Organizing and participating in athletics programs can be pricey— whether that’s for a school-wide sports team or a league run by a local community center. Between uniforms and equipment, travel costs, or tournament fees, the expenses are sure to add up fairly quickly. If you’re an athlete, parent, coach, or athletic director, you likely already know this!
You want your young sports stars to have the best opportunities possible, but it can be hard to cover all the costs. That means it’s time for the whole team to come together and start raising funds for your athletic program today.
- Our Favorite Sports Fundraising Idea
- Best Youth Sports Fundraising Ideas
- Team Fundraising Ideas to Get Everyone Excited
- Top Ideas to Bring Sports Team Fundraising Online
- Easy Fundraising Ideas for Sports Teams
For busy sports teams, your ideal fundraising idea is likely, easy, low-effort, and fun—our first idea meets all of those criteria. Let’s get started!
Our Favorite Sports Fundraising Idea
1. 99Pledges Sports Team Fundraisers
Cost: $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
99Pledges specializes in helping organizations like yours host the most engaging yet simple fundraisers possible. With a focus on pledge campaigns, these fundraisers are a great way to drum up community support and raise money for a cause you care about!
With a pledge fundraising campaign, participants (likely team members) gather support in the form of pledges, or promised donations to be collected at a future date. Donations are often pledged as a certain amount of money per lap/mile/point/other activity successfully completed within the timeframe.
By using easy-to-share individual fundraising pages for each player, participants can gather donations from far and wide with social media and other digital tools (with the help of a parent for younger participants, of course).
Best of all, this fundraising strategy can be adapted to fit any event-a-thon type fundraiser for your team, including a walk/run/jog-a-thon, dance-a-thon, or bike-a-thon! It’s a great way to keep kids active while raising money for your sports team at the same time.
Best Youth Sports Fundraising Ideas
If you’re raising money for a youth sports team, you might be looking for ways to get the kids involved in your fundraising efforts. Here are some of our top suggested sports-themed campaigns specifically catered to a younger demographic of fundraisers.
Bonus Tip!
Don’t forget to have participants sign liability waivers before taking part in any rowdy fundraising ideas. And if your events cater to minors, be sure to collect parent or guardian signatures as well!
Luckily, online waiver software can make the entire waiver-signing process quick and painless. Send out links to your digital forms ahead of time so that participants can sign from their mobile devices before arriving. Then, if a participant gets injured, your team can quickly locate the right form in seconds.
Now, let’s jump into our other favorite sports fundraising ideas!
2. Hit-a-Thon/Shoot-a-Thon
Cost: $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Put a fun, sporty spin on a traditional walk-a-thon that your team is sure to love by hosting a hit-a-thon. This baseball fundraising idea can easily be adapted to your favorite sport— whether that’s football, basketball, or soccer. Kids can even get some practice time in while earning money for their team!
Simply gather pledges from friends and family members that agree to sponsor each “hit” or “shot,” and then get to playing. Be sure to set some parameters ahead of time, such as the number of opportunities or time limit each player has to make their shots, or the distance from which they are required to stand.
3. Online Shopping Fundraiser
Cost: $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Teams can raise funds for their organization without deviating from their normal routines at all with an online shopping fundraiser. To earn money, all your team members need to do is download an online shopping program’s app or browser extension, then shop online at retailers your program is partnered with.
Then, when your team members make their purchases, a percentage of the sales total will be sent to your team. Plus, these contributions come from the retailer, meaning your team can earn funds with ease and at no additional cost!
4. Shoe Drive Fundraisers
Cost: $
Effort: ✔ ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Every parent knows the frustration of their child growing out of any pair of shoes they buy way too fast. Take advantage of those growing feet for good, by hosting a community-wide shoe drive campaign.
Encourage individuals in your neighborhood to donate gently worn, new, and used shoes to a community stockpile that can then be recycled and traded in for cash. After all, most families will have at least a few pairs of outgrown, hardly worn shoes they wouldn’t miss! By partnering with a shoe drive organizer, all you have to do is collect the shoes— they’ll do the rest and provide you with a check.
