Beeker, it's cool that you want the US's improvement, but we may all be sitting around for a long time if we want people to invest like the Hanson's. Bless them cause they certainly love the sport and are doing a great thing with their club, but I don't think that it would be too big of a presumption (I have no figures, and I welcome correction) to say that they are paying some coin to have their club, and it may be awhile before they recoup their substantial investment.
A lot of us (especially the faster guys) are going to take that first step (like the Hanson's) and forego a couple of years of the best $$ you can make to see what you can do. It would be best if several guys/gals went a this goal together. Throughout most of the late 80s-90s (possible correlation/causation with HS decline? doubtful, but maybe), there was really no post-collegiate system that seemed workable. A guy graduates from college and seems to have the choice of going into the workforce in the field he has been studying, or he can go for it, seemingly alone, to work odd jobs to chase his running dream. One has money, the other probably not (or at least not much). Everyone advocates the first, hardly anyone the second. Unless you are great, the clear choice seems to point to the workforce.
However, if you have a group, now you have a little bit of strength in numbers, and you can see some real-life examples of how it might not be so crazy to delay selling your soul to an employer for a couple of years to see how much farther you can go. Not only that, but maybe you can have some of those (not to be underestimated) team benefits that running in college provides. Even if everyone in a certain group works the same jobs that you would have otherwise, and you meet every once in a while (like once a week) just like people have always done, it is still worthwhile to have club as opposed to everyone just kind of working out together individually. Being a part of a team holds you more accountable than if you are just running yourself.
If more people did this, it could also kind of help educate the non-running public that taking this course is a viable choice (perhaps even admirable) and not stupid.
It would just be good to give runners a real choice that they can make regarding their running. The best clubs (that gets the real funding, allows runners to not really work at al maybe) should simply get the fastest, most talented runners. But, at least lower-tiered clubs would keep these guys honest (not that they don't give it their all, but surely some of you can relate to the positive stress of running to stay on the team).
So, capital-wise, most groups would be lucky to get ANYTHING. But, maybe you can get the local running store to let you borrow the necessary equipment to have a local race (or a few), and maybe you could earn a thousand or two to help pay for your trip to the Chicago marathon, Mt. Sac., or wherever. Maybe, you can get a local chiropractor or massage therapist to donate their services if you agree to tout what a great job they do. Maybe, you can even get the local running store to donate shoes (or provide a deep discount). Anything helps, but you're going to have to drive it and figure out a compelling reason why these people sjould help you. Maybe, someday, competitive running will gain momentum and then more funding will be there, but until then, I don't think you/we can wait for a bunch of Hanson-like guys to step up like that (there just isn't the market for it right now). What you need most is the desire to want this to happen, and the subsequent willingness to work at it (having a decent lead runner - maybe you - or two would help).
Man, I know I am rambling BIGTIME, but it just seems we lose a lot of really good ones (and even more could be good ones) on graduation day (age 22).