Every team needs to raise funds for sports, whether it is a school team or a league team. You need funds for uniforms, to maintain the grounds, staff salary, equipment costs, first aid, cheerleaders, advertising, printing tickets… the list is endless.

Fundraising is an integral part of maintaining a sports team. Sports enthusiasts are not hard to find and it is not that difficult to generate support for the team that a community loves. The trick is to do it in such a way that the fundraising event makes maximum use of the season, whether summer, fall, or spring and of course it should try and align itself with the sport. I mean selling ice hockey pucks in a baseball fundraiser held in spring won’t get you many sales.

Adapting to new trends in fundraising is key if you wish to get the maximum benefit from your time spent in organizing a fundraiser. Sports attract young crowds and the youngsters dig gadgets. A happy marriage between sports and gadgets is a good idea for a sports fundraiser. A keychain digital image viewer to share and view images of your favorite sports stars; a small Pico projector to project images and videos on a flat surface; USB stick with thousands of programmed sports stations, etc. These are just some of the ideas that will surely be a hit with sports-loving youngsters.

A sports-themed fundraiser can offer discount subscriptions to sports magazines. There are many online fundraising companies that offer great discounts on subscriptions for sports magazines. You should check these out. Discount tickets to sporting events are another option. A first aid kit personalized to the needs of an individual or group can be a great fundraising item. You can target groups or individuals into diverse activities as kayaking, hiking, swimming, football, etc. Lots of scope here.

Seasonal fundraisers include car washes in the fall; gather your mates and offer car washes before the snow sets in. In winter, you can pitch in to clean snow off the yards. Outdoor activities such as community barbecues, sports, competitions, etc are great money-raising ideas for the spring and summer season. Chocolate and ice-cream fundraisers are particularly good for the spring season as its not yet hot enough to melt the stuff and yet pleasant enough for an outdoor setting.

A great baseball fundraiser that is fun and can help benefit your entire team is to arrange a group trip to a local baseball game. If you contact the stadium they will be more than willing to either lease you the picnic area for the event or to sell you bulk tickets at a great price. This is great because you will make some excellent profit from the markup on the tickets. If you rent the picnic area then you will also be able to provide your own meals and beverages. If you cater this or have it prepared by volunteers you can either charge people to eat or include it in the price of the ticket for even more profit potential. This is also a really great motivator for a baseball team to see their heros play ball and see what they are capable of accomplishing if they work hard enough.

I’ve heard of a golf ball drop and even an Easter Egg drop, but this is a first for me. This story comes from the Myrtle Beach Online site:

One athletics booster club in Horry County is holding a helicopter football drop, during which school board member Joe DeFeo uses his helicopter to drop footballs on the field. Whoever bought the ticket for the section that one, specially chosen football lands in gets $1,000.

Sounds like a fun, unusual raffle idea! So I guess the profit potential depends on how many sections there are, how much $ they are each and if you sell out the whole field. I guess you would want to make the sections small so you could sell the most boxes possible.

Then it’s all up to your volunteers to sell as many tickets as possible! Plus you could make this into an entire event, maybe part of a tailgate party. It also sounds like one of those unusual fundraisers that would draw even more interest and funds the second year its done. Once people see this in action they’d really talk it up next time.

Yesterday I posted about a Guys Night Out football event. It reminded me of the traditional football tailgate event. Why not make a football tailgate party into a fundraiser? Your football booster club could host a tailgate style event before your high school football game. It could be a family friendly picnic instead of the “guys only.”

You’d raise funds by selling food, drinks and spirit items. Maybe even a special tailgate party t-shirt. You could provide entertainment such as a band. How about a special performance by the cheerleading squad. I’m sure you could think of lots of fun special things to add to your party.

Does your team have a “grudge match” each year? That would be a great one to host your tailgate party. Parents night or the last game of the season are also good days to host football tailgate party fundraiser.

Your high school football fans love to come out and support the team. They’ve also got to eat! So why not have a tailgate party to give them the chance to do both!

The McJunkin Corporation recently hosted a “Guys Night Out” fundraiser that included a picnic style buffet. The Charleston Gazette caught this fundraising event in action:

The event, which provided food, drinks and cigars to men watching the West Virginia-Maryland football game, raised money for the YWCA Sojourner’s Shelter for Homeless Women and Families.

This looks like it turned out to be a great football fundraiser. (There’s even a photo on the newspaper website.) Your booster club or other group could plan a similar event for the guys who love football. Show the game on big screen TVs or projection. Then you could show a college or professional game. Whatever football team is most popular in your area and would draw the biggest crowd is the one to feature.

Go on, let the guys have the night out to kick back and watch their favorite football team. They could help you raise funds for your group at the same time.

What will they think of next… now you can fundraise using not just any old round lollipops, but ones that are shaped like footballs. If your football team, booster club, or cheerleading squad needs an extra football game fundraiser you can sell these pops.

You can either sell them in the bleachers or in the concession stand. If your group has a booth somewhere in the stadium at the game you could add them to your lineup of other merchandise. They’d also be an easy sell at pep rallies if your school will allow candy sales at school.

These football shaped lollipops come in 16 flavors - Banana Split, Black Cherry, Blue Raspberry, Blueberry Cheesecake, Cherry Cheesecake, Cherry Snow, Cotton Candy, Grape Delight, Green Apple, Juicy Orange, Lemonade, Lime Slush, Strawberry Shake, Watermelon Slice, Wild Berry, and Wild Cherry.

