I love youth and high school sports, but I honestly hate the fundraising that goes along with them. Nevertheless, fundraising is a necessary step towards affording team uniforms, equipment, travel, and more. If you are seeking fundraising solutions, browse these actionable ideas, as well as learn how you can use FanAngel as a homebase to turbo-charge your team’s finances. 

1. Personalize your ‘ask letter’ and crowdfunding.

This is the base level of crowdfunding: a personal ‘ask letter’ is often the fastest and easiest way to raise needed funds by reaching out directly to friends and family for their support. But the reality is that two factors work against simple donation pages: 

• People are accustomed to ignoring life's noise, which is especially true with fundraising campaigns.
• When a campaign does catch their attention, people constantly fight the Bystander Effect (meaning they are less likely to help if they think others will handle it).

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At FanAngel, we designed our platform specifically to battle these difficulties.

• We personalize pages for team fundraisers, making it easy to display each athlete's name, photo, and individual fundraising goal.
• We are your online store for all donations, tickets to events, ad space, and more. Your donors only need to access FanAngel to give, no matter the event; they can also donate directly if they are unable to participate in person.
• We encourage you to post your FanAngel page on social media to share information about current fundraisers and progress. 
• We offer outreach consulting to help you be as specific as possible with your messaging, incentives, and team communication. Email FanAngel or use the online chat feature to reach our campaign coaches for advice.

Start a fundraiser with FanAngel.

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2. Host a Dine-in Night or other restaurant event.

It’s truly a win-win-win: you raise money for your group, you support a local restaurant, and everyone gets to eat. And who doesn’t love to eat? Restaurants typically share 15-30% of sales. (Krispy Kreme Donuts does 50%!) GroupRaise can help you find participating restaurants in your area. 

The success of restaurant events can vary wildly based on the marketing and profit-sharing scenarios. Be sure to use social media and email to get the word out, but expect that 90% of the attendees will come from the athlete's family & friend network.

See our more detailed comparison in our post about Restaurant Nights.

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‍3. Sell banner space, program ads, and team schedule posters to local businesses.

There's a good reason why stadiums sell naming rights, and jumbotrons are filled with sponsors. It works! The relationship between sports teams and business is tried and true; that goes all the way down to local sports and local businesses.

However, the year-in, year-out processes of selling ads can be a challenge. You might have parents carting kids all over town with sign-up fliers in hand, only to find the owner isn't in. Or, you have owners who get hit up constantly for ads who would prefer a succinct menu of all their options at the start of the school year or season. 

Using online tools for ads and banners can greatly save time and energy for all involved:

• Use your FanAngel campaign to sell ads to local businesses.
• Include the URL or QR code for your FanAngel campaign page on your leave-behind flyer. This gives each business all of the information they need to support your team.
• Use Google Drive or Dropbox to transfer logos and banner mockups.
• As an added shoutout for corporate support, use social media to showcase their logo and the completed banner when it arrives.
• Your banner can include a custom offer such as: bring a photo of this banner to Pizza Planet and get two free drinks with your large pizza order.

For a more detailed discussion about local business connections, see Tips for Fence Banners and more.

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4. ‘Shame’ the coach, athlete, or principal in a comedic contest.

There are several variations of this fundraiser. All of them revolve around a mildly uncomfortable (but funny) scenario that takes place when your fundraising goal is met. Some possibilities:

• Duct-tape a coach, principal or even athletes to a wall.
• Shave the head(s) of the coach, principal or even athletes.
• Equip the Coach: Start with a photo of the coach in a swimming suit. As donations come in, clothe the coach in the team uniform/equipment. The series of photos works as a Progress Thermometer.

Obviously, be careful when using athletes for this fundraiser – make sure the parents approve! Athletes can post their own videos on social media to promote the event.

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5. Gift a flock of flamingos to a friend.

A small investment in a few pink birds can turn into a season-long fundraiser. Donors can pay  $10-20 to have some plastic feathered friends appear on someone's lawn. Your organization can follow up with a chance to “Flock It Forward,” where donors pay to move the flock to another address. Include your FanAngel URL on your "You've Been Flocked" sign, so victims can quickly and easily Flock it Forward. 

Creative twists keep the funds flying in, such as offering “insurance” to prevent the flock from landing at your address. Finally, social media posts of flocked yards build a fun sense of community.

6. Sell garbage bags, detergent, and soap.

With “you gotta buy it anyway” style fundraisers, raising $3,000+ for a team is very reasonable. 

