chance sports

What chance sports does

Chance Sports is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 88-2769009) founded in 2022 by Colorado State Senator James Coleman (D) and former Colorado State Representative Colin Larson (R) to provide need-based scholarships to competitive youth athletes ages 8–19. The organization covers club fees, tournament fees, equipment, uniforms, and sports-related travel (airline tickets, hotels, gas), and serves families with an average household income of approximately $59,919 across an average family size of 4.5. It operates a Salesforce-based online scholarship application portal, a Club Partner Portal used by 120+ competitive sports clubs to review applications and confirm roster spots, and distributes awarded funds through Chek-issued electronic debit cards usable at approved sporting goods, travel, and gas vendors. Applications are reviewed on a rolling monthly basis, with recipients receiving notifications via email and text.

The organization’s revenue model is composed entirely of charitable contributions: individual donations processed through its website, foundation and corporate grants (notably from the Daniels Fund, IMA Foundation, and Lids Foundation), and municipal funding from the City of Denver and City of Aurora. Its go-to-market is direct-to-consumer on the applicant side (online application with eligibility gating through partner clubs) and direct outreach on the donor side. Beneficiaries are gated to athletes on partner clubs' competitive rosters, which links distribution directly to the 120+ club partnerships across Colorado and Western Michigan — established through outreach anchored by a dedicated Michigan State Director based in Grand Rapids. The company is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, at 101 Monroe St, with a small professional staff led by inaugural Executive Director Vickie Puchi (joined 2023) and a 14-member board that includes several former ACE Scholarships executives, Daniels Fund leadership, and Colorado political figures.

Since inception through December 2025, Chance Sports has awarded $1,276,804 across 968 scholarships at an average annual award of $1,295, with 83% of recipients being athletes of color, 42% female, and 95% multisport athletes. Cumulative growth between 2023 ($210K distributed / 199 athletes / 17 partner clubs) and 2025 YTD ($641,575 / 473 scholarships / 120+ partner clubs) reflects rapid scaling in dollar volume and partner breadth. The organization differs from generic youth-sports charities in that its awards are earmarked specifically for travel/club competitive athletics rather than school or recreational sports, positioning it as a niche need-based scholarships provider with a curated partner-club distribution model.

Name

chance sports

Legal name

Chance Sports

Website

https://chancesports.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Chance Sports is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2022 that provides need-based scholarships to youth athletes ages 8–19 in Colorado and Western Michigan, covering club fees, equipment, and travel costs through a network of 120+ partner sports clubs and Chek-issued debit cards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Athletic Scholarships

NAICS

Other Spectator Sports (711219)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Athletics Fundraising, Sponsorships & NIL Support (EDALAIAN)

Keywords

• Youth sports scholarships
• Athletic scholarship funding
• Nonprofit youth athletics
• Competitive sports access
• Athlete financial aid

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations from Individual Donors: Individual donors contribute to Chance Sports to fund youth athlete scholarships. Donors can give through the website.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Funding from foundations and corporate partners including Daniels Fund, IMA Foundation, Lids Foundation, and others to support scholarship programs.
3. Municipal Funding: Funding from local government entities including City of Aurora and City of Denver to support community youth sports programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Chance Sports is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides need-based financial scholarships to competitive youth athletes (ages 8-19) to cover club fees, tournament fees, equipment, uniforms, and sports-related travel costs. The organization uses a Salesforce-based online application portal and distributes approved scholarship funds via Chek electronic debit cards usable at approved vendors including sporting goods stores, airlines, hotels, and gas stations.

Product overview

Chance Sports operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit scholarship organization with a unified platform of services. The core offering is the Youth Athlete Scholarship Program, which combines an online Scholarship Application Portal for families to apply, a Club Partner Portal for partner clubs to manage applications, and scholarship disbursement through a Chek Debit Card. These components work together to connect families in need with partner sports clubs, evaluate applications, and distribute funds for competitive youth athletics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Athlete Scholarship Program
• Scholarship Application Portal
• Club Partner Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• $1,276,804 awarded to 968 athletes since 2022
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Colorado Partner ClubscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023120+ competitive sports clubs in Colorado that partner with Chance Sports to identify scholarship recipients. Includes clubs for baseball, basketball, volleyball, soccer, hockey, gymnastics, and many other sports. Clubs include 5280 Colorado Jr. Buffs, Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club, Colorado Volleyball, and many others.
• Western Michigan Partner ClubscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Competitive sports clubs in Western Michigan (Grand Rapids area) that partner with Chance Sports. Includes Big Nik Basketball, Grand Rapids Amateur Hockey Association, Michigan Futbol Academy, Michigan Volleyball Academy, and others.
• ChekcoreTechnology or IntegrationPreferred payment partner for non-profits. Chek provides the electronic debit card system used to distribute scholarships to athletes. Cards can be used online and in-person, similar to Apple Pay or Android Pay.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Positive Coaching Alliance: Nonprofit focused on developing positive youth development through sports via coach training and resources. Comparable as a youth-sports-focused nonprofit partner in the same ecosystem; complements rather than competes with scholarship models like Chance Sports.
• National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA): National nonprofit supporting public parks and recreation providers, many of which deliver subsidized youth sports programming. Comparable as an ecosystem/funder-adjacent organization serving similar end beneficiaries (youth athletes) through municipal recreation partnerships.
• Aspen Institute Project Play: National initiative promoting youth sports access and physical literacy through research, grantmaking, and convening. Comparable mission (especially the cited 'low-income kids 6x more likely to quit sports due to cost' framing), but Project Play operates as an ecosystem funder/research body rather than a direct scholarship provider.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of the USA: National community-based nonprofit delivering youth sports, swim, and recreation programs, often subsidized through donations and sliding-scale fees. Comparable as a donation-funded provider of youth sports access, though YMCA operates facilities and leagues rather than funding external club sports.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth-development nonprofit offering athletic, academic, and enrichment programming for low-income youth. Comparable as a large-scale, donor-funded vehicle for youth access to sports and enrichment, but operates clubs directly rather than funding external club sports participation.

Emerging players

• Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation: Athlete-founded foundation providing sports access and equity programming for underserved youth, funded by individual donors, corporations, and foundations. Comparable as a donor-funded youth sports access nonprofit with similar athlete-population targeting and partnership-style funding model.
• Kids in the Game: Nonprofit providing sports-based youth development and free or subsidized sports programming to underserved communities. Comparable as a smaller, donation-funded youth sports access nonprofit operating with a similar club/partner-network orientation.

Direct peers

• ACE Scholarships: Colorado-headquartered nonprofit that provides needs-based scholarships for K-12 students to attend private or partner schools. Directly comparable as a needs-based scholarship intermediary in the same Colorado ecosystem; several Chance Sports board members (and even a former COO) came from ACE, confirming operational overlap.
• Police Athletic League (National PAL): Nonprofit network providing youth athletics, mentoring, and educational programming to underserved kids, often at low/no cost funded through donations, grants, and municipal support. Directly comparable as a donation-and-grant-funded youth sports access organization with a similar mission and chapter-network model.
• Good Sports: Nonprofit that donates new equipment, apparel, and footwear to youth in need to help them participate in sports. Directly comparable as a donation-funded intermediary connecting corporate/individual donors to youth athletes, focused on equipment and participation costs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chance-sports

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about chance sports