Youth sports are not only about playing games but also about learning teamwork, discipline, and leadership. However, financing these activities can sometimes be challenging. Whether it’s for new equipment, travel expenses, or facility rentals, fundraising becomes a crucial aspect of sustaining youth sports teams. But fear not! In this article, we’ll explore creative fundraising ideas tailored specifically for youth sports teams.
Host a Sports Clinic
Organize a skills clinic where seasoned athletes or coaches from the community can provide training sessions for aspiring young players. Participants can pay a fee to attend, and the funds raised can go directly to the team.
Crowdfunding Campaign: Launch a crowdfunding campaign on platforms like GoFundMe or Kickstarter. Share your team’s story, goals, and why you need financial support. Encourage friends, family, and community members to donate and share the campaign on social media.
Team Merchandise Sales: Design and sell team-branded merchandise such as t-shirts, hats, water bottles, or car decals. Not only does this promote team spirit, but it also serves as a continuous revenue stream.
There are also small businesses that help your team with fundraising. Spring Creek Candle Company offers the opportunity to sell their products to support your team. They offer a wide variety of products, such as laundry detergent, candles You pick! Candles, melts, laundry detergent, room sprays, carpet powder.
Fan club athletics – google them and get more information.
Double Good Popcorn
Car Washes: Organize a car wash event in a visible location like a parking lot or a gas station. Enlist the help of team members and volunteers to wash cars for a donation. Advertise the event through flyers and social media to attract more customers. Our baseball team is planning a car wash at our field. We are fortunate enough to have access to water and a busy road to hold up signs. This is an opportunity for our boys to get involved and make their dreams of going to Cooperstown a reality!!
Community Yard Sale: Gather donations from team members and their families, as well as the community, and host a yard sale. This is a great way to declutter while raising funds for the team. Make sure to promote the event widely to attract shoppers.
Sponsorship Drive: Reach out to local businesses and offer sponsorship opportunities in exchange for financial support. Businesses can have their logos displayed on team jerseys, banners at games, or mentioned in promotional materials. I prefer banners as your team can hang the banner during games and the local business benefits from the advertisement. It’s a win/win and helps keep the burden off your family and friends.
Dine-out Night: Partner with local restaurants to host a dine-out night where a percentage of the proceeds from customers mentioning your team are donated to the cause. This not only raises funds but also fosters community engagement.
Fitness Challenge: Organize a fitness challenge such as a fun run, walkathon, or bike-a-thon. Participants can collect pledges based on the distance they cover or a flat donation fee. This promotes physical activity while raising funds for the team.
For baseball and softball teams, hold a hit-a-thon. You ask friends and family to sponsor your player. They can make an outright donation, or you can set it up for a fee per homerun hit. Of course, the pitches thrown were not like a regular competition and the kids racked up numerous homeruns. This was one of our most successful fundraisers, netting over $11,000.
99pledges.com – provide information here.
When I was a kid, I participated in a swim-a-thon for my swim team. Each person donated a set amount for each lap that I swam (example $0.10 cents per lap), which I would collect after the swim. I swam 100 laps and dragged myself out of the pool, but it raised great money towards our team goal. Unfortunately, as I walked the neighborhood to collect the promised donations, I tripped over a broken brick in the road and broke my arm. I never said I was graceful!!
Online Auction: Gather donated items from local businesses or team supporters and host an online auction. Items can range from gift certificates to sports memorabilia. Promote the auction through social media and your network to attract bidders. Some of the most popular that I have seen are Yeti Coolers loaded with items such as folding chairs, beverages, Stanley / Yeti cups, etc.
Raffles; We printed up raffle tickets and offered the tickets for $5 each or 5 tickets for $20. Most people were willing to purchase 5 tickets, especially if you offer the opportunity to pay by Venmo or Cash App. There are two ways to payout: 50/50 raffle with half the proceeds going to the winner or a tiered approach where there are 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes. We used social media to promote the raffle and would profit anywhere from $2000-$3000 per raffle. Each person on the team was responsible for selling a set number of tickets.
Pie in the Face – whipped cream on a paper plate that sold for $1 each. The kids loves smashing the plates into their coaches and team mates face and it raised a lot of money for the organization. It is best when you have an outdoor area and have multiple teams from the organization participate. You can even solicit donations before you go so that you can buy more pie. Insert a picture of David for this one.
March Madness / Superbowl Squares
Once the 64 college basketball teams that are chasing the NCAA championship are announced, you are ready to kick off your March Madness fund raiser. Each person pays an entry fee to submit their brackets filled with what they hope will be winning and losing teams. You get a point for each win you predict. The person with the most points wins the designated prize and bragging rights.
For Super Bowl squares, create a 10 x 10 grid and assign a team playing in the Super Bowl to the column squares and one team to the row squares. Have each participant claim a square as their own for a fee. Once all the squares are filled, numbers are drawn at random and filled in along the top and side of the grid. The score at the end of each quarter, and at the end of the game, determines the winner. For example, if the score at the end of the first quarter is 7 – 0, whoever has that square on the grid, wins the prize. As the sheet fills, start a new one!
Bags of Mulch Sale
This takes some coordination and manpower, but selling mulch is a great springtime fund raiser. Solicit parents with trucks, like my husband and his beloved Dodge Ram, to volunteer for delivery. Each team member sells mulch by the bag, and on the designated day, you deliver the number of bags to the sponsor’s home. This activity is better suited for high school teams, where you can have some of your burly boys load and unload the mulch. I’m a big believer in getting the kids involved!
Opening Day Activities
Organizing an opening day is a great way to kick off your season, have fun, and raise funds towards your goals. Many organizations have concession stands built into their facilities, which is a constant source of revenue when the season is in full swing. But if your fields do not have that resource, become resourceful and set up some grills and tables and create your own concessions. Invite a food truck to sell their savory or sweet treats in exchange for a small percentage of the sales or a flat fee. There are also opportunities to hire game trucks to come to your venue. These mobile video game studios provide great entertainment and a partnering opportunity for your team. Of course, you can combine any of the other ideas, like raffle tickets, skills competition, etc. for additional profits.
Pie in the Face – whipped cream on a paper plate that sold for $1 each. The kids loves smashing the plates into their coaches and team mates face and it raised a lot of money for the organization. It is best when you have an outdoor area and have multiple teams from the organization participate. You can even solicit donations before you go so that you can buy more pie. Insert a picture of David for this one.
Conclusion:
Fundraising for youth sports teams doesn’t have to be tedious or boring. By thinking creatively and involving the community, you can raise the necessary funds while fostering team spirit and community engagement. Whether it’s through hosting events, selling merchandise, or seeking sponsorships, there are plenty of opportunities to support your youth sports team’s endeavors. So, roll up your sleeves, gather your team, and get ready to kick off some exciting fundraising initiatives!