Online companies selling colorful garbage bags are quick ways to earn cash for your team; more resourceful boosters might opt for the Costco route. Either way, everyone needs these household items, so it's a win/win for teams and their donors. 

Use your FanAngel page to pre-order supplies at Resource Solutions (or go to Costco). Check out Good Clean Fundraising for a supplier with great reviews. 

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7. Host a kids night out or movie night.

If you're a school, you likely have a gym and projector.  Heck, you might even have a popcorn maker. Leveraging what you have is the best way to make money. High school team members could help host the actual event on a volunteer basis.

Every attendee is almost pure profit, so getting the word out is your key to success. Market using flyers, social media, signs, and email…and remember to include your FanAngel URL or QR code on all marketing materials so that tickets can be easily pre-purchased.

At FanAngel, we designed our platform to help sell these tickets.

Start a fundraiser with FanAngel.

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8. Host a Race or "A-Thon".

Various "A-Thon" fundraisers (for example: Lift-A-Thon, Jog-A-Thon, or "Pick Up Trash"-a-Thon) are like putting crowdfunding on (dare I say) steroids. This variation can amplify your returns, BUT it requires a little more setup and management.  

For sports teams, consider hosting this fundraiser as a pre-season kickstarter. A lift-a-thon has the added benefit of motivating athletes to share their progress on social media. Promoting your fundraiser is essential, so use every advantage you can get!

If your season has already started, you can use Wins, Points, Touchdowns as your "A-Thon" metric. In addition to fans, family, and friends, you can extend this idea to local businesses by asking them to donate using FanAngel, and then you agree to announce their donation during games: "With that touchdown, Pizza Planet just donated $50!"

A few other examples:

1. 5k/10k Race Run a designated distance, usually 5 or 10 kilometers, while gathering sponsors or paying an entry fee. Invite participants to gather in person or run remotely. To add to the fun, give your event a theme like superheroes, spirit colors, or choose a decade and encourage participants to dress in costume on their run.
2. Color Run A unique running event where participants are showered with vibrant colored powders at various stations along the course, combining fitness and fun while raising funds.
3. Read-a-thon Sponsors pledge donations based on how many books or pages students read during the contest period.
4. Walk-a-thon Participants walk laps around a track or along a designated route, collecting pledges or donations for each mile or lap completed.

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See our post about Anything-a-thons.

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At FanAngel, we designed our platform to accept pledges.

Start a fundraiser with FanAngel.

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‍9. Hold on a community drive-thru barbecue.

The best thing about a drive-thru barbecue is that it doesn't feel like a donation. As a result, you encounter a lot less friction when selling and buying tickets. On the other hand, the work and cost can eat into your profits.  

Consider these best practices when organizing your drive-thru meal event:

• Get as much of the food donated as possible.
• Give credit to sponsors as much as possible (to-go bags, signs, social media, etc.). The more the sponsor (whoever donated the food) sees this as advertising, the more likely they will help again.
• Have the athletes do as much work as possible. Donors will be inspired by the cause if the athletes are taking ownership of their own fundraising.
• If a restaurant is providing the food, take a quick video of the athletes at the restaurant promoting the fundraiser and thanking the business.
  

At FanAngel, we designed our platform to help sell these tickets.

Start a fundraiser with FanAngel.

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‍10. Sell temporary tattoos.

Showing school spirit through temporary tattoos is easy, inexpensive, and fun! Buying 1,000 tattoos for less than $200 makes this a pretty profitable option.  

• Consider using a crowdfunding reward to get a list of pre-orders. 
• Sell pre-orders by the dozen for $10+. Include a free tattoo as part of Season Ticket sales or some other value add.
• Set up a tattoo stand at a game or school event and sell at $2-3 per tattoo.

Check out temporarytattoos.com for more details on ordering.

11. Play teacher vs. student sports.

A student vs. staff game is great for building local community support. Sell tickets for entry, include barbecue or pizza slices, hold raffles, partner with a local restaurant to host an after party and share the profits – these events offer plenty of opportunities to extend the fundraising. This is also a great time to combine other fundraisers on this list, like shaving a coach's head and selling tattoos. Be sure to promote the event on social media with a teaser video starring staff and students!

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12. Host a meal event. 

Events like a spaghetti, barbeque, or crab feed can be amazing opportunities to build community support, while also raising lots of needed cash. However, when done right, they are a lot of work. When these grow into cherished annual events, they build excitement and momentum in your community. The planning can likewise stretch over a longer span of time.

