-one-vote ownership and member-funded operations directly comparable to the Dons Trust/AFC Wimbledon model.
• Swansea City Supporters' Trust: Supporters' trust of an EFL/Championship Welsh club with a similar democratic membership and fan-influence mission; structurally and operationally analogous to the Dons Trust.
• Exeter City Supporters' Trust: Fan-owned supporters' trust holding the majority of Exeter City FC; operates an identical membership/governance model and runs democratic votes, bond programmes, and member fundraising that directly parallel The Dons Trust structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/TheDonsTrust
• Instagraminstagram.com/thedonstrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-dons-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Dons Trust