After 6 years of being a travel ball parent, I’ve learned a thing or two about fundraising.
Here are my tips for Fundraising…
- Align as a team on the following:
- If the team REALLY wants to fundraise. I’ve been on plenty of teams where both parents work which means they would rather pay the fees because time is of more value. Better to learn this early in the year.
- Do you want to split it evenly among the team? Or among those who participate? My recommendation would be a hybrid of these 50% of what you fundraise goes directly to you and the other 50% goes towards the team. Or set the amount and allow people to buy themselves out of fundraising.
- Set a Team Goal that includes: Dollar amount, timeframe, and what specifically you want the funds to cover. Being transparent helps everyone play a part. Provide updates on how you’re tracking toward the goal.
- Have a lead parent volunteer. As with anything, coordination is needed. This parent doesn't have to do ALL of the work, but he/she should be the leader.
- Select 2 (maybe 3 fundraisers) for the year. Having a mix of fundraisers allows everyone to find a way to help and play to different strengths.
So now, what should you actually do to raise funds? I like to think of ideas across two spectrums:
- LOW to HIGH EFFORT
- HIGH to LOW EARNINGS
Here's how I've mapped the most popular fundraisers based on experience.
LOW EFFORT/HIGH EARNINGS
Football Squares
Hands-down my favorite fundraiser!.
- They sell easily and there are options beyond Super Bowl
- Depending on the price you set, you can make $2,500- $5,000
- What’s Needed: Parent volunteers, promotional copy/image, money collection, squares (see template here), checking with local laws.
MEDIUM EFFORT/ HIGH EARNINGS
Sponsorships
- This is a great option because you’re often asking businesses (vs. friends and family) for support. It can be a tax write off and community support/advertising for them.
- I’ve found more success with teams that are primarily from one city (vs. a 25-50 mile range) as your team will be more known.
- This also works great at an organization level (multiple ages of teams) as things like your website or social media will likely have a bigger following.
- What’s needed: Assets to feature sponsors (banners, website, social, jerseys, etc.), a packet to promote your team and sponsorship levels (Canva has great templates), letter for tax purposes, parents with connections or willingness to call/go door-to-door.
Events
- Think Golf Outing, A Night at the Races, Casino Night, Cornhole Event, etc.
- This one takes work–planning, promoting, executing–but can also be high yield ($10-$15,000).
- They key to a profitable event will be managing your costs and making sure you have great attendance.
- Things you want to consider: time of year (conflict with your sport, weather, etc), expected earnings and needed attendance, parents willingness to put time toward this.
- What’s needed: Event type, location (Banquet Hall, VFW, etc), date, promotion, reservation and money collection, raffle baskets, big attendance, helpful parents.
LOW EFFORT/ MEDIUM EARNINGS
Shop for a Cause (Allows a percentage of your shopping total cost to go toward your organization).
MEDIUM EFFORT/ MEDIUM EARNINGS
Cooler Raffle (Need to make sure you sell more than you spend)
Selling Goods (There are many companies that allow you to earn a portion of profits sold–pizzas, candy, Christmas Wreaths, etc.)
LOW EARNINGS/ LOW-MEDIUM EFFORT
Car Wash
Spirit Wear
Buy-A-Day Calendar