• Find an inexpensive community center to rent so that you can serve alcohol. Alternatively, use a unique destination where you can charge a premium ticket price.
• Auctions are typical at these events and are usually a large portion of the revenue, but are again added work. Collect email addresses from typical auction item donors so you can be more efficient each year. 
• Make sure to vet and verify all vacation rewards offered for auction. Timeshare vacations can often backfire.

At FanAngel, we designed our platform to help sell these tickets.

Start a fundraiser with FanAngel.

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‍13. Host an Auction.

• Experiences Auction – Offer unique experiences such as a hot air balloon ride, a gourmet cooking class, a VIP concert package, or a behind-the-scenes tour of a local attraction.
• Art Auction – Showcase artwork donated by local artists or students and hold a live or silent auction where attendees can bid on paintings, sculptures, photographs, or other artistic pieces.
• Sports Memorabilia Auction – Collect autographed sports memorabilia from local athletes or professional teams and host an auction where sports fans can bid on jerseys, signed equipment or game tickets.
• Dining Auction – Collaborate with local restaurants or chefs to offer exclusive dining experiences, such as private chef dinners, tasting menus, or themed culinary events.
• Services Auction – Request donated services from professionals in various fields, such as legal advice, home renovations, spa treatments, or personal training sessions.
• Fashion Auction – Obtain donations of designer clothing, accessories or fine jewelry and host a fashion-forward auction where attendees can bid on luxury items

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For a more detailed discussion about hosting an auction on our site, see Auction Rewards.

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At FanAngel, we designed our platform to help with your auction in a silent auction setup.

Start a fundraiser with FanAngel.

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14. Gear! Make it unique.

Spiritwear can be awesome if you know it will sell. Too many schools and booster clubs end up with tons of unsold items. This is where online designing and pre-order can really help.

Consider challenging students to design a T-shirt for their school, sports team, or club. Print and sell the winning design to raise money. You can also create an online t-shirt contest and get students to vote on the winning designs.   

• Pre-orders should make up 80%+ of the total sales. A sense of urgency is important to promote prompt sales.
• Don't get the cheapest t-shirt material. High quality material will cut into your profit, but it's best for long-term success, because fans will wear them more and want to buy them again in the future.

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15. Rent an athlete or team.

A form of indentured servitude? Maybe. But the lessons learned from "earning your way" can be worth it. After all, why do we support youth sports? Isn't it to teach goal setting, hard work, and achievement?

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For this fundraiser, use an auction at a hosted event (like #12) or an online auction campaign to get the most out of these "rentals.” Alternatively, reach out to your local fraternal or charity organization (Shiners, Rotary Club, etc.); they often are running events, like golf tournaments,  where a split of profits or flat fee can be an easy win for a team of volunteers.

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Promote the rental with social media; video the athletes being corny, flexing muscles, saying show strong and hard-working they are.
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16. Sell Christmas trees.

Trees, wreaths, and poinsettias can become a yearly staple for a selected team or band. Typical school fundraisers like this are "you get what you get" style – trees and plants come pre-wrapped and aren’t chosen selectively. Your team can charge extra for delivery and recruit parents with trucks to make the rounds. People will continue to buy long after their kids have graduated. 

• If this event extends beyond a day, arrange for trees and plants to be secured overnight.
• Sell hot chocolate and cider at the event.
  

17. Host a car Wash.

This old-school fundraiser still works. Post on social media, promote via email and any school websites, and take prepayments on FanAngel. Simple!

18. Jersey Sponsorships.

Appropriate for most youth and adult leagues, jerseys are great ways for companies to show support. Keeping an email list of former donors keeps the process streamlined for year-over-year ask.

• Use Dropbox or Google Drive to transfer files.
• Tell your athletes to wear their jerseys outside of game day. If sponsors know their names are worn all over town, they are more apt to continue to support the cause.
• Don't use the cheapest t-shirt material. The higher quality shirts will get worn MORE, which means the sponsors will be seen more.
  
  

19. Host a poker or casino night.

Vegas, baby! This is a great fundraiser that can be fun, annual, and very profitable. With the right marketing and prizes, these events can draw crowds that are well outside your normal fan community. Make sure to check your state law for specifics regarding allowed prizes.

Follow your state law, but here are a few potential ideas:

• You may want to hire a third-party company that can help run the games and bring supplies like chips, tables, and chairs.
• Include "re-buys" and "add-ons." These are great money-makers.
• Include prizes like a Vegas trip or buy-ins to big poker tournaments.
• Run additional cash games with separate prizes for those that are knocked out of the tournament early.
  
