The Challenges faced by sports organisations
Increase Adminstrative REquirements
Whether from funders or to meet governance requirements, administrative burdens continue to increase
Limited staff & voluteer capacity
Average staffing in sports in NI is <8 with many organisations volunteer only
compliance
Increasing requirements to meet statutory or best practice by sports can leave less time to focus on development
Our Solution
Shared ADMINSTRATIVE SERVICES
In line with our Strategic Plan and growing capacity, NISF is committed to expanding and evolving a Shared Administrative Service to meet the day-to-day needs of our members. These services are designed to:
- Reduce administrative burdens on staff and volunteers
- Support governance and compliance requirements
- Enable strategic focus on development and delivery
- Provide flexible, tailored support to meet the unique needs of each organisation
Whether it’s assistance with documentation, policy development, reporting, or operational support, our goal is to empower sports organisations to focus on their core work.
Responsive and Scalable Support
While many services are currently delivered through our Executive Manager and Member Services Officer (MSO), we are actively exploring additional capacity to meet growing demand. This ensures that our support remains responsive, scalable, and aligned with the evolving needs of the sector. Above all, we recognise that flexibility is key. Our approach is built on listening, adapting, and delivering the right support at the right time — so that sports organisations can focus on what matters most: participation, performance, support and progress.
SHARED ADMINSTRATIVE SERVICES BREAKDOWN
aDMIN sUPPORT
This service looks to provide value for money through centralised support to the sector. NISF will provide tailored administrative support to NGBs based on their specific needs. This includes a subsidised, centralised service offering ad hoc or regular assistance for organisations with limited staffing.
eVENT SUPPORT – PREP AND MANAGEMENT
To address one of the sector’s highest priorities, NISF will offer comprehensive event support services, including:
- Setting up online registration forms
- Compiling medical/emergency contacts and volunteer rotas
- Supporting event promotion
- Providing on-the-day assistance
- Ordering medals and prizes
GRAPHIC DESIGN
With increasing demands for digital visibility, NISF will support members with basic graphic design services for social media, publications, and branding. This includes:
- Social media graphics
- Document preparation for print
- Logo and headed paper creation
For larger-scale projects, NISF will facilitate access to professional designers through a quote-based system.
FINANCE*
Following feedback, some elements included the need for financial support. We will look to explore means to improve financial administration across the sector, NISF will identify the requirements and input for:
- Bookkeeping and cashbook maintenance
- Organising financial paperwork
- Setting up accounting platforms (e.g. Sage)
- Payroll
This will allow assessment of potential rolls or 3rd party services that could support with expertise in this area.
*Future Potential Service
THE PROCESS: How to Access or Request Support
Members can request support by contacting us directly via phone or email with details of the task they need completed. We will then allocate time from their available hours to carry out the request.
Basic tasks
For smaller tasks—such as formatting documents or preparing basic materials—requests can be made and completed entirely over email. Once finished, the completed work will be returned via email.
Standard/ Enhanced Tasks
For larger or more complex tasks, we may arrange a brief call or in-person meeting to ensure all necessary information is provided and expectations are clear.
Notice
Ideally the greater the notice period will help us prioritise and assign time to the tasks. We would ask for 2 weeks wherever possible and longer where there may be travel involved (e.g. event support or dedicated Admin on site). We will let you know availability in order to complete this and agree the deadline.
Costs
Costs will be reflective of the level of task and time taken, with a view to best value for money for member organisations.