Grassroot Soccer (GRS)

Mission

Using the power of soccer in the fight against AIDS, Grassroot Soccer provides African youth with the skills and support to live HIV free. We have developed an internationally recognized HIV prevention curriculum that uses soccer players and the game itself to teach awareness about the disease, critical life skills, and prevention strategies to young people.

Programs

Grassroot Soccer operates programs in Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa and additionally operates a US-based program called Kick AIDS which acts as a fundraising arm for GRS.

Current Projects on GlobalGiving

AIDS education for 20,000 7th graders in Zimbabwe

Personnel Overview

Dr. Thomas S. Clark - Executive Director, Grassroot Soccer
Dr. Tommy Clark, is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Dartmouth Medical School. Dr. Clark, the founder of the organization, played soccer professionally in Zimbabwe where he saw the devastation of HIV and the popularity of soccer first hand. While in medical school he conceived the plan for GRS and during residency he acted on the plan, starting the organization in 2002.

Kirk Friedrich - Managing Director, Grassroot Soccer Africa
Mr. Friedrich a co-founder of Grassroot Soccer and oversaw the launch and management of our initial project in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. At Grassroot Soccer, he is responsible for fundraising and marketing for the Africa programs and for curriculum design and management, project launches, in-country management of staff and volunteers, and partnership oversight and management.

Ethan Zohn - Managing Director
Mr. Zohn is a co-founder of Grassroot Soccer and is responsible for oversight of our US project, including corporate sponsor cultivation and technical program management. In 2003, Mr. Zohn was the winner of CBS’s television program “Survivor- Africa”, and he works to harness his celebrity for the benefit of Grassroot Soccer.

Personnel Statistics

Dr. Thomas S. Clark,
Executive Director
Founded in 2002
Employees: 12
Volunteers: 40

Financial Statistics

Budget (2006): $750,000
Budget (2005): $347,500
Maximum Budget: $750,000
Overhead: 7 %
Other funding sources: Foundation grants, corporate and individual donations
Religious Affiliation: None