College athletes often become default role models, and can use their influence to help local nonprofit projects succeed. The Timber Jacks Group announces a campaign to fund charity initiatives involving Lumberjack student-athlete Name, Image, and Likeness resources that benefit Flagstaff and beyond.
Athletes have long been recognized as role models for youth, and their endorsement is considered advertising gold. Businesses have long leveraged the names, images, and likenesses of student-athletes for profit.
Why can't nonprofits do the same? Well, with the help of the Timber Jacks Group, Flagstaff community organizations can. The new group raises money to support Northern Arizona University Lumberjack student-athlete participation in positive projects with civics-focused projects. If you'd like to donate or learn more about the Timber Jacks Group, visit https://timberjacksgroup.com
Many NAU Lumberjack student-athletes are on looser summer schedules. This gives them more downtime for other opportunities, like corporate projects and community engagement initiatives supported by Timber Jack Group donations.
Last year, Northern Arizona University’s athletics department created its Lumberjack Exchange portal helping connect student-athletes and businesses. The portal, which facilitates Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) transactions, helps students increase their academic and athletic opportunities by monetizing their individual brands, according to a college official. But it is also designed for business purposes, not only community organizations.
Contributions to the Timber Jacks Group will help provide nonprofit organizations with similar NIL opportunities. These NIL donations allow civic-minded groups to harness the power of respected college athletes’ names, images, and likenesses in campaigns drawing attention to charitable causes. The Timber Jacks Group hope this effort will increase community enrichment and help foster civic engagement in both the city of Flagstaff and throughout the state.
For generations, athletes have been recognized as role models, officially and unofficially. They are recognized as playing a critical role in youth development, according to the Sports Financial Literacy Academy. At all levels of play, they are associated with perseverance, discipline, and resilience. Leading by example, student-athletes encourage youth to exercise, pursue teamwork, engage in healthy competition, and set and work toward goals.
Supporting the Timber Jacks Group through NIL donations helps to support college athletes who are worthy role models for community youth. As a member of the Big Sky Conference, NAU offers 15 NCAA Division I sports programs, while its football team ranked fourth place in the conference at the end of its last season. The Lumberjack reputation extends beyond athletics: over the years, many student-athletes have been honored as Academic All-America scholar-athletes by the College Sports Communicators organization.
To read more about the Timber Jacks initiative, please visit https://timberjacksgroup.com
