Gold Coast Sportfishing Club

Written By Kadee Folker

Digital Ecosystem Clean-Up & Governance Infrastructure

Project Focus

The Gold Coast Sportfishing Club required more than promotion. It required digital order, structural boundaries, and sustainable systems that could survive committee transitions.

As a volunteer-led organisation, the natural lifecycle of committee roles creates risk:

  • Information loss

  • Access confusion

  • Platform sprawl

  • Revenue instability

  • Membership drop-off during transitions

My role evolved into cleaning up and rebuilding the club’s digital ecosystem so it could operate sustainably — regardless of who sat on the committee.

Stage 1: Digital Ecosystem Clean-Up

Problem

The club’s digital footprint existed across multiple tools, platforms, and informal processes, creating dependency on individuals rather than systems.

Actions Taken

  • Consolidated website structure (Squarespace rebuild)

  • Clarified access controls and admin boundaries

  • Centralised event information into structured pages

  • Cleaned up email communication processes

  • Introduced clearer ownership of digital assets

  • Reduced reliance on informal knowledge transfer

Outcome

The club moved from person-dependent knowledge to system-based continuity.

This reduced the risk of key information being lost during committee turnover.

Stage 2: Governance Boundaries & Role Clarity

Volunteer committees change yearly. Without defined systems, each transition resets progress.

The focus became implementing digital boundaries that would:

  • Protect data

  • Clarify who owns what

  • Separate personal accounts from club assets

  • Create handover-ready infrastructure

Key Implementation

  • Structured digital access hierarchy

  • Clear platform documentation

  • Defined ownership for website, email, and event systems

  • Strategic handover to selected committee members

I did not just build systems — I ensured they could be carried forward.

Stage 3: Membership Modernisation & Revenue Stability

Membership became a core strategic focus.

The objective was to:

  • Simplify the membership experience

  • Create easier onboarding

  • Reduce friction at renewal

  • Strengthen predictable revenue flow

What Was Implemented

  • New structured membership program

  • Simplified digital registration process

  • Improved navigation and clarity on the website

  • Digital check-in capability testing

  • Process refinement for member tracking

This created the foundation for:

  • Reliable recurring revenue

  • Reduced admin burden

  • Improved member experience

  • Better data visibility

The system is now designed to support long-term sustainability, not short-term sign-ups.

Stage 4: Sponsor Directory Framework (Future Revenue Stream)

To diversify long-term revenue, I established the foundation for a structured Sponsor Directory.

Purpose

  • Provide year-round value to sponsors

  • Create searchable digital exposure

  • Integrate sponsors beyond event-based recognition

  • Develop a potential recurring listing revenue model

The directory framework has been:

  • Built

  • Structured

  • Positioned within the website

  • Strategically documented

Its full commercial rollout remains with the committee to activate and expand.

The infrastructure is ready.

Stage 5: Digital Presence & Community Positioning

A strong focus remained on showcasing what truly lives at the club — the heart of the fishing community on the Gold Coast.

This included:

  • Stronger visual storytelling

  • Consistent social presence

  • Community-focused messaging

  • Sponsor integration into storytelling

  • Positioning the club as a central hub, not just an event host

The goal was clear:

Make the digital presence reflect the real culture of the club.

Strategic Outcome

Across the engagement period, the Gold Coast Sportfishing Club now has:

  • A consolidated digital ecosystem

  • Clear platform ownership

  • Structured committee handover capability

  • Modernised membership infrastructure

  • Foundation for diversified revenue streams

  • Reduced risk of data and access loss

  • Stronger digital credibility

Most importantly, the systems now allow the natural lifecycle of the committee to continue without destabilising the organisation.

What This Demonstrates

This project required:

  • Governance awareness within a not-for-profit model

  • Infrastructure thinking over short-term promotion

  • Revenue system design

  • Long-term continuity planning

  • Strategic restraint — building foundations, then handing them over

My role was to stabilise, structure, and future-proof the club’s digital presence — then step back and allow the committee to carry it forward.

Closing Reflection

This role became far more than a contracted engagement.

Over time, I didn’t simply deliver strategy — I immersed myself in the rhythm of the club. I attended meetings, navigated challenges alongside the committee, contributed to discussions beyond my scope, and operated with the same level of care and accountability as any internal member.

Many would say I became part of the committee during this period.

What makes this project one of the most personally gratifying chapters of my work is not just the systems implemented or the infrastructure built — it’s the relationships formed and the trust extended.

To be invited into a 30+ year community institution, to help steady it, structure it, and prepare it for its next chapter — and to leave knowing the foundations are stronger — is something I’m deeply proud of.

The positive connections, the shared problem-solving, and the quiet but meaningful progress achieved during this time will always stand out.

Some projects build portfolios.
Others build legacy.

This one did both.

Kadee Folker https://www.kadeefolkerphotography.com.au
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Gold Coast Flathead Classic