Finding money for non-profit organizations or sports clubs can sometimes be a big headache. For the sports clubs, you need money to maintain the facilities, buy equipment, and even travel expenses for away team matches. As a club with growing needs, membership fees, and contributions from generous benefactors may not give you as much as you need. The good news is that there are plenty of fundraising ideas for your sports club.
But with so many tips on how to fundraise for your sporting clubs, it is difficult to know what works and what doesn’t.
As such, we have compiled a list of the best fundraising ideas for sporting clubs. These are tried and tested ways. If you are a fan of your local sports club or a member of the team in search of inspiration to help raise funds for your club, this is the right place.
Now, let’s dive in.
1. Sponsorships
How it raises money: Sale of advertising positions
Potential: High
You may be approached by local businesses looking to build their brand recognition and get in front of your members and others who come to your sports club. Enter into a mutually beneficial sponsorship with carefully selected businesses, and you can look forward to adding quite a neat sum into your kitty.
With sponsorships, there are so many ideas to explore. Your team could wear kits printed with the business’ logo, or you could display the company’s banners throughout your facilities and grounds for all to see. In exchange, your sports club can get hard cash. Alternatively, the business can directly save your sports club money by offering their services, which you need, at an attractive discount.
2. Host Challenges
How it raises money: Anyone who wants to participate will pay a fee to be a part of the action
Potential: Medium
If it’s going to keep everyone active and engaged, then you can be sure they’ll be excited to be a part of it. People are always looking to do something they have not done before, something that gets them out of their comfort zone, and the better if there is a record to beat or break. Get creative because the more outrageous the challenge, the more the number of people who will want to be a part of it.
You can use your facilities to hold, say, a challenge for doing a certain number of loops around the tracks, or covering a certain number of laps on your swimming pool. You can go big and try doing a sponsored challenge to try and break a world record.
A walkathon or marathon is a great idea for a challenge to host. Anyone who wants to participate will pay a fee to be a part of the action, and because such are fairly easy and quite popular, you can expect a good number to join in on the challenge. You can also go hard and go for difficult organized fitness and sports challenges. A military fitness challenge, for example, may not be the easiest to accomplish, but you can raise the stakes for such a challenge and collect just as much money from the few people who may want to be a part of the challenge.
For the chance to be a part of such exciting challenges, your patrons will be all the more willing to make generous general donations towards your fundraiser, in addition to the entrance and participation fee. As outlined, the more exciting and physically and psychologically demanding the challenge, the better.
3. Host Competitions and Tournaments
How it raises money: Anyone who wants to participate will pay a fee to be a part of the action
Potential: Medium
In addition to the challenges, you can do so much to add to your fundraiser kit by being part of competitions and tournaments. You can go for a one-day competition or one that runs over the course of a couple of days or weeks. Participants will pay an entrance fee, in addition to some amount to participate in the competition. You can get some sponsors to provide the prizes, and if the team members of your sports club can win the prize money, you will have something big to add to your fundraiser kit.
Compete against other sports clubs, and hype the competition so much that there will be such a large number of spectators come the day of the tournament. You can also team up with local schools and have teams from these schools be a part of the competition. More teams, all diverse, will help to increase the turnout, and that means more money from entrance fees. These other participants can also be so generous enough to allow you to take most, or even all of the profit from the competition.
These competitions also present the perfect opportunity to conduct a new member drive. From the many spectators that will come to watch the competition and get to see what your sports club has to offer, you can be sure they will be more than a few who would be willing to sign up as members. The membership fee will be a good boost to your fundraiser. A well-organized and fun tournament will have even non-members lining up to pay a fee if only to participate, even in a small way, in the competition.
4. Host Events
How it raises money: Money from events
Potential: High
Fill your club’s calendar with events and you will manage to bring in money while bringing the team together. The best time to hold these club events is on national holidays where everyone is free.
The best part of holding these events is that there is so much you can do. From holding a summer barbecue to a Christmas themed event, the options are endless. With good music, fun games, food, and drinks, families will keep returning to spend their money at your club events.
There are plenty of ideas for events that you can host at your sports club that will bring in the numbers. From a summer barbecue, to a music concert, annual dinner, social gala, comedy night, or trivia night, the more exciting the idea, the more the number of people who will show up for the event. You can be sure that you will collect a good amount from the entrance fee alone. Let everyone know that you will be accepting general donations.
For these events, you can approach local acts such as musicians and comedians and ask that they perform for free or at a discount. Most will be happy to do so, if only for the chance to perform in front of such a big audience. You can also hire entertainers such as face painters and balloon twisting who are always a big hit with the younger kids.
Make the event as colourful and enjoyable as can be for everyone in attendance. Hire bouncing castles , water slides and a range of interactive inflatables for the ultimate fun experience. Also ensure that everyone has something sweet to eat and drink by hiring food machines such as slushies or fairy floss for the event.
