The Most Popular Fundraising Idea
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The Most Popular Fundraising Idea for Sports Teams and Clubs
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Our Most Engaging Fundraising Idea for Sports Teams and Clubs
Other Great Fundraising Ideas
Shoe Drive Fundraiser
To hold a shoe drive, your team can have your sports club donate their gently used (or even new) shoes to an organization like Funds2Orgs. Bring a collection bin with you to your games to increase donations.
Funds2Orgs will actually come and pick up the shoes, weigh the shoes, and pay your organization based on a price per pound.
Once Funds2Orgs has collected your shoes, they then sell the shoes to small business owners in countries such as Honduras and Togo with the goal of encouraging local economic growth.
Car Wash
Your team should consider organizing a car wash fundraiser. Host it in the parking lot near your practice facilities and bond with your teammates while raising money! This is an easy fundraiser for kids to get involved in because they can take on several roles, such as washing the cars or collecting donations.
As most people know, to host a car wash you’ll gather the supplies, set up shop in a high-traffic parking lot, and offer car washes to passersby.
To fundraise, you can either ask for donations for your handy-work or you can charge a small fee per wash. Either way, make sure you’re early to set up and put promotional flyers around the community.
Yard Sale
Yard sales are an easy way to raise funds and de-clutter your home, as long as you have the right mix of items to sell.
Pick a date, ask other members of the community to participate, promote around town, and get organized. Strong advertising, solid items, and reasonable pricing will be your keys to success.
See if your sports club will let you host the yard sale at the gym or practice facilities and have all your teammates and coaches participate for maximum profit.
Dog Walking
Put your athletes strong muscles to good use with a dog walk! There are two types of dog walk fundraisers, both of which can be lucrative. The first path is as simple as it gets, you can walk dogs in your neighborhood in exchange for donations.
The second option is to host a traditional walkathon with a twist by asking participants to bring their pooches.
For dog walkathons, you’ll have to put time and energy into ensuring the event is safe and fun for all involved. Mark out the course and set up water stations for people and pets alike.
Engraved Bricks
Engraved bricks are the best choice for teams looking to fundraise to cover construction or building costs. For instance, if your sports team needs new practice facilities, this fundraiser is ideal.
Sell engraved bricks to donors and either set up the bricks as an art installation or incorporate them into the actual structure you’re building.
Donors will love the permanence of your recognition and you can get creative with how you display them. There are even companies dedicated to providing this kind of fundraising brick.
Jelly Bean Count
Jelly bean count fundraisers are perfect for young kids, or rather, sports teams with young kids. To get started, you’ll need jelly beans, a jar, and a central location to place your full jar.
Then, fill the jar with jelly beans, but make sure to note the exact number in the jar. Next, have participants try to guess the number, and ask them to donate in exchange for a guess.
After a set amount of time, review the guesses and reveal the winner. You get to keep the donations and the winner gets to keep the jelly beans. If you have an older crowd, you can follow this structure with other countable items.
Dance Marathon
Ideal for cheerleading teams and dance clubs, dance marathons are active and competitive fundraisers that don’t disappoint. Dance marathons are exactly as the name implies.
Participants sign up to dance and secure sponsors who agree to donate money according to how long the dancer lasts (i.e. $5 for every hour danced).
Of course, you’ll have to put rules in place for what constitutes continuous dancing, and you’ll want to invite the whole community to come out and watch. For extra funding, sell concessions to spectators.
Walkathons
Get some exercise and raise money all at once! Walkathons pair well with sports teams because they allow the athletes to use their athleticism and fitness.
Usually organized by a specific community or organization, walkathons ask participants to secure donation pledges based on the distance they’re able to walk.
Pledges will be the driving force of the fundraiser, but make sure that your walkathon offers items for sale such as concessions and commemorative t-shirts that people can buy the day of.
Restaurant Partnership
Many local and national restaurants are open to partnering with charities and organizations for fundraising nights. To connect with a restaurant, reach out to restaurant owners who are fans of your sports team or have some kind of bond with you all.
Typically, the way restaurant partnerships work is straight forward. Restaurants will host a night in your honor, where a portion of all sales are donated to your cause.
The restaurant makes the donations and you work to promote the evening and ensure all the tables are full throughout the night.
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