Football season is in full swing, and many teams need funding. Jerseys and equipment aren’t cheap, and numerous youth coaches are volunteers. So, in finance an entire season, parents and kids band together to do some fundraising.
Fundraising requires equal parts hard work, creativity, and generosity. Some people will donate no matter what, but putting together a good fundraising campaign can help you get enough for not one but two end-of-season pizza parties. Here are seven ideas you can try out this season:
1. Car Wash
There’s no fundraising method more classic than a car wash. A car wash provides a nice service to the community while also doubling as a fun team bonding activity for the team. Likewise, a Calendar event will make it easy to coordinate with other team parents and share the event with family and friends hoping to attend and lend support.
You don’t always have to run a car wash to run a successful fundraiser, especially if other teams do the same thing. The team can mow lawns together, hold a bake sale, or even paint fences. Use your imagination to develop the best fundraising event for your team and community, and use your Calendar to make it happen.
2. Sponsor Banners
There are plenty of local entrepreneurs who would love to support a team and advertise their business simultaneously. These banners can be placed around the field at games or will sometimes even be printed on the back of the players’ jerseys. Spectators will see these logos and be prompted to support the businesses that support their team.
Sponsor banners typically follow a tier-based system. The more money a business donates, the larger its logo will appear on the banner. This incentives more significant donations but also allows anyone to pitch in, even grandparents who want to put their name on the banner along with $10 in support.
3. Discount Cards
Another common youth football tradition is the discount card. These cards contain coupons and deals for dozens of local businesses. A single card can be purchased for a reasonable price, with hundreds of dollars in potential savings waiting to be grabbed.
For example, a discount card might have a deal that can be used for one dollar off of every movie ticket you purchase. A one-dollar discount isn’t a big deal, but with unlimited use, the savings can really add up for the summer. Of course, movie discounts can be stacked on top of buy-one-get-one deals for restaurants and any other discount the card offers.
4. 50/50 Raffle
A 50/50 raffle is simple. Spectators can buy any number of raffle tickets for a chance at 50 percent of the pot. The remaining half is used to fund the team.
You can hold a 50/50 raffle at every single game. Many teams require funding before the season starts, but by running 50/50 raffles throughout the season, you can stockpile funds for the following year. Some generous parents will even donate their winnings from the raffle to the team for twice the fundraising.
5. Halftime Games
Looking for a way to entertain the crowd during halftime? Run a couple of fun games. Parents and siblings can enjoy participating in some carnival-type games while they wait for the action to resume on the field.
An example of a game you can put together is a baseball toss. A radar gun and a backdrop are all you need. Charge five dollars for five baseball throws and track the speeds. You can keep a daily leaderboard and give a prize to the hardest thrower of the night.
After selecting a game or two, you can rotate the responsibility, so one family doesn’t carry the burden all season. Use your Calendar to keep track of each week and which families volunteer to run the halftime booth. If you have extra volunteers, you can even run some activities during the game for those kids who are tired of watching football.
6. Fun Run
Put the fun in fundraiser by putting on a fun run. A fun run will bring the whole community together, and the team can even participate in the event. Fun runs are widespread, so it shouldn’t be challenging to get sign-ups.
The challenge will be putting together a solid racecourse, but a local park with a walking path should do the trick. Put together some music, mile markers, race packets, and some prizes for the winners, and you’re good to go. The first time you put on an event of this magnitude, you’ll feel understandably nervous, but every following event will be a piece of cake.
7. Merchandise
Who doesn’t love to feel like a superstar? Your kids certainly will love it when parents and friends can buy jerseys and t-shirts to support the team at games. In addition, customization options such as last names and numbers will be a huge hit for families looking to get gear for the whole crew.
If you don’t have a t-shirt press handy, there are dozens of websites and even local businesses that can help out. You can even invite a local company out to games to make the merchandise on-site and give them a percentage of the earnings. As a result, they’ll be able to boost their revenue and increase their brand recognition while helping your team raise funds for the season.
If you like more than one fundraising idea, use one now and keep the rest for the years to come. You can use these ideas for other sports as well, providing support to every child in their sport of choice.
Image Credit: sides imagery; pexels; thank you!
Hunter Meine
Hunter Meine is a BYU-Idaho graduate, husband, father, and writer. When he's not writing, he's playing sports or enjoying the outdoors with his wife and daughter.