5. Field Day
Cost: $ $
Effort: ✔ ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Gather the community for a day of fun and games with a field day fundraiser. Make sure to prep classic games like dodgeball, tug-of-war, obstacle courses, treasure hunts, and any other fun activities you choose. If you plan for a nice, warm day you can even get water games involved!
You can charge a general fee to get in and sell concessions to earn some extra cash! Consider offering special prizes for your top-performing teams or individuals to boost healthy competition among players.
6. Chore-a-Thon
Cost: $
Effort: ✔ ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Raise money for your team while helping out in your community with a chore- or serve-a-thon. Team members can assist with household chores, yard work, running errands, and other community service projects for local community members in need.
This is a great opportunity for your team to get out and do good for those around them, while the recipients of this help can give back to youth in their community. It’s a win-win for all involved!
7. Youth Sports Camp
Cost: $
Effort: ✔ ✔ ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
If your team is composed of older athletes, including middle- and high-schoolers, consider hosting a youth sports camp to raise funds for the team. Young children in your community will jump at the chance to enroll in the camp and learn from the best athletes in their neighborhoods, and parents will be willing to pay a decent price for a good cause and an excellent opportunity.
Set up week-long camps during the summer months or consider a shorter, weekend-long workshop for some quick tips. Give young participants the chance to learn new skills and practice their favorite sports— whether that’s football, soccer, basketball, or tennis.
8. Dodgeball Tournament
Cost: $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Encourage the kids in your community to form teams and join a dodgeball tournament for a good cause. Charge an entrance fee for each participant, and consider selling team t-shirts for bonus revenue.
Consider partnering with the school administration to host the event during school hours, and students can pay a small fee to watch the showdown (and get out of class!).
9. Bowl-a-Thon
Cost: $ $
Effort: ✔ ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Partner with a local bowling alley for this exciting fundraising event. Similar to a walk-a-thon, participants gather sponsors that pledge a certain amount for every pin they knock down or a grand total for the event.
It might be a little pricey to rent out a bowling alley for your fundraiser, but with the right planning and promotions, the turnout can be great! After all, who doesn’t love bowling?
10. Autographed Memorabilia
Cost: $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Treat your team members like sports stars with this unique fundraiser. Sell autographed memorabilia (i.e. a signed baseball or glove) to family and friends who can keep the memento for years to come.
You never know, one of those balls could be worth millions one day! Kids will love signing their own memorabilia like a superstar. Plus, it will be a nice reminder of the child’s years as a sports star.
11. Talent Show
Cost: $ $
Effort: ✔ ✔ ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Gather team members and other excited individuals who are ready to show their talents to the world. Let these kids sing, dance, juggle, or show off another special skill at a talent show fundraiser.
Charge a fee to audition or participate, and sell tickets to parents and family members to watch the show. Talent shows are fun and exciting for all parties involved, and great memories to cherish forever.
12. Carnival
Cost: $ $
Effort: ✔ ✔ ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Host a community-wide carnival with food, games, and performances to raise money for your team. Consider collecting a general admission fee or charging per game or ticket, depending on the setup of your choice. Don’t forget to sell slushies and popcorn, too!
Start promoting the carnival well ahead of time so you can ensure the best turnout for this community-style event. Attendees will have a ton of fun while supporting a good cause.
13. Sports Photo Shoot
Cost: $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Youth sports are a cherished time for kids and parents alike. Whether that first t-ball team, flag football game, or local sports tournament— like many other children’s activities, parents want to document each and every moment of it.
Choose a nice location and a professional photographer (preferably a volunteer, to keep costs low) and set up a photo shoot for your team. Take both team photos and individual shots, and then sell the photos to the families for a memorable keepsake. Don’t forget to bring your sporty props and have some fun poses ready!
Team Fundraising Ideas to Get Everyone Excited
Fundraising can be a great opportunity to strengthen community relationships while simultaneously raising money for team expenses. Get to know other players and families better with these fundraising events that get the whole crew involved!