Why Club Events are Perfect for Fundraising
- They are a fun way to raise cash
- Club events bring the team and families attending together
5. Host a Bake Sale
How it raises money: Sale of cakes
Potential: Medium
Bake sales have for long been the primary fundraising idea for many sports clubs. Players, volunteers, and supporters of your cause bake and sell whatever they can. From buns, muffins, pies, and biscuits, anything goes. These foodstuffs are sold and the money is donated back to the club for future use.
Why are Bake Sales so Popular
- They are easy to understand
- They are easy to plan
- And everyone loves cakes
6. A Fundraiser Car Wash
How it raises money: Payment for services done
Potential: Medium
Works like a charm every time. You can do a car wash on match day, and have some volunteers clean the cars in the car park while everyone else enjoys the game.
On any other day, you can organize your team to host the car wash in any high-traffic car park, and give those cars a good clean. Explain the cause for your fundraiser, and you can be sure you will get some extras in tips and donations towards the fundraiser, in addition to what you will be charging for the car washing services.
Everyone needs their car washed. But most people will have their cars washed if it is for supporting a common cause. A fundraiser car wash is a perfect way to get money while giving something back to the community. The team’s players and even volunteers can participate. All you need is to find a venue, get some buckets, soap, a hose and you’re good to go.
Your sports club can partner with a local commercial car wash companies where your sports club gets a cut for every client you take to their facility.
Why Choose a Fundraiser Car Wash?
- It’s an easy and fun way to fundraise
- People get to interact
- You can make more money by offering visitors refreshments while they wait
7. Organize Market Days
How it raises money: Purchase of products
Potential: Medium
For a long time, local markets have grown in popularity. People love homemade products and locally produced products. Bringing this trade into your club is a lucrative and easy way to raise funds for your club. You can agree to set the market day on a specific day each week.
Why Choose Market Days For Your Sports Club Fundraising?
- Easy to understand and carry out
- Market days involve interacting with fans
- It can be a constant flow of income
8. Selling Club Merchandise
How it raises money: Profit from the branded merchandise
Potential: High
There is no reason for a sports club not to have club merchandise up for sale to the public. This should be an easy one for a sports club with loyal members. Your supporters will, without any hesitation jump at the chance to show their support for your club, and this includes buying club merchandise. Supporters absolutely love using clothes branded with their team’s crest or cups with the team name. Investing in branding items for resale is a great way to raise funds for any sports club. Even large clubs use this method to raise funds.
If the designs are good, you might even sell beyond your fan base.
Diversify to include as many items as you can in your list of branded merchandise. From printed hoodies, caps, and tee-shirts to cups branded with the club’s emblem, you can sell just about anything to your loyal supporters. While this idea will require some significant upfront investment, the returns are always promising, especially after you identify which merchandise sells best and you can focus on those particular items.
Increase your sales by diversifying your sales channels. You can do online sales on your website, across your social media pages, and other online platforms. Also be sure to maximize your sales at the club, especially on those days when you have events.
Why Branded Merchandise is the Best
- The returns are high
- Branding promotes your sports club
9. Host a Club Gala
How it raises money: Ticket sales and food sales
Potential: Very high
Organizing a gala for the club is a good way to raise funds for your sports club. If possible you can use local businesses to fund the event. In return, they get to advertise on the evening and come in for free. Tickets are then sold to other attendees, and since it is a Gala, the prices are always premium.
Why Pick a Gala when Fundraising for Your Sports Club
- A Gala is a great way to raise large sums of cash
- Galas are a great way to bring the team and community together
- Galas also help the team to promote local businesses
- You can fit a fundraising auction into a Gala
10. Make Fundraising Christmas Wreaths
How it raises money: Profit from selling Christmas Wreaths
Potential: High
The festive season is just around the corner and with it comes so many possibilities. Making and selling Christmas wreaths is a great way to keep your fundraising efforts on track when the holidays come. If you set up fast enough, Christmas wreaths are easy to make and can bring a fair amount of cash.
There are many ways of making wreaths. So, make sure to perfect a variety of ways to reach a wider market.
Instead of making wreaths, you can turn this activity into a workshop. Customers can come and spend a couple of happy hours making wreaths with other people. The materials can be provided by you.
Why Choose Christmas Wreaths for Fundraising?
- They are easy and inexpensive to make
- Can provide good amounts of cash
Mix Things Up
There are so many ideas worth exploring to help your sports club raise funds. One idea may work better than another, but you stand to raise more money by trying out as many ideas as you possibly can. You can also see what works best for your club, and as may become necessary, do away with what doesn’t as you maximize on what works.
For more information, contact us.
