14 Team Fundraising Ideas

Generating Money to Get You through the Season

It’s the time of year where Saturdays are spent shuffling kids to soccer, hockey and baseball. You love that your kids are so active, but the expenses can add up quickly. Uniforms, equipment, trophies and the occasional team pizza party will have you shelling out $20’s like it’s your job.
With the economy in a continuous up and down pattern, gathering up enough money to get your team through the season can be really tricky. There’s only so much that cupcakes can do and it’s time to start looking for fresher team fundraising ideas.
You may think that almost every fundraising idea under the sun has already been taken. There’s nothing that a little bit of creativity can’t tackle. In fact, the best ideas come from putting a new spin on an old thing.

Sports Team Fundraising Ideas You Probably Haven’t Thought Of

Rent a Kid
It’s time to get your hands dirty if you want to raise those funds. Team members can do odd jobs for people in the community for a price. Cleaning, reading to someone, mowing the lawn, raking the leaves and even babysitting can help raise funds for the team. When it comes to odd jobs, the possibilities are endless.
Auction
Auctions are a tried and true way of making sure you make some money without really having to put in too much of an investment. Ask the community to donate some items which can be put into the auction. Alternatively, for a more high-brow event, you can ask businesses to donate items and auction them off to the people of the community at a dinner party or cocktail event.
Photo Sessions
Team up with a local photographer and ask them to take photos for families. You can set time slots for families who want professional photo shoots. A small commission can go to the photographer while the rest contributes to your fundraising efforts.
Social Media Marketing
In this day and age, your team would surely have a Facebook page or a website and there is no better place to ask for help than your supporters. Don’t be shy. Make a post and ask them to donate funds. If you have a website this is also a great venue to ask for a donation.
Sports Night Out
Set up a sports night at a local restaurant for the supporters of your team. Collaborate with the restaurant owners to allow you a commission for the number of people that you bring in. Alternatively, you can even ask for donations during the event. Even if you don’t get a percentage of the restaurant profits, ask them to let you have the venue for free so they can benefit from the influx of supporters.
Local Business Advertising
There is so much that you can do with your venue. If your field has a boundary or a chain link fence, you can ask local businesses for payment in exchange for advertising. With the number of people that attend your sports event, you are sure to attract a lot of local advertising. You could also partner with local businesses and ask them if you can put out a donation jar on the counter. Be sure to include a sign with exactly what the donations will be used for. You’d be surprised at how much all of that change can add up.
Personalize the Call for Donation
Write a heartfelt letter and ask the entire team to sign it. Give 10 copies to each of the team members and ask them to mail to someone they know. Even small contributions should be wholeheartedly accepted because a little goes a long way.
Uniform Sponsorships
Corporate Sponsors love seeing their logos on official team t-shirts, website and other paraphernalia. Ask them for a certain amount to get their logo out there.
Can and Bottle Drive
Ask members of the community to drop off their cans and bottles in your recycle bins. Set up drop off points where they can conveniently dispose of the items. This can help you gather a few bucks when you go to recycle them.
Car Wash
The oldest play in the book, the car wash has been the stereotypical method of gathering team funds ever since organized sports began. The reason for this popularity, however, is simply because it is effective. Sometimes the traditional way is the right way to go.
Merchandise
Set up a booth or an online shop on your website where the supporters of your team can purchase t-shirts, mugs, foam fingers and other merchandise for your team. Fans love showing their support through merchandise. While traditionally you would have had to bear the manufacturing cost and face the risk of underselling, websites allow you to manufacture just the amount that has been ordered.
Community Fair
Setting up a booth at a community fair, festival or farmers market can not only raise funds but also to increase solidarity between your supporters. Ask local eateries to set up food stalls and families, teachers and even team members to set up activities. This will be a great way for the people to get to know the team members personally and raise funds in the process. We love the idea of a dunking booth!
Hold a Bake Sale
Ask the families of team members to contribute to a bake sale. I know we said cupcakes can do only do so much but they sure do bring in the dollar bills. Baked goods are always well received from the people of the community. In fact, there can even be cupcakes and cake themes in your team colors.
Create a Team Calendar
Calendars are great in the sense that they can be compiled easily and yet be meaningful. Additionally, they make sure that you stay in the donor’s mind all year long whenever they check the date. You can create themes for the calendar. This may entail setting up a photo shoot or you can jump into the older archives for a more nostalgic effect.
Generating funds is always tricky because people are not really willing to part with their money unless they know it’s for a good cause. The best resources for teams to tap into are their supporters and fans. Best of luck and Go Team!