Purpose

• Burbank Aquatics Masters Foundation is a volunteer-run nonprofit dedicated to making adult swimming safe, accessible, and inclusive. Membership fees are kept as low as possible and cover only essential operating costs such as pool rental and professional coaching.

 

How BAM Is Different

• Most Masters swim clubs must cover paid administration and broader overhead, which drives fees upward.

• BAM is intentionally volunteer-led, with paid roles limited to what cannot legally or ethically be volunteered, such as professional coaching and pool lane rental.

• As a result, membership fees aim to cover only the minimum required to keep swimmers in the water safely. Additional funds raised are directed to community access, safety, and education rather than salaries.

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How BAM Was Created and Founder Support

Burbank Aquatics Masters was financially established by its two founders, Erica Jenkins and Fiona Duncan. That initial support covered the legal formation of the Foundation, early operational setup, and essential infrastructure required to launch programming. Equipment required for program delivery, including tablets used by coaches for scheduling, communication, and program management, was also supported by the founders, reducing early overhead so donor funds can be directed toward community-facing services.

 

Where Foundation Funds Go

Core operations (immediate impact)

Pool lane rental: Ensures consistent, safe access to water for adult swimmers.

Professional coach compensation: Maintains safety, technical instruction, and programmecredibility.

Insurance and compliance costs: Protects swimmers, volunteers, and facilities.

 

Community programmes we fund

Masters Swim Programme: Low-cost adult swim training focused on fitness, technique, and community.

Adult Learn-to-Swim (ALTS) Clinics: Free clinics for adults who never learned to swim or who carry fear or trauma around water.

Female-Only Swim Clinics: Private learning environments for women who prefer single-gender instruction.

LGBTQ+ Inclusive Clinics: Affirming clinics designed to ensure safety, respect, and belonging for LGBTQ+ participants.

First Responder Water Safety Clinics: Water safety and endurance clinics for firefighters and police officers to support readiness and aquatic confidence.

CPR and First Aid Certification Clinics: Life-saving training for swimmers, volunteers, and community members, with costs subsidized or funded to remove barriers.

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Your donation directly supports:

☐ Pool lane rental for adult swim programs

☐ Professional coaching for safe, effective instruction

☐ Free Adult Learn-to-Swim (ALTS) clinics

☐ Female-only swim clinics

☐ LGBTQ+ inclusive swim clinics

☐ First responder water safety clinics

☐ CPR and First Aid certification clinics

☐ Insurance and safety compliance

☐ Equipment and program tools used by volunteer coaches

☐ Building reserves to lower membership fees over time

 

Note: BAM is volunteer-run. Donated funds support programs, not salaries.

 

Long-Term Community Impact

The long-term goal of the Foundation is to build a stable financial reserve that allows membership fees to be consistently lowered over time. As donations and grants grow, reliance on member fees decreases. This helps ensure that cost is never a barrier to participation and that programmes remain stable for the community.

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One-Sentence Explanation for Donors

“Because BAM is volunteer-run, every donated dollar goes directly into pool access, coaching, and free community swim education, not salaries.”