  

20. Host a Game Night.

• Trivia Night Host a trivia game night where teams compete in various categories, challenging their knowledge for donated prizes, and raising funds through entry fees or team sponsorships.
• Board Game Tournament Organize a board game tournament featuring popular board games like Monopoly, Scrabble, or Settlers of Catan, with students competing for prizes and bragging rights.
• Video Game Tournament Arrange a video game tournament with popular console or PC games, inviting gamers to compete against each other and projecting gameplay on a large screen.
• Escape Room Challenge Partner with an escape room facility or create your own escape room experience, challenging students and families to solve puzzles and riddles within a time limit.
• Outdoor Game Olympics Organize an outdoor game night with fun and competitive family-friendly games like sack races, three-legged races, tug-of-war, and more.
• Brain Teaser Night Set up puzzle stations with different difficulty levels and themes, allowing participants to compete individually or in teams to complete challenges against the clock.

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‍21. Bathe some dogs.

A dreaded chore is always better when someone else does it! That's why a dog wash can bring in big bucks. With a few hoses, tubs, some shampoo, and some team players, you are on your way. Another option is to partner with a local pet store that has a washing station. 

• Use an online scheduler to make appointments.
• Take photos and share on social media. 
• Hold a cutest wet dog contest with online voting. You could even charge $5 to enter!
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‍22. Host a shoe drive.

While shoe drives are not necessarily big money makers, you can make a few bucks and feel good knowing that your old shoes are helping those in developing countries instead of sitting in a landfill. 

Check out funds2orgs.com for more information. They can hand-hold you through the whole process.

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23. Golf Tournament.

Professional athletes and teams run annual golf tournaments as their main charity initiatives -- why not youth and high school programs? Contact your local course to organize a date and time.  Do it early as courses often need a long lead time. 

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24. Themed Dinner Galas.

• Hollywood Glamour Host a red carpet affair with elegant décor, celebrity-inspired cocktails, and a dress code that encourages attendees to channel their inner movie star.
• Arcade Night or Retro Video Game Night Have some nostalgic fun organizing a dinner even where guests can indulge in classic arcade games, vibrant neon lights, and a playful atmosphere inspired by retro gaming.
• Around the World Take guests on a culinary journey by offering a variety of international cuisines, cultural performances, and themed decorations representing different countries and regions.
• Masquerade Ball Create an enchanting atmosphere with masks, elaborate costumes, and Venetian-inspired decorations, allowing guests to indulge in the mystery and allure of a masquerade.
• Enchanted Garden Transform your fundraising gala venue into a lush garden setting with floral arrangements, whimsical décor, and a menu inspired by fresh, seasonal ingredients.
• Under the Stars Set up an outdoor gala with twinkling lights, starry decorations, and celestial-inspired elements to create a magical and romantic ambiance.

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At FanAngel, we designed our platform to help sell these tickets.

Start a fundraiser with FanAngel.

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25. Community Learning Courses.

• Cooking Class Participants cook along with a professional chef, learning how to make a new recipe while supporting the fundraising cause. Consider aligning the class with a timely cultural event, such as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
• Dance Lesson Enlist a local instructor to hold a class for students and families to have fun while learning some new moves.
• Gardening Course Green thumbs unite in a gardening course where participants gain knowledge about indoor or outdoor gardening and have the opportunity to plant and take home a small container garden or terrarium.
• Jewelry Making Class Participants learn to craft unique pieces of jewelry using different techniques and materials.
• Improv Lesson‍ Partner with a local theater group or improv club to host an improv night where improv novices can join in the fun.

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At FanAngel, we designed our platform to help sell these tickets.

Start a fundraiser with FanAngel.

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‍Do you have an amazing idea that's not on this list?

Email us at info@fanangel.com and we'll add it!

‍FanAngel is the homebase for all of these fundraising ideas and more. As you market your various fundraisers through flyers, social media, and email, keep your donors coming back to your landing page at FanAngel, time and time again.

• FanAngel is the one website where all payments happen, no matter what fundraiser you are running. Pre-ordering tickets or goods, making donations, buying ads, purchasing team gear – it all happens on your FanAngel campaign.
• Personal & team social media posts, flyers, and signage should link back to the FanAngel campaign page for donations. Include the URL, QR code, and the FanAngel mailing address for family and friends who are hesitant about using credit cards online.
• The order history for event tickets purchased through FanAngel can be used as Will-Call tickets, instead of managing paper tickets; it also provides an accurate head count of those attending the event.

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Questions about how FanAngel can integrate your fundraising with our platform? Chat with us now!