From the Desk of the CEO: Finance Guest Spot
It’s been a minute since I’ve made a blog post. I’ve been bogged down by the day-to-day, including volunteer hiring and early 2026 USQ Cup preparations. I’ll be back next week with an update on what’s happening at USQ! This week, though, I’m excited to welcome USQ Board Treasurer and our Finance Department Director Clay Dockery as a guest writer.
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In August 2022, US Quadball was in trouble. The organization was operating on bridge loans and thin reserves, event revenue was uncertain, and the future of national quadball itself felt at risk. Then Board Member Nathan Digmann put that reality into words in a public letter which was sobering and impossible to ignore.
I remember feeling both alarmed and determined. I’d been part of this community for a long time. I’d played, refereed, and, alongside many others, helped the sport grow. I knew I couldn’t just stand by. That letter was one of the big reasons I decided to join the board of directors in early 2023.
At the time, Executive Director Mary Kimball was navigating a nearly impossible position. Years of structural budget challenges combined with the financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic left the organization in crisis. Mary guided USQ through that storm with honesty, holding things together when the sport itself was under immense pressure. But when I took my seat on the board, it seemed like the organization was in a critical spiral.
Three years later, the landscape looks very different.
At the end of the first quarter of FYE26 (September 30, 2025), USQ closed with nearly $80,000 in cash on hand. That is almost double what we had at this point last year, and many times more than during the 2022 crisis. Total assets are at $82,853 with liabilities down to $24,614, which means we currently have more than 100 days of operating cash available. For a nonprofit of our size, that is meaningful progress.
We brought in just over $36,800 in Q1 and spent about $42,000 to launch the season, support programs, and invest in teams. It’s a manageable early-season deficit (the vast majority of our income tends to come in Q2 and Q3 as memberships are renewed and Q4 from USQ Cup) and reflects a stronger, more stable foundation.
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One of the biggest questions I get as Treasurer is: “Where does all the money go?” The honest answer is simple — the overhead of keeping this sport running.
Running a national nonprofit is expensive, even one as small as USQ. A few years ago, we were operating with about $425,000 in annual revenue and spending closer to $450,000, supported by as many as four full-time employees. That structure allowed us to give more direct oversight over a wide range of programs, events, and services but it wasn’t sustainable.
Over the past three years, we’ve operated with either one or zero full-time employees. That shift has helped control costs and rebuild stability, but it’s also meant heavier workloads for volunteers and staff, longer timelines for projects, and constant balancing acts to keep things moving.
Every dollar we spend now is deliberate. Our revenue is much closer to $300,000 and we have worked hard to ensure that expenses are below that figure. The largest portions of our expenses go toward:
Events and programs: venues, player accident insurance, equipment, travel, officials, and volunteer support.
Membership operations: web hosting, software, systems, and administrative infrastructure for registration and communication.
Insurance, accounting, and compliance: legal fees, accounting services and tax filing, multiple general insurance policies, and registration costs in every state where we operate.
These are unavoidable expenses of being a national governing body and the foundation that makes our work possible.
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This moment also represents a new chapter for USQ’s leadership. Amanda Dallas officially stepped into the role of CEO on August 5, and it feels like the right time.
Dallas and I both joined the sport around the same time, and I’ve seen her lead teams, build events, and push for excellence again and again. Her leadership isn’t symbolic; it’s a chance to strengthen USQ’s structure, elevate events, and build a truly sustainable future. She’s inheriting an organization that’s far more stable than it was a few years ago and has the experience and drive to take it even further.
I also want to acknowledge Shirley Lu, who provided steady guidance during our most recent staffing crisis as Interim COO. Leadership transitions are never easy, but Shirley turned a challenging period into a moment of strength.
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But strength and stability isn’t the same as security. Many teams and players continue to struggle financially, and keeping membership numbers strong is essential. We have lost a large number of teams and players and need to recruit and build ways for new people to find and fall in love with the sport. We’re also navigating a challenging political climate that requires us to stay vocal and firm in defending the rights and dignity of our community members.
We’ve learned to do more with less, but sustaining this progress also means bringing in new funding, not just cutting costs. Expanding revenue remains a top priority: through sponsorships, grants, and new partnerships beyond our existing community. That work is already underway, but it will take all of us to make it succeed.
I joined the board because I believe in this community and I knew that USQ could come back stronger. Today, it has. We’ve gone from a moment of survival to a moment of real possibility. And I believe we can build something lasting for our players, our teams, and our community.
Thank you to everyone who has stuck with us, volunteered, donated, and fought to keep this sport alive. Your commitment is the reason we’re here.
Here’s to the next chapter.
Clay Dockery
Treasurer, Board of Directors
US Quadball
✅ Weekly Action Item
This week’s action item is simple. Thank Clay for all their work for the organization. It’s all behind the scenes, but they do the heavy lifting when it comes to everything financial for our organization, and they’ve worked tirelessly to correct how we navigate financials documents, bank accounts, history, etc. Yet, even with all that work, they still take the time to assist with events and provide ideas for other departments, as well. Whether by commenting below or dropping them a message on Facebook or whatever thread you found this on, a simple thank you is well overdue.