The world is tuned into the Winter Olympics right now. The competition, the production, the athletes, all incredible. But what I keep coming back to is what's happening behind the scenes: how do you fund, organize, and sustain something this big, and what can smaller nonprofits borrow from that playbook?

My last article was about capturing a big moment (the Super Bowl) and turning a burst of attention into lasting connection. This one is about the other side of the coin: what happens after the spotlight moves on, and how the best organizations build systems that keep supporters engaged for years, not just weeks.

I'll walk you through what's happening behind the scenes at Milano Cortina 2026, what makes the Olympic model worth studying for sustained relationships, and the systems you can build and automate so the relationship-tending happens even when your team is stretched thin.

What's actually happening (under the lid)

Milano Cortina 2026. 2,900 athletes. Over 90 nations. 116 medal events. And behind it all, an operation most of us never see.

But here's what most people don't know: the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) receives zero federal funding. The entire operation, training, travel, coaching, athlete support, runs on private donations, sponsorships, and media deals. The fundraising arm, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Foundation, raised $230 million in the four-year cycle through 2024.

That's a nonprofit operation at scale.

And unlike organizations that spike in visibility during one big event and go quiet, the Olympic movement has built infrastructure designed to make relationships last. The structure behind it is worth borrowing from. The Olympic movement isn't one organization. It's a network of entities, each playing a different role in keeping the mission funded and the relationships strong. Here's what a few of them are doing around these Games.

The Stevens Financial Security Awards

In March 2025, financier Ross Stevens donated $100 million to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Foundation, the largest single gift in USOPC history. What makes it notable isn't just the size. It's the structure:

  • $200,000 per Team USA athlete, but not as a lump sum.
  • $100,000 paid out 20 years after their Games appearance (or at age 45, whichever comes later).
  • $100,000 guaranteed death benefit for their families.
  • Athletes earning above $1M/year are not eligible, keeping the focus on those who need it most.

Most Olympic athletes don't earn enough from competing to build financial stability on their own. This gift was designed to address that gap. Not with a one-time check, but with a financial instrument built to compound over a lifetime.

The Olympic Refuge Foundation

Founded in 2017, the ORF runs year-round programming across 17 initiatives in 12 countries, independent of the Games schedule.

  • Nearly 1 million young people affected by displacement reached through safe sport.
  • 210,000+ directly accessing programs.
  • 2,800+ coaches trained.
  • $24M+ invested in programming.
  • Game Connect program: depression symptoms among participants dropped from 57% to 6%.

At Paris 2024, boxer Cindy Ngamba, who fled Cameroon as a child and discovered boxing at a youth club in Bolton, England, won the Refugee Olympic Team's first-ever Olympic medal.

Olympic Solidarity

This program funded 249 athletes from 74 countries who otherwise couldn't have competed, covering training, equipment, coaching, and competition travel. Nigerian cross-country skier Samuel Ikpefan has said this support made it possible for him to compete at a level he never could have reached on his own.

The host city changes every four years. These programs don't.

Why this matters for your nonprofit

You might look at the Olympic model and think, "That's great, but I'm not working with billions of dollars." Fair. But the principles translate at every budget level.

Here's what I actually see in nonprofit fundraising: the thank-you goes out, the newsletter lands in inboxes, the year-end appeal gets sent. People are trying. But then:

  • A first-time donor gives in October, gets a receipt and maybe a welcome email, and by January nobody has checked in.
  • A mid-level donor quietly lapses because the renewal reminder went to the wrong segment.
  • A board introduction gets warm follow-up for two weeks and then life gets in the way.

It's not that the care isn't there. It's that the system isn't.

Think about it this way: imagine if Olympic Solidarity identified a promising athlete, sent them one scholarship check, and then lost track of them until the next Games cycle. The intention was there. But without the consistent follow-through, the relationship never had a chance to compound. That's the gap. And it's exactly what systems are built to close.

The playbook: before, during, and after

Here's how to apply this to your fundraising operations. And before you feel your chest tighten: you don't have to build all of it tomorrow. Pick one section. Start there. These are ingredients, not a recipe you have to follow in order.

Before the gift: invest early

Olympic Solidarity doesn't wait until athletes arrive at the Games to start supporting them. They identify promising athletes years in advance, provide monthly financial support, and fund coaching and competition travel throughout the entire qualification period. Your donor relationships should start the same way.

