Sports Club Fundraising

Are you part of the committee for a sports club, be it a local youth team or a larger semi-professional adult organisation? Do you need to make money for new kits, travel expenses or a new set of goal posts? Does your running track need a new surface or does your team need an extra boost to make it to the national championships? There is a lot of money needed to run a sports club in Australia and that’s when sports club fundraising events come into play.

No matter what sport your club is involved in it is likely there are huge expenses that have to be considered. Sometimes raising the money for these expenses can be difficult, especially for semi-professional over 18s teams who only really have their players to fall back on. Charging ticket prices can only so so far when you consider how much of the ticket money goes towards clean up operations and upkeep of the ground. Getting the local community and fans of your sport involved in fundraising may not be something you want to do if it adds pressure on them but if you are offering something special in return many people will not mind helping out.

The best fundraisers will give people something to take home, be it a product or a great memory form the night. Of course you could try a bake sale or a community car wash but those things will not make as much money as a longer day filled with fun like a fete or a community dance. If your club has its own team logo you could try selling products which have the logo on them for a profit towards your fundraising goal and this could be done before or after matches or races. Again you are not likely to make a huge amount of funding from this and while it will help with the little things, you may want to consider something especially memorable for the big things.

Big fundraising events have to be taken into account when you are thinking of pitch or track resurfacing, pool renovations and clubhouse repairs. These things will all crop up at some point and whilst you may be able to get funding from sports associations or the local government you may need to top that up with community fundraisers. If you have good outdoor space available for a fundraising event maybe consider putting on a fete with fairground rides and stalls for local companies to sell their products. The entry fee will cover the price for the rides and give you extra towards to your target.

Some clubs have great clubhouses so utilise this for your sports club fundraising. Why book out a different venue when you can set up a buffet in your very own clubhouse for free and put on a casino or a horse racing night? These events can be so much fun for all involved and with the promise of food, and a bar if you have a licence, a lot of the fans of your sports team are likely to want to take part. You can add to the feel by employing entertainers or having the team and committee members dress up as jockeys, race goers and card dealers on the night.

Sports club fundraising doesn’t have to be a chore and you can get involved with it yourself by hiring a company to take care of all the specifics. This may eat into your funding slightly but only slightly, and leaving it to the professionals will provide your guests with a great memorable night which is likely to be repeated time and time again.