LAS VEGAS (July 28, 2022) – Today, Blueprint Sports, a Nevada-based name, image, and likeness (NIL) technology and marketplace business announced the launch of the BPS Foundation, a nonprofit organization formed with the mission to educate, encourage, and assist student-athletes in their efforts to engage with the local community through charitable causes.
Coinciding with its launch, the BPS Foundation just received its Section 501(c)(3) determination letter from the IRS, making it one of the first NIL organizations in the country to earn a federal tax exemption.
“This is an important step forward, and we’re grateful to be one of the first in the nation designated as a Section 501(c)(3) organization. This allows us to empower these student-athletes to channel their energy for a common goal: to make the community where they live and play a better place,” explained Alex De Castroverde, Chair of the BPS Foundation. “BPS Foundation will create numerous new opportunities for student-athletes to give back in their respective communities, within the national portfolio of collectives managed by Blueprint Sports. All donations made through the BPS Foundation will be tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.”
Since launching their first NIL Collective in February, Blueprint Sports has helped facilitate more than $125,000 a month in NIL opportunities to more than 500 student-athletes across the country. Now, funds contributed to the BPS Foundation will support student-athlete engagement opportunities and charitable partnerships, as well as educating student-athletes on how they can capitalize on their name, image, and likeness.
“In the year since name, image, and likeness was sanctioned for college athletics, we’ve been committed to changing student-athletes' lives and connecting them with the communities in which they live and play,” said Blueprint Sports co-founder Cisco Aguilar. “The BPS Foundation will make it even easier for business and community supporters to appropriately and ethically encourage these young people as they embark on this exciting phase of life,” he said.
Funds contributed to the BPS Foundation provide individuals and businesses a number of ways to support student-athletes including:
1. One-time tax-deductible contributions.
2. Monthly tax-deductible subscriptions.
3. Opportunities to engage with athletes for charitable partnerships.
The BPS Foundation will begin accepting donations immediately online at bpsfoundation.net. Donors can choose to support a student-athlete community of their choice, out of the Blueprint Sports national portfolio.
Blueprint Sports has worked with student-athletes across the country and gained the trust of community supporters and athletics departments in cities such as Spokane, Tucson, and Knoxville. Powering compliant NIL Collectives in each of these markets led to the formation of Friends of Spike around Gonzaga University, Friends of Wilbur and Wilma around the University of Arizona, and Friends of Basevols around the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The newest additions are Friends of UNILV, around the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Friends of Rocky, around the University of Toledo, and Friends of The Pack around the University of Nevada, Reno. Blueprint aims to galvanize the national community around student-athletes and deliver “behind the red rope” memberships for exclusive access to various student-athletes.
About BPS Foundation
In July 2022, the BPS Foundation, a Section 501(c)(3) organization, was formed with the mission to educate, encourage and assist student-athletes in their efforts to engage with the local community through charitable causes. The BPS Foundation lifts awareness of what it means to perform in a highly competitive environment by mobilizing partnerships with collegiate athletes to help teach how hard work, discipline, focus, and continued education can make the young athlete’s dreams become a reality. The BPS Foundation empowers these athletes to channel their energy for a common goal: to make the community where they live and play a better place. Donations made to the BPS Foundation may be tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. For more information visit bpsfoundation.net and follow @BPSFdn on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Blueprint Sports
Founded in Las Vegas in 2020 and backed by Andre Agassi, eight-time Grand Slam tennis champion, Blueprint Sports (BPS) powers the industry's leading name, image, and likeness (NIL) collectives for alumni, supporters, and businesses, connecting them with student-athletes at their favorite university. BPS’ national portfolio of collectives support student-athletes in communities across the country, including Friends of Spike, around Gonzaga University, Friends of Wilbur & Wilma, around the University of Arizona, Friends of Basevols, around the University of Tennessee, Friends of UNILV, around the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Friends of the Pack, around the University of Nevada Reno, Friends of Rocky, around The University of Toledo and more. The Blueprint Sports management team possesses over 50 years of college and professional sports experience, spanning the Pac-12 Conference, IMG, Learfield, and Nevada Athletics Commission, among others. For more information visit blueprintsports.com and follow @PoweredByBPS on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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