14. Walk-a-Thon
Cost: $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
A walk-a-thon is the go-to pledge fundraising event, popular for both its fundraising potential and the ease with which you can hold it. The steps are simple:
- Create a pledge fundraising page for your overall fundraiser and empower participants (such as players, their family members, and your greater community) to create their own pages alongside it.
- Choose a date and space for participants to walk.
- Participants raise donations corresponding to their participation in the event. For example, “$1 for every lap walked.”
- At the event, encourage participants to go the distance and watch pledged gifts become tangible donations for your organization.
This event is so popular because you can get the whole town involved– young or old. Invite your community to join the team to raise funds and get fit in the process.
15. Team Fundraising Letters
Cost: $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Encourage your team’s youth athletes to flex their humble muscles by writing fundraising letters to your local community.
Ask the kids to express genuinely what participating in your youth program means to them in letters to your community. Send them out to supporters to your program, whether local businesses or other influential members of your community.
In these letters, ask for donations both financial and in-kind. When local businesses see the good your program does for kids in the community, they’ll be inspired to encourage the good work!
16. Car Wash
Cost: $
Effort: ✔ ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Gather your teammates on a warm summer day for a car wash fundraiser. As one of the most popular, traditional fundraising events, you’re sure to draw in a crowd looking for an inexpensive car wash for a good cause.
All you need is an empty parking lot, cleaning supplies, and eager participants to get started. Don’t forget to make signs and promote your event on social media to draw in the most customers!
17. Dog Wash
Cost: $
Effort: ✔ ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Nobody likes bathing their own pets, and dog groomers can get so expensive. Encourage local pet owners to bring their dogs out for your team players to wash at a good price. It’s a great way to raise money for your team and have a great time!
Consider pairing this with your car wash fundraiser for boosted revenue at a single event. You’ll already be soapy and community members can get their cars and dogs washed simultaneously.
18. Foam Fun Run
Cost: $
Effort: ✔ ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Spruce your typical run-a-thon up by turning it into a foam fun run. Participants can gather sponsors and raise money in the same way, but this time they’ll be running through an endless amount of bubbles.
Not only is a foam fun run more exciting for participants, but it also makes your fundraiser stand out more to potential donors and sponsors. Bring in more funds and more fun with this engaging campaign!
19. Pancake Breakfast
Cost: $ $
Effort: ✔ ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Invite community members to join you for a homemade pancake breakfast, hosted by your very own sports team. Consider charging per plate or setting an all-you-can-eat price, and get to cooking!
Make sure to provide all the best pancake toppings so guests can have the best flapjack experience possible.
20. Coach Challenge
Cost: $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Of course, kids look up to their sports coaches, but they also love to see them do embarrassing things! Set a challenging, yet attainable fundraising goal that if met, the coach agrees to do some outrageous activity.
Maybe that’s getting pied in the face, sitting in a dunk tank, or dressing up like a chicken — the possibilities are endless. The more extravagant the challenge, the more motivated players will be to bring in donations.
21. 10,000 Step Challenge
Cost: $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
For the 10,000 step challenge, participants commit to taking 10,000 steps in a single day and collecting pledges similarly to a walk-a-thon. Sponsors may choose to pledge a certain amount per step, mile, or day of reaching their goal.
To track each participants’ steps, they may use a specific activity tracker or one within a smartphone or other device. Players can walk with a friend or choose to go at their own pace.
Top Ideas to Bring Sports Team Fundraising Online
Keep up with the constant shift toward digitization by integrating online fundraising strategies into your fundraising plan. Online fundraisers are more accessible to a wider audience and can lead to increased funding with little effort on your part.
22. Viral Video Challenge
Cost: $
Effort: ✔ ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Start a viral video challenge with your team that can bring in funding from all over the world. Participants simply record their video, make a donation, and tag the next person in line. To get your own viral video challenge started, all you have to do is:
- Brainstorm ideas for a challenge.
- Record your video.
- Post to social media.
- Get your whole team to partake.
- Encourage people to start sharing like crazy!
The most successful videos include some sort of humor or wow element to grab your audiences’ attention quickly, and an appeal to emotion that says why they should help fund your sports team.
