To fundraise or just pay the darn team fees, that is the question!
I’ve been on both sides of this…super amped up to help our team raise money and would just rather cut a check to fund our player.
In my time of travel sports I’ve been a part of: golf outings, cooler raffles, sponsorships, spirit wear sales, team registry, banner advertising, Christmas wreath sales, sports squares and more. All with different levels of effort and impact.
My favorite fundraiser by far is football squares*:
- Medium effort (and now that I've made templates it's even easier)
- $0 out of pocket/up front costs
- High return (typically $3,000-$5,000)
- So many opportunities throughout the season!
I’ve seen platforms that allow you to run squares easily for a fee. I’ve got a 6 step system down that works for our team that I thought I’d share with you.
#1 Assign Parent Volunteers
#2 Pick a Game
Super Bowl squares are popular and easy, but that also means it could be over-saturated.
Some other ideas to consider:
- Full season for your home team
- Thanksgiving Day Squares
- College Playoffs and National Championship
- AFC, NFC and Super Bowl
Other details to plan at this point are cost per square and payouts per quarter. We’ve had success with $50-$100 per square, which means $2,500 or $5,000 for your team!
Payouts amounts can vary by quarter, you’ll just want to make sure your team is keeping at least 50% of the money collected.
#3 Promote and Sell
Make it easy for your parents to promote square sales by providing copy with key information like: cost per square, how to pay, game details, payout amounts.
#4 Collect & Track
There are multiple ways to collect payment (cash, check, etc.), we’ve always opted to have each parent collect payment for the squares they’ve sold and Venmo the Parent Volunteer who is managing it all. This has been helpful because:
1) people feel comfortable Venmo-ing someone they know
2) makes it easy to track squares by player (people often forget to put the player number in comments)
#5 Make The Squares
I’ve found using a simple excel/google sheet will do the trick. If you use this tracker, the squares are 90% made for you! Make sure to use a random number generator like this.
#6 Payout
Watch the game(s), determine the winners, pay them out!
Good luck fundraising, hope this made your life a little easier!
Cheers!
OTHER TEAM MOM TIPS:
*The information provided in this document is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Laws regarding gambling, including activities such as Super Bowl or other game squares, vary widely depending on jurisdiction. Before participating in or organizing any form of gambling, it is essential to familiarize yourself with the relevant local, state, and federal laws in your area.