When two powerhouse names in their respective fields join forces, it doesn’t always mean immediate success. In this initiative, however, Visa and Street Soccer USA amplify each other's strengths to benefit youth across the US, and the community impact should be felt pretty quickly.

A national non-profit, SSUSA has a great track record helping their participants succeed, with a 93% improvement in Social Emotional Learning skills, 66% reduction in chronic school absenteeism, and 20% growth in Math and English Language Proficiency. They’re already walking-the-walk of leveraging sports for tangible social impact, and their collab brings added grassroots credibility to Visa’s growing soccer portfolio — a marketing move that any CMO would support.

From Visa’s perspective, they already have a powerful mix of soccer related partnerships (US Soccer Federation, UEFA and FIFA, Bay FC founding partner, and more), but still need to meet their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) objectives of financial inclusion and building resilient communities. Partnering with SSUSA is a super strategic move for achieving this goal. By integrating Visa’s financial education into SSUSA's program content and participant development, they’re giving the nonprofit a clear programmatic edge, while evolving their own role from financial donor to an active, integral contributor.

YOUR NEXT PLAY:

Just like Neymar joining Messi, or Megan Rapinoe teaming up with Alex Morgan, we love it this partnership. It has a clearly defined intent and roadmap, which are both critical to success. When thinking about new opportunities for your brand, take some time to look beyond naming rights or monetary contributions. How can you do more to impact real people and communities? What are the unique tools, strengths, or knowledge sets that your brand can share with others? When you combine forces beyond the checkbook, that’s when a good play becomes a true WIN | WIN.