POWER IN NUMBERS
ADVANCING SPORT EQUITY THROUGH COALITION BUILDING
Research surfacing the invisible work behind sport equity coalitions.
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About This Research
What does it actually take to build a coalition that creates lasting change? That's the question at the heart of this research.
Researchers partnered with Coalitions for Sport Equity (CSEq) to study 14 local coalitions working to advance sport equity across the country. What made this project different was how it was done. A Research Action Team drawn from CSEq's own membership shaped the research from the start — reviewing the framework, refining the questions, and ensuring the work reflected what people on the ground actually needed to know. In each coalition, co-researchers brought local knowledge and relationships that no outside team could replicate, helping design surveys, conduct interviews, and interpret what the data meant for their communities.
That participatory foundation made it possible to gather over 400 organizational surveys, complete interviews with 18 backbone leaders, and conduct 60 in-depth interviews with member organizations — resulting in 13 findings that surface the invisible infrastructure behind effective coalition work.
Acknowledgements
This research was led by Dr. Gareth J. Jones, Sport Industry Research Center at Temple University, in partnership with Dr. Julie McCleery (University of Washington), Dr. Per Svensson (Louisiana State University), and Dr. Meredith Whitley (Adelphi University).
Researchers were advised by the Coalition For Sport Equity Research Action Team made up of members from Play Equity Fund, Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative, Oklahoma City Youth Sports Collaborative, Laureus Sport for Good Chicago, and Lawrence Youth Sports Alliance.
Coalition co-researchers and leaders from Chicago, Philadelphia, King County, Oakland, Hartford, Baltimore, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Tacoma, Connecticut, Denver, and beyond were essential collaborators throughout.
The Center for Healing and Justice through Sport provides backbone support to CSEq and funding was provided by NIKE.
Understanding Coalition Effectiveness
Our research examined how coalitions move from formation to creating lasting systems change in youth sports. This framework guided our analysis of 14 coalitions, mapping the journey from initial organizing through building member engagement, pooled resources, and ultimately improved outcomes for kids and communities.
The 13 findings below emerged from this comprehensive analysis of what makes coalitions effective at different stages.
Click to view full size. Framework developed from 400+ organizational surveys and 1,300+ pages of interview data across 14 coalitions.
Key Findings
Productivity Grounded in Equity
Contrary to common assumptions, equity and productivity are mutually reinforcing. Trust-based, inclusive processes are associated with enhanced perceptions of productivity.
Importance of External Legitimacy
External credibility is a critical driver of perceived coalition impact. Coalitions seen as credible and influential are more likely to affect systems change.
Managing Collaboration Is Complex
Collaboration extends beyond logistics and coordination to deep relationship management. Backbones invest significant time in building trust, communication, and cohesion among members.
How Is Equity Centered?
Coalitions emphasize equity through shared leadership and community representation, but leaders acknowledge ongoing gaps between intention and practice. Action remains critical.
Importance of Funding
Funding is foundational to coalition effectiveness. Backbones need stable, long-term funding to build momentum and pursue systems change, while funding opportunities strongly incentivize member participation.
Influence of Member Motivations
Members are drawn to coalitions by both transformational goals and direct benefits. Motivations for direct benefits are more strongly associated with engagement and perceived impact.
Balancing Services with Advocacy
Coalitions face ongoing tension between delivering immediate services to members and pursuing longer-term advocacy and policy change. Time and capacity constraints often push advocacy efforts to the margins.
Effectiveness Based on Expectations
Member perceptions of coalition effectiveness depend heavily on their motivations and expectations. Members seeking direct benefits tend to report stronger impacts than those focused on transformational change.
Growing Pains
Coalition growth strengthens external credibility but can introduce challenges related to inclusion, decision-making, and trust. Larger coalitions often struggle to maintain deep engagement among a broad membership.
Linking Measurement to Funding
Shared measurement is widely viewed as essential for demonstrating impact and securing funding yet remains underdeveloped in most coalitions. Capacity constraints and competing evaluation systems slow progress toward common metrics.
Limited Awareness of Coalition Structure
Many members lack clarity about coalition leadership structures and long-term agendas. This limits alignment and weakens collective action.
Challenges with Member Engagement
Sustaining member engagement is a persistent challenge, shaped by trust, motivation, and capacity constraints. Membership fees are not effective engagement tools.
Difficulty Clarifying the Backbone Role
Many coalitions struggle to clearly communicate the role and value of the backbone organization. This challenge is amplified by funding environments that prioritize direct services over systems-level work.
Questions for Coalition Leaders
Drawing from research across 700+ organizations in 23 cities, these evidence-backed questions help you navigate the invisible work of coalition-building.
Do members understand who we are, what we're trying to do, and how we work?
Every member should know your vision, strategic plan, and leadership structure. If you're clear about these elements, proactively communicate them. If not, create a strategic plan guided by a common agenda and vision.
How are we viewed externally and what benefits or opportunities does that provide us?
External credibility impacts perceptions of effectiveness. Many factors drive positive perceptions of legitimacy, and backbones should carefully consider the best path for their coalition.
Do our members trust us to act on their behalf, even when they can't be in every room?
Trust is key to effectiveness. One way to build trust is including members in decision-making, but this becomes challenging as coalitions grow, highlighting the importance of operational transparency and relational trust.
How do we explain that the 'unseen' work of organizing is core to our success?
Coalition work is fundamentally different from direct service. Capacity building, systems change, awareness, networking - these outcomes take collaborative effort and are challenging to quantify.
Are we a funder, an intermediary, a backbone, or some combination - and are we clear about our role?
Backbones can have various relationships with members. Organizations should pay close attention to members' reasons for joining and how those align with or differ from the coalition's aims.
How do we manage growth?
Growing membership builds momentum and legitimacy. However, as coalitions grow, it becomes more challenging to organize activities and coordinate action while member expectations often increase.
What are we measuring and why?
Shared measurement is one of the most challenging yet crucial elements of coalition work. More time and resources are needed to support local coalitions in this work.
Download Full Reports
Overall Summary
Comprehensive overview of all research findings, methodology, and implications for coalition building.
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Member Surveys
Analysis of 400+ survey responses from coalition member organizations across 14 coalitions.
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Member Interviews
In-depth qualitative analysis from interviews with coalition member organizations.
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Backbone Leader Interviews
Insights from interviews with coalition backbone organization leaders.
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