23. Crowdfunding
Cost: $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Crowdfunding is another way you can start gathering donations from across the globe. Simply start a campaign using a crowdfunding platform, share a condensed history and background of your team, and encourage users to help support your sports team.
Then, start sharing your donation page far and wide through teammates and family members’ personal social networks. The more your campaign spreads, the more funding you’ll receive.
24. Team T-Shirts
Cost: $ $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Selling unique team t-shirts is a great way to raise money for athletics, because not only do supporters get the joy of charitable giving, but they also receive a bonus for themselves. Additionally, a team uniform can foster a sense of community for the team!
Team t-shirts aren’t only for teammates, either. Sell your custom-made team t-shirts and jerseys to parents and family members, community supporters, and more.
25. Matching Gift Programs
Cost: $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Matching gift programs are a great way to get two donations for the cost of soliciting one. Many of your current supporters are likely eligible for their charitable donation to be financially matched through their employer, though they might not realize it yet.
By leveraging corporate philanthropy programs, local community members (families, friends, colleagues, etc.) will be more likely to give and to make a larger contribution!
26. Academic Calendar Sale
Cost: $
Effort: ✔ ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Design and produce your own custom-made calendars to sell to individuals in your community. Be sure to select nice images, an attractive layout, and high-quality materials to create a professional-looking calendar that community members will want to purchase.
You might also want to include scheduled community-wide events in your calendar on top of national holidays so that everyone always knows what’s going on around town!
27. Sponsor-an-Athlete
Cost: $
Effort: ✔ ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Many sports teams seek community sponsors such as small businesses, churches, and other local organizations. While this is sometimes an effective way to fund an entire team, some sponsors may be more interested in a smaller financial commitment to a single player.
When you seek local businesses and members in the community to sponsor an individual athlete, you may need to gather more sponsors, but they may also be easier to solicit.
28. Sports-Themed Charity Auction
Cost: $ $
Effort: ✔ ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Charity auctions are one of the most effective event-based fundraisers an organization can run. Make it a themed one to take yours one step further!
To fit with the sports fundraiser idea, try planning a sports-themed live auction. Ask local businesses to donate sports-related goods and packages to auction off at a nice event, and be sure to decorate the venue on theme as well.
Easy Fundraising Ideas for Sports Teams
Do you already have your hands full with school, sports practices, weekly games, and more? Check out these simple fundraising ideas that can be the perfect way to raise money for your sports teams without having to shell out too much time and effort.
29. Coupon Books
Cost: $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Partner with some local businesses and restaurants that are willing to offer exclusive deals for your sports team’s generous supporters. Combine all these great bargains into a singular coupon book and start selling to community members, families, friends, and loved ones of your players.
Locals in your community will love the chance to make great savings at the businesses they already frequent, while at the same time providing much-needed assistance to youth sports programs.
30. Restaurant Percentage Night
Cost: $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Find a restaurant in your community that’s willing to partner for a community night fundraiser. You’ll agree on a percentage of funds (total revenue, profits, each participating check, etc.) collected on a particular night that will be donated to your sports team. Then, start spreading the word far and wide to ensure a great turnout on that night!
Some popular chain restaurants for this type of event include Chick-fil-A and Chipotle, but you also might consider a smaller, local business as well! Be sure to plan your percentage night early and start promoting as soon as possible.
31. Restaurant Tip Jar
Cost: $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Similarly to the restaurant percentage night, you’ll need to find a willing business to partner with you for this fundraiser. This one, however, takes a more passive approach over a longer timespan to collect loose change from restaurant patrons.
You might be surprised at how often customers are willing to leave any spare change if there’s a collection happening. Just make sure to provide a nicely crafted tip jar with your team name and picture, so that customers know where the money is going.
32. Concession Stand
Cost: $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Nothing says “sports game” like a jumbo hot dog and a bucket of popcorn. After all, one of sports fans’ favorite aspects of the game viewing experience includes hitting up the concession stand for a halftime snack.
