Fundraising and youth sports go hand-in-hand, and as the dollar amount the team needs for travel expenses, new equipment, jerseys, apparel and tournament entry costs rises, so does the anxiety for parents, coaches and players.
Many youth teams across the country look to the same fundraising tactics year-after-year, and while going door-to-door selling coupon booklets, cookie dough and bins of popcorn is the traditional method, it may not be the most efficient way to help your child’s team meet their end game.
Host a Youth Clinic
Does your team have older kids with experience playing their sport of choice? Host a sports clinic for your community! Charge a set amount for parents to sign their younger children up for a morning or afternoon of bonding and learning with experienced players. It’s every 1stgraders’ dream to hang out with the cool older kids and feel included, plus it teaches the older kids to give back to the community while teaching valuable skills to the younger players. You can even reach out to neighboring communities and hold multiple clinics on different days to maximize both the learning and the fundraising dollars.
Crowdfunding is your Friend
While knocking on your neighbors’ door and asking Grandma for a donation is a great place to start, online crowdfunding opens opportunities for people all over the country, and even the world, to hop on board for your cause. There are multiple websites that let you create your fundraising campaign, but be wary of extra set-up charges and transaction fee’s per donation. Using crowdfunding sites means your best friend in Florida and your Uncle in California can both donate to the same fundraiser on the same day, even though they live on opposite sides of the United States. Ask the coaches, parents and kids (if they’re old enough!) to share the campaign with their extended friends and family on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to help spread your fundraiser like wildfire.
Get Money Back with FlipGive
If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop platform to earn money back on things you were planning on purchasing anyway and accept donations with no additional fees like typical crowdfunding sites, FlipGive is your new go-to. Their platform is easy to navigate, and starting your fundraiser is as easy as creating your team, inviting your teammates, and shopping online or in-store with FlipGive’s partnered brands including Nike, Gap, Apple, Under Armour and well, Chinook Seedery! There’s youth sports teams all over the country who are already using FlipGive for fundraising, and when the entire team starts working together by using FlipGive for their everyday purchases, fundraising dollars for your child’s upcoming tournament or new equipment will rack up fast. Sounds like a win in our book!
Give your Garage a Purge
We know, we know, if you haven’t heard of Marie Kondo or the Kon’Mari method of cleaning up your space you might have been living under a rock. But, we will say a lot of us have some, ahem, junk in our garage/basement/attic/closet? And does any of it spark joy? Collectively purge your cluttered spaces and compile all your unwanted and gently used items for a yard sale! Not only is it giving you a good excuse to tidy up some areas of your home you’ve had your eye on, but any money made from the sale can go directly towards your child’s team. Any items that haven’t been sold by the end of the sale can be claimed by other parent’s on your child’s team, or donated to your local community center of choice.