Fun Sport Fundraising Ideas That Work

06/07/2018

Sport is competitive. To stay in the game, you need funds—facility fees, uniforms, equipment, travel…it all adds up. Team members will always be happy to chip in if they are able, but you can’t rely on them alone for those much-needed pounds. Thus, just like practice, fundraising is essential to a team’s success and takes the same amount of vigilance and effort. It’s not all blood, sweat, and tears, though—raising funds is great for building team spirit, and elevates your club’s profile in the community, which is always a good thing! It also doesn’t have to be a complicated undertaking. Whether yours is a rugby, cricket, or football team, the following sport fundraising ideas will help your team maintain its edge.

Sport Fundraising Ideas

Rent-An-Athlete

Gardening, moving things around the garage, washing the car, shifting furniture…everyone’s got a few odd jobs ’round the house that could use a little muscle. Via social media and flyers, promote the availability of a couple players to do an afternoon’s work and emphasise that all cash earned is in support of the team. Rent-an-athlete is also a great addition to any sports fundraising auction!

Scavenger Hunt

This one takes some doing, but it’s a diverting way to spend an afternoon, and people are always looking for something unique to do! Teams race to find and follow clues, whose difficulty you can increase with riddles. Entry fees go toward the club, and prizes can be donated by sponsors or local businesses and shops. This one also must be enthusiastically promoted—luckily you’ve got an entire roster of players to get the word out, distribute posters, and share on Facebook!

Quiz Night

Perennially popular with players, fans, and anyone who fancies a pint, a quiz night at the local pub is a great way to raise funds. Pubs are often welcoming to these sorts of events as they draw a crowd on a quieter night. Work with the management to see if they can set a low price for refreshments—for example, bangers and mash for £5, and £5 to enter the quiz. A great bargain! All proceeds from entering the quiz night go toward the team and the bar takings go to the pub. This is the sort of fundraiser that needs a bit of marketing—organise posters or flyers to hang in the pub as well as around town, share the information on social media, and get everyone on the team to encourage everyone they know to come.

Raffles

Whether your prize is a bottle of wine or a ball autographed by the World-Cup-winning team at your annual holiday party, a raffle is an excellent way to fundraise. All you need is an appealing prize, an online raffle page where supporters can buy tickets, and custom-printed raffle tickets to sell in person. We’ve got loads of raffle tips here and here.

Refreshments

You’ll need a couple helpers for this one, but everyone loves a nosh while they’re watching a game—why not earn a little cash for the team while you’re at it? Certainly, things don’t need to get complex with a full-course meal, but snacks and cakes are always appealing. Alternatively, work with a local café to set up a little booth from which to sell food and drink, with a portion of the proceeds going toward the team.