That means, your team should definitely start your own concession stand to host during games if you don’t already have one. Recruit eager parents and family members to man the station during games, so that viewers can purchase their favorite game-time snack at their leisure.
33. Raffle
Cost: $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
The first step in hosting a raffle is to secure a big prize that the majority of your audience would enjoy. In this case, you may want to choose something sports-related to best cater to your audience. Then, start promoting your raffle (what the prize is, how to purchase tickets, etc.) and selling tickets. Be sure to encourage those entering the raffle that the more tickets they buy, the greater their chance at winning!
At the conclusion of a set amount of time, you’ll select the winning ticket, and the participant with the matching ticket wins the prize.
34. Text-to-Give
Cost: $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
In 2021, 46% of people reported that they spend five to six hours on their phones each day. Why not take advantage of this trend for your next fundraiser?
Text-to-give is one of the easiest fundraisers you can host. By partnering with a text-to-give service, they’ll provide you with a unique phone number that you can promote to your audience. When donors text a specified keyword to your text-to-give number, they’ll then be prompted to fill out a short form to confirm their gift.
The whole donation process can be completed in minutes, making it a convenient tool for both the supporter and the recipient. Just make sure you share your text-to-give number far and wide to get the most support possible.
35. Best Seat in the House
Cost: $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
This is similar to a raffle fundraiser, but with a very specific prize — the best seat in the house. Simply acquire a couch or a loveseat to keep front and center at the field or court your team plays on. Start selling tickets beforehand, to be drawn from a raffle at the start of the game.
The winner then gets the honor of watching the game from the best seat in the house — and bringing a friend or two to share. Make sure the winner gets special VIP treatment as well, such as free items from the concession stand!
36. Food Truck Partnership
Cost: $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Book a food truck or two to be waiting in the parking lot when your game gets out. Make arrangements with the trucks ahead of time to decide on logistics such as fees and suggested donations, then encourage your audience to stop by on their way out.
Be sure to promote the event ahead of time so that players, families, and fans can adjust their plans accordingly and ensure a large enough turnout to make a profit. Bring in all kinds of new and exciting food trucks to boost excitement surrounding the event.
37. Junk Drive
Cost: $
Effort: ✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆☆
Did you know that people throw away items that are still worth quite a bit of money every day? Seemingly useless things like old computers, empty ink cartridges, and used flash drives can be collected and easily traded for cash.
Encourage players, family members, and other community members to collect these items and donate to a junk drive fundraiser for your sports team instead. These are popular campaigns because, instead of asking for money, you’re essentially asking for donors’ trash (which they’ll be much more likely to hand over).
38. Product Fundraisers
Cost: $
Effort: ✔✔
Fun: ☆☆☆☆
It’s time to turn your sports team into your sales team! Product fundraisers allow your athletes to take fundraising into their own hands as they promote the products you’re selling and take orders from their family and friends. Your fans will love contributing to your team and selecting an item for themselves, like gourmet popcorn or beef jerky. (Maybe they can even snack on their treat during your next game, meet, or match!)
To run your product fundraiser, partner with a dedicated product fundraising company. The right company can provide you with custom branded order-taking flyers and a web-store so you can take orders and get donations as easily as possible. Tap into your team’s competitive spirit by turning your fundraiser into a friendly competition by offering a small prize to the athlete who gets the most orders, like a case of sports drinks or a gift certificate for ice cream
The fundraising possibilities are endless! Find the campaign ideas that are most suited for your specific team, and start planning right away. After all, the most successful fundraisers are the ones that have a lot of thought put into them.
For more information and further fundraising ideas, check out the resources below:
- 30+ Simple (& Effective) Fundraising Ideas for Kids: Get the kids involved in the best ways possible with these youth-friendly fundraising ideas.
- How to Solicit the Ideal Donation at Your Next Event: How much should you ask of each potential donor? Too much and you risk rejection, too little and you miss out on potential funding. Here’s how to tell!
- Planning a Walk-a-Thon Fundraiser: Your Questions Answered. A walk-a-thon is one of the simplest and most engaging campaigns you can run. Check out these best practices for a successful fundraiser.
