FC Richmond
EIN: 52-1245172 · Tax status: 501(c)(3) nonprofit (legal entity: Greenfield Dragons Athletic Association)
Overview
FC Richmond is a youth soccer club based in Midlothian, Virginia, in Richmond’s western suburbs. The legal entity is Greenfield Dragons Athletic Association, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt since November 1982. The club traces its founding to 1985 under Dave Amsler and merged with the Greenfield Dragons recreational organization in 1990, retaining the Greenfield Dragons legal name while operating publicly as FC Richmond.
The club serves approximately 3,000 players in the Richmond / Midlothian / Chesterfield County market — Richmond’s most populous and fastest-growing suburban county. FC Richmond is one of the two primary competitive clubs in the Richmond area, alongside Richmond United.
Financials
| Metric | FY2025 (ending June) |
|---|---|
| Revenue | $1,985,088 |
| Expenses | $1,651,142 |
| Net income | $333,946 |
| Net assets | $3,746,245 |
Confidence: HIGH (Form 990, FY2025).
Program services account for 88.1% of revenue ($1.75M). Other revenue lines: net fundraising 7.0%, rental property income 3.8%, investment income 1.7%. The 17% net margin and $3.7M net asset position are unusually strong for a club at this revenue scale — FC Richmond carries roughly 2x annual revenue in reserves, a significantly stronger balance sheet than Virginia peers like Virginia Rush or GFRSC.
The 990 reports $0 executive compensation — all listed officers (President Russell Hinton, Treasurer Greg Bowman, and four directors) serve uncompensated.
Teams & Players
Approximately 3,000 players across recreational and competitive programs.
League Affiliations
- MLS Next Academy Division (U13–U19 boys, starting 2025-26 season) — first and only Richmond-area club in this tier
- Girls Academy Aspire
- VPSL / ECNL Regional League (select teams)
- State cup competition through VYSA
The MLS Next Academy Division entry for 2025-26 is significant: FC Richmond branded itself as “the first and only club in Richmond” to join MLS Next, a positioning that puts pressure on Richmond United’s long-standing competitive primacy in the Richmond market. The MLS Next Academy Division is the new mid-tier introduced for 2025-26 between MLS Next 2 and MLS Next.
Facilities
A new soccer complex is in planning near Moseley (western Chesterfield County). The 990’s rental income line (3.8% of revenue) suggests the club holds real-estate interests that generate facility income — uncommon for a club at this revenue scale and a meaningful asset.
Leadership
- Lynne Ellis — Executive Director
- Dave Amsler — Founder (1985)
- Russell Hinton — Board President
- Greg Bowman — Treasurer
Competitive Position
FC Richmond now occupies a structurally distinctive position in the Richmond market: with MLS Next Academy Division for boys and GA Aspire for girls, it holds the only national-pathway boys franchise inside city limits as of 2025-26. Richmond United retains the dominant ECNL (girls) and MLS Next franchise in the broader Richmond area, but FC Richmond’s expansion narrows the pathway gap and challenges Richmond United’s recruitment monopoly in the western suburbs.
Industry Context
FC Richmond combines an unusually strong balance sheet ($3.7M net assets, ~2x revenue), all-volunteer governance (no paid officers), and a deliberate national-pathway move via MLS Next Academy Division. The combination is rare — most clubs adding national-pathway franchises do so under significant financial strain (cf. Loudoun Soccer’s declining revenue while joining MLS Next 2). FC Richmond’s planned Moseley complex, if executed, would give it a facility footprint that few VA-based competitors match outside Loudoun Soccer Park and Richmond United’s field network.
The Greenfield Dragons legacy entity name and 1982 tax exemption indicate decades of institutional continuity, which combined with low overhead suggests a financially sustainable model that may withstand the cost increases that typically follow MLS Next franchise entry.
Open Questions
- Travel/competitive vs recreational player split
- Moseley complex timeline, capital plan, and ownership structure
- Coaching staff costs as MLS Next Academy ramps up
- Whether FC Richmond’s MLS Next entry triggered any roster movement from Richmond United
- Source of rental income — owned vs leased fields