In 2025, FIFA announced the introduction of the Player Impact Programme – an initiative to support football players in designing and leading their own social action projects.
14 projects by female players were selected for the programme, in which FIFA will contribute $25,000 in seed funding and provide the additional resources and training for the players to successfully carry out their projects.
Chief Football Officer Jill Ellis stated:
“What we continue to fund is their coaching so we don’t just get them ready then leave them there. It’s a continued process to make sure their projects get off the ground and have sustainability. That was important to us.”
Women’s football stars such as Alessia Russo and Khadija “Bunny” Shaw have already kickstarted meaningful projects for causes, with some hitting very close to home.
The recently launched Alessia Russo Foundation aims to encourage and support young girls in getting into and staying in football, with research showing girls in the UK miss out on around 280 million hours of sport a year. Shaw’s project centred on providing aid and support to those affected by Hurricane Melissa, which significantly impacted her home nation of Jamaica. Shaw and her team provided essential supplies such as food and medical equipment across the country.
The Player Impact Programme is crucial for the long-term evolution of the women’s game. By drawing on personal experiences and the challenges often faced by female athletes, players are tackling barriers and clearing the way for next generations of women and girls in football.
Kadeisha Buchanan, Chelsea defender and Canadian national team player, recently officially launched the KB3 Foundation, an initiative aimed at supporting and encouraging young female football players from single-parent families. The foundation was born from Buchanan’s own personal experience growing up in a single-parent household, where access to sport is not always a guarantee.
“My mom raised me and my sisters on her own, and I saw how hard she worked to give us opportunities.
Football changed my life, but there were definitely moments when money or access could’ve stopped me from playing.
I wanted to create something that helps girls in similar situations so they don’t have to worry about those barriers and can just focus on their love for the game.”
The KB3 Foundation will focus on providing grants to single-parent families to help cover the essentials, such as transportation costs, registration fees, and football kits. A prominent aspect of the initiative is to try and remove the awkwardness surrounding asking for assistance with attending training or matches. Buchanan highlighted her own experience of her mum doing everything she could to get her on the field.
“We had to find a way to get to matches and training every day. My mum found it difficult because she knew she couldn’t provide those sorts of things.”
“Stepping out of your comfort zone for the best of the family – she did that.”
While Buchanan is an example of resilience, she believes a person’s background or home life shouldn’t get in the way of girls reaching their full potential.
Reflecting on her upbringing, Buchanan said:
“[My mum] was from Jamaica and didn’t have a higher education so it was hard for her to find a job. We were on welfare money and were part of the government housing.”
“Not many people come out of that area in a good light. What was special about football was that it didn’t make me go down a bad path.”
Football, and sport in general, can be a form of sanctuary and a lifeline for many children. It is where they feel their best selves, where they feel most at home, or where they can switch off and relax. As Buchanan said herself, football was a safe haven that changed the trajectory of her life. Ensuring all young girls have access to grassroots football, regardless of socio-economic circumstances, is ensuring they have the opportunity to find that community and sense of purpose that sport provides for so many.
Buchanan underwent three months of training and professional development prior to the official launch of her foundation. This ensured herself and her team were well set up to deliver the programme efficiently.
Beyond removing financial barriers in football, the KB3 Foundation also aims to address the issue of visibility for underrepresented groups in women’s sports. Buchanan’s foundation shines a spotlight on celebrating Black girls and women in football and is dedicated to being the example that is needed to ensure they feel wanted and welcome in the sport. Through this project, Buchanan leads both on and off the pitch, setting a standard of leadership and community investment, which are core to her foundation’s goals.
“A lot of people don’t realise how expensive playing sports can be. There’s travel, equipment, registration – it adds up. But there’s also the emotional side. Some girls might not feel like they belong or might not see many role models who look like them. Those are things we don’t always talk about, but they matter a lot.”
On top of financial aid, the foundation will also provide families with free tickets to Canada’s national team games and events, creating important opportunities for connection and inspiration. Childhood memories and experiences like these are fundamental in shaping the aspirations of future female athletes. As the saying goes, “you can’t be what you can’t see.”
The financial barriers of sport extend beyond being able to afford equipment, training and transport. Missing out on the cultural experience of watching a live women’s football match means young people, particularly those from single-parent or single-income families, risk losing out on important moments of visibility and a sense of belonging in these environments.
“I want kids to be able to go to football matches. All my teammates used to go to games and I couldn’t get tickets. I had to pretend I watched them.”
For children from single-parent or single-income families, success in sport can often reflect a lifetime of compromise and sacrifice. Buchanan’s foundation is set to change this, ensuring young girls across Canada have the opportunity to excel in professional football regardless of financial backgrounds, from playing and competing to earning scholarships and coaching.
“If the foundation can remove even one barrier, that could help a young player stay in the game and keep believing in herself. So for me, even helping one player is huge.”
It’s about creating opportunities and opening doors.
If we support young players now, we’re helping build the next generation of leaders, athletes, and role models.”
