Angel City FC expands nonprofit community investment with Angel City Impact Fund

The GIST: The NWSL’s Angel City FC (ACFC) further leaned into its namesake by launching a new philanthropic branch called the Angel City Impact Fund on Monday. It’s the latest way the club is making good on its intention to give back to the LA community, a plan that has engendered love — and a fiercely loyal fandom. Calling all Angel investors.

The details: The nonprofit will exclusively focus on expanding soccer access for underserved youth to nourish a healthy girls’ soccer pipeline, an issue that has been getting increased exposure (and funding). ACFC’s first order of business is to deepen its existing relationship with LA’s public parks system.

• This year, the plan is to offer no-cost and low-cost soccer programs for over 7K girls and gender-expansive youth at over 100 LA parks. In 2025, the ACFC Coach Network intends to recruit, train, and hire at least 100 coaches who reflect the communities they coach.

• Notably, ACFC isn’t open to taking corporate dollars for the impact fund, instead opting for an inaugural impact roster with key individual investors. It requires a minimum $10K donation to join and already includes former MLS player Justin Morrow, who currently leads USC’s DEI sports initiative.

The context: ACFC launched in 2020 with a unique sponsorship model: Every brand deal it makes includes a 10% allocation to LA community initiatives and programs. These sponsorships work with corporate partners to develop on-brand ways to reinvest in the community, like Chevrolet transporting over 1.1K youth to ACFC home games last year.

The why: The club’s record $250M valuation stems from local buy-in and a keen understanding of who its fans are. Using its new fund to connect with and uplift the local community is a long-term investment in building fandom — being there for young soccer players helps make Angel City fans for life. ¡Del barrio, pa'l barrio!