Sports fundraising requires dedication and diligence. Here are sports fundraising ideas to infuse new life into your fundraising efforts.
Many sports teams choose straightforward fundraising campaigns that they have used year after year, such as selling candy bars or handing out a catalog or youth brochure that offers the same variety of products every time.
Sure, you can raise money with these proven methods. However, maybe it is time for you to kick it up a notch. Now more than ever, creativity and virtual mobile applications are required for successful sports fundraising.
15 Fundraising Ideas for Sports Teams
Below are 15 great ideas to get you and your sports team motivated towards success.
1. Autographed Balls
Have all team members autograph a bunch of balls that you can sell during games.
These make great memorabilia items for family, friends, and can bring in fast donations.
You can also set up a line after the game where fans can purchase a new ball and take it around to the different players to have it signed.
2. Beverage and Snack Sales
Everyone gets hungry at the game. Sell cold beverages, popcorn, candy, or other snack items at games all season long.
Presenting some delightful snack items is a very effective way to bring in constant contributions for your team or sports league.
3. Candy Bar Sales
Who doesn’t love chocolate? Team members can go door to door, in their soccer uniforms, asking residents to purchase a candy bar to raise money for their team or league.
This simple fundraising technique has been around for decades.
Check fundraising product companies online to find merchants who offer boxes of candy bars. World’s Finest Chocolate is one great example.
With a little research, you will find that some companies will let you pay after your fundraising event, so there are no upfront costs for the candy bars.
4. Celebrity Sports Day
Open a one day or weekend camp where a locally known athletic celebrity can teach sports skills or compete in small competitions against youth or parents for entertainment.
Charge an admission fee and offer snacks and drinks people can purchase during the event.
5. Game Time
If your event is outdoors, you can set up a series of competitions everyone can enjoy, such as an egg toss, potato sack race, human
tic-tac-toe, 3-legged race, pie throwing contest, horseshoes, badminton, and so forth.
If your event is indoors, you can hold card game competitions, play board games, Twister, charades, or other games.
Charge a small donation for entry and offer small prizes or ribbons to winners.
6. Goal Shot
This event can be held during or after a game, or even at half-time. Allow spectators a chance to “buy a shot” at the soccer, basketball, or other goals to win a great prize.
Round by round, donors kick or shoot the ball from a predetermined place on the field, attempting to score a goal past the goalie, make a long shot, kick a field goal, and so forth.
Everyone who scores a goal in the first round moves to the second round where they shoot again from a different spot. This continues until you have a winner.
This is an entertaining way to get guests excited and bring in plenty of donations.
7. Guess How Many
Before your game, have a clear glass jar set out that you have filled with miniature soccer balls, baseballs, footballs, or other related sports equipment. You can usually find these at party goods or craft stores.
Have a table set up where people can pay $1 for a guess at how many balls are in the jar.
Have a volunteer stay at the table to accept donations and guesses during the event.
At the end of the game, announce the name of the person who had the closest guess and offers them a fun prize or team jersey.
8. Hat, T-Shirt, and Sticker Sales
Sell baseball hats, t-shirts, or bumper stickers with your team’s logo.
There are several print-on-demand services available online, such as CafePress, in which you can send them a graphic of your logo, and they can print it on a variety of products. You can then sell them at no out of the pocket expense.
You can create a flyer and collect orders. Then, purchase the products you need to fill the orders and keep the profits for your team.
You can also opt to purchase them ahead of time and sell them during game nights.
9. League Tournament
Get your rival teams to compete in a weekend tournament to raise money for your league.
Raise funds by charging an admission/ticket fee at the gate or in advance. You can also provide and charge for food and beverages.
10. Bowling for Donations
Host a bowling tournament or allow supporters to register for an exciting night of bowling and fun with the kids.
Call your local bowling alley to arrange ahead of time and get prices.
During your bowling night, you can also offer pizza and sodas to your participants or integrate other activities to spice things up.
11. Parents vs. Youth Competition
Set up a night where parents play against their child’s team.
Charge an admission fee and charge for snacks during the event. Offer ribbons or trophies to the winning team to get people excited.
You can also hold a skills competition, such as a basketball throw, batting contest, longest yard football pass, and so on, in which parents and locals can compete.
12. Athletic Camp
Before the season begins, set up a fun sports camp for players that lasts a day or throughout a weekend.
Charge a set fee for registration that goes toward costs to hold the camp, plus donations towards your team’s fundraising goals.
Parents can bring their kids to the camp where they can learn impressive athletic skills and participate in fun sports-related activities with other kids their age.
13. Sports Skill Tournament
Charge a fee for participation and attendance, and host a sport skill tournament where players can show off their talents in different competitions related to their sport.
Offer ribbons or small prizes (gift cards for an athletic store work great) for winners in each contest.
14. Table Game Tournament
Kids and adults can pay to enter a table game tournament where they compete against one another for prizes.
You can set it up, so kids compete against parents or parents team up with their children. You can also make it a free-for-all tournament.
15. Team Fundraising Page
At CharityAuctionsToday, you can sign up for free and start your very own charity auction.
You will be able to promote your fundraisers as well as accept donations through our secure online payment processing system.
You can also offer multiple auctions or set up your team storefront.
Tips for Successful Fundraising
Plan ahead
First, having a well-planned, organized community approach can help you increase sales and participation.
Let potential donors and supporters know about your sports fundraising campaigns in advance so they can prepare ahead of time.
Otherwise, they may end up buying less expensive items or not being able to support you as much as they would like because they don’t have the money on hand.
Publicize the Event
If you are planning a public fundraising event, advertise way ahead of time and sell tickets in advance.
The more details you give and the more specific your timeline, the better people can prepare and budget. This helps them attend your event and purchase more items from your catalogs or other fundraising materials. Try using some of the newer social media tools like TikTok or Instagram Reels to promote the event.
Gather the Community
Other essential factors are building enthusiasm and getting more people involved. Your sports fundraisers rely on youth team members to bring in donations with either cash or pledges to the online donation page.
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Why not get adults involved too? Getting adult volunteers to participate in setting up and spreading the word about events will increase not only motivation but also aid tremendously in your efforts, providing support to youth in all aspects of fundraising.
The more people you can get involved, the more you can brainstorm and come up with unique ideas and resources to help create exciting campaigns that are sure to be a hit!
To Sum It Up
Implementing these new strategies and fresh ideas can supplement your existing campaigns to boost your incoming donations significantly!
Also, hosting sporting events and keeping your team involved in its fundraising efforts boosts team morale. With the right ideas, your team, along with other groups, can raise plenty of money for the entire division!
