If done well, fundraising can be a great source of income for your club. However, be careful about trying to raise money to subsidise membership fees or participation costs. Your club, like any business, has operating expenses that you must pay, like lease costs, insurances, electricity, water and affiliation fees. Your club’s costs of doing business should be covered by your membership income. Any money you seek to raise through fundraising should be for specific projects (e.g. new facilities, equipment or programs) and to support your longer-term growth, and not for your day-to-day operations.
Understanding what motivates people to give to the activity they love is critical to every club’s success in fundraising. The
Sports giving involves both our emotional heart and rational mind The success of fundraising campaigns depends on how well donors are engaged Giving to sport is like a boomerang – it returns powerful psychological rewards to donors Giving to sport affects people’s emotional well-being Giving to sport is very personal and is tightly linked to dedication and commitment to the sport and the club Donors like to be present in their donation experience Satisfaction with the donation experience drives donors’ willingness to give again (or more).
Establish a fundraising subcommittee to guide activities in your club Identify specific volunteers in the club to assist with fundraising activities throughout the year Share the workload with volunteer rosters – ensure all age groups/teams are involved in fundraising activities It should not be the responsibility of some to raise funds for the benefit of all.
Events (e.g. trivia nights, dinners, social competitions, dances) Raffles Selling a service (e.g. car wash) Selling a product (e.g. chocolates) Selling acknowledgement (e.g. buy a brick for the new club house).
Develop a detailed budget that outlines the funds required and the projects the funds will support Develop a fundraising calendar to ensure your activities are spread throughout the year and timed appropriately to coincide with club requirements Plan your activities in detail to ensure the activities are executed efficiently. A web search will reveal heaps of fundraising ideas you can try, from proven activities like raffles and chocolate drives to some clever out-of-the box thinking Research and obtain the appropriate permits and licenses, where necessary Motivate volunteers and parents to be involved in fundraising activities – the fun and social benefits of fundraising can be just as rewarding as the profits Spread the word to the local community to encourage them to contribute to your fundraising goals Create a fundraising thermometer for your website to help keep track of your progress – free fundraising thermometers are available via a web search to help keep your members engaged with your fundraising targets.