Build a new donor welcome sequence. When someone gives to your organization for the first time, what happens in the first 30 days? If the answer is "I'm not sure," that's actually a great place to start. Even mapping out what currently happens is a meaningful first step. Here's what a solid welcome sequence can look like:

  • Within 24 hours: a warm acknowledgment that goes beyond the tax receipt. Tell them specifically what their gift makes possible. Something like: "Your $50 gift covers 2 hours of specialized coaching for a young athlete this season. Thank you for helping us make this possible." This is your first impression as a relationship, not a transaction.
  • Day 3 to 5: a "here's what to expect" message. How often will they hear from you? What kind of updates will they receive? Something like: "You'll receive monthly updates on athlete progress and an invitation to our annual impact showcase." Setting expectations early reduces unsubscribes and builds trust.
  • Week 2 to 3: a personal touch, like a short staff note, a quick call, or a handwritten card. Something like: "Hi Alex, just wanted to personally thank you for your incredible support. — Coach Miller, Junior Olympic Program." This tells donors they matter beyond their gift. It's the moment most orgs skip, and the one that makes people stay.

A note on automation: steps 1 and 2 can and should be automated in your CRM. Write them once, set the triggers, and let them run. But make sure they're coming from a real person, not a generic inbox. "From: Coach Miller, Junior Olympic Program" lands very differently than "From: noreply@organization.org." Step 3 is different. Use your CRM to create the task and assign it to a specific team member, but the outreach itself should be genuinely personal. That's the part donors remember. And if handwritten notes don't fit within your team's capacity, there are third-party platforms that can help you send them without losing the personal touch.

Tag the source in your CRM. Just like we covered in the Super Bowl article, track where every new supporter comes from (year-end campaign, gala, social media, peer-to-peer fundraiser, board referral). This lets you personalize follow-up, track which channels bring in loyal donors (not just first-time ones), and report back with real numbers.

During the relationship: don't only show up when you need something

The IOC doesn't contact athletes only when it's time to compete. The USOPC provides tuition grants, mental health support, and career transition resources, and now, thanks to the Stevens gift, long-term financial security. The relationship is ongoing, not transactional. Your donor communications should work the same way.

Aim for a 2:1 ratio. For every ask you send, send at least two communications that don't request a dollar. Three types to rotate:

  • Impact stories. "Here's what happened because of supporters like you." A specific story, photo, or data point.
  • Behind-the-scenes moments. What your team is working on. What's challenging. What's exciting.
  • Community invitations. Volunteer opportunities, events, and content that makes donors feel like part of the mission, not just a funding source.

Automate the routine, personalize the meaningful. Let your CRM handle email sequences, renewal reminders, and standard acknowledgments. Save your personal energy for the high-touch moments: handwritten notes, phone calls, and meetings.

After the gift: close the loop

This is where the Olympic model really shines. The IOC publishes detailed annual reports showing exactly where revenue goes, with 90% redistributed back into sport development and athlete support worldwide. The Olympic Refuge Foundation tracks and shares outcomes down to specific programs: depression symptom reduction, number of coaches trained, countries served. Most nonprofits know they should do this. Few actually build the system to make it happen consistently.

Create a simple, repeatable impact report. Not a 40-page annual report. A one-page "what happened because of you" recap that goes out after every major campaign or giving period. The beauty of keeping it to one page is that it works everywhere: email it to donors and partners, share it with your board, pull a quote for social media. One document, many uses.

What to include on that one page:

  • 3 impact data points (people served, programs delivered, outcomes achieved). Gives donors something concrete to hold onto and share. Example: "~1M young people reached. 2,800+ coaches trained. 57% of participants showed reduced depression symptoms after programming."
  • 1 to 2 photos or a short story. Shows the work beyond the numbers. Makes it human.
  • 1 quote from a participant, beneficiary, or community partner. Adds a voice that isn't yours, which builds credibility. Example: "Being part of this program gave me something I hadn't had in a long time: a reason to show up."
  • 1 clear invitation for how they can stay connected. Not necessarily another ask. Could be an event, a volunteer day, or a reply. Example: "Want to see the work in person? Join us for a virtual site visit on March 20."

Why this works: it closes the loop. It gives people a reason to stay. And it creates the proof you need for your next pitch, your next partnership, and your next campaign.

The bigger picture

The Olympic movement is, at its core, a nonprofit operation. The IOC redistributes 90% of its revenue, the equivalent of $4.7 million per day, back into sport development and athlete support around the world.

The athletes we cheer for during 17 days of competition are supported by systems built years in advance. The scholarships, the coaching, the financial planning, the welcome sequences for new athletes, the impact reports that justify continued investment. It's all infrastructure. Quiet, deliberate, compounding infrastructure.

Your organization probably won't distribute $4.7 million a day. But the principle is the same: the work that happens between the big moments is what makes the big moments possible.

You don't need to overhaul everything at once. You just need one system that works, and the willingness to keep showing up for it. That's the long game. And that's what ops is really about: building the infrastructure that gives good moments room to grow.