There are actually quite a few other lollipop shapes available. (If you think footballs are weird check out the alien pops!) You can view all the available pops here … or Call 1-866-249-2714 for more info.

A school sports tournament is a great way for kids to show school spirit while participating in a favorite sport. Tournaments may be organized by the school district, a youth leauge, a YMCA or even a junior college.

Running a school sports tournament takes a lot of effort. Volunteers and sponsors are so important to your success. There are some things you can do to make your school sports tournament run smoothly and be an event that everyone will want to participate in, year after year.

1. Plan Ahead. The more time you have to plan for your event, the more time you can take care of every necessary detail. This can also help you find needed volunteers, sponsors for donations and publicity for the event. Time is your friend.

2. Prioritize. Get a commitment from vendors, sponsors and volunteers for the most important aspects of the tournament first. This includes securing the fields, getting schools on board and planing for the two fundraising aspects of your event: sponsors and concession stands.

3. Assign Jobs. Ask your most committed parents to be over the main areas of the tournament listed above. Then these volunteers can seek support from other parents to help get the job done, such as creating a volunteer schedule for the concession stand. Making a volunteer assignment specific and measurable will help them accomplish the tasks that need to get done. Ask volunteers to help with tasks that they will enjoy doing, matching tasks to personalities and skill levels.

4. Obtain Sponsors. Sponsors can often be an important part of a sports tournament for a school. Some items you may want to find a sponsor for include refreshments and trophies. You may also want to get sponsors for “giveaway” items such as visors or sunscreen for the crowd. Sponsors for a school event are best found in your school community: ask parents and ask local businesses for sponsorship. A great way to find sponsors is for parents to go with a child from the sports team to ask for sponsorship.

5. Publicize. Your event should be publicized through the local newspaper, cable television and local radio station. Utilize every type of media available to you. Getting your event seen in the media is a time to “pump up” school spirit and it is exciting for the kids to be seen in the school paper. It is also a great opportunity to thank your sponsors for your event. Get a copy of the newspaper, television show or radio broadcast and share this with your sponsors so they know that they were mentioned. This will encourage them to be involved for the future.

6. Say Thanks. It is important to thank all your sponsors and volunteers. They will remember if they are thanked or if this is neglected, and this may determine their participation for the coming year. Make a telephone call and write a letter thanking sponsors for their participation. A thank you note, a small gift and/or verbal recognition at the tournament are just a few of the good ways to thank volunteers.

7. The Kids. The focus of the school sports tournament is all about the kids learning about good sportsmanship and having the opportunity to participate in an event that encourages school spirit. When planning a large event, sometimes small details go awry. But if you focus on the kids having a good time at their event, focus on the bigger picture, everything else will matter less. Be sure to thank everyone involved for their participation, with the kids having a good time and your enthusiasm they are sure to participate next year!

Back in the “good old days” all kids needed for a fun game was a ball and a place to play. They didn’t need any fancy equipment and sure didn’t stay in hotels for away games. Perhaps that’s an exaggeration, but the fact remains that participating in sports has become quite expensive.

Hockey is an especially high cost sport because of equipment, rink fees and travel costs. Not just every city has a hockey team and/or ice rink so this makes travel part of the game. Teammates on the Monroe County Eagles Midget Minor AA youth hockey team discovered that the high costs require greater commitment and volunteering for fundraisers. According to the The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle:

On top of traveling to out-of-town tournaments in Niagara Falls and Pittsburgh, where Mike’s team must pay for hotel rooms, meals and the tournament’s registration costs, league fees can range between $840 and $950 for travel hockey. Add in paying for ice time, officials and equipment, and it’s no wonder Mike’s parent’s want him at every practice.

Parents find it difficult to foot the entire bill for their child’s sports activities. With some students playing more than one sport on top of other school activities the costs can add up. For families with more than one child this can be even more of an issue.

“The costs of youth sports have doubled or even tripled since I played,” said Briggs, 39, a Gates resident who grew up playing softball, soccer, volleyball and basketball and has four children ages 6 to 13 in youth sports.

So many parents require kids to help in paying for their own activities. Teammates on the Monroe County youth hockey team recently held a pancake breakfast to help raise funds. The Fairport Village Sports also held its first Rochester Hockey Festival where teams staffed food and game booths, while shoot outs and other hockey games were held. Other sports teams use fundraisers such as discount cards, car washes, raffles and just about anything to raise the funds.

One upside to youth raising funds for their sport is it helps them learn a sense of responsibility. Team mates who work on a fundraising project also continue to develop those team work skills that they’ve already been building out on the field — or on the ice in this case.

Are you looking for fast fundraising for your sports team? There’s several ways that your team can raise some funds fast, whether you are just starting your season or are needing some fast cash to go to a tournament.

So what are fast ways to raise money for your team? SuperFundraiser.com has found a few of these fundraisers, checked them out and made sure that they really work!

Here’s the top 5 fast fundraising ideas for sports teams:

1. Discount Cards - We’ve taken a look at lots of discount card providers. Fast Track has the best track record (pardon the pun!) and your fundraiser can be done in as little as 3-4 weeks.

2. Fast Food Day - There are many fast food places that will donate a portion of proceeds to your sports team. Call up your local restaurants to see what kind of deal they can offer your team.

3. Ice Cream Social - Yes, another food fundraiser! Many people love ice cream so why not have an ice cream fundraiser at your team’s pep rally, game or tournament.

4 . My Sports Dreams - this company has the whole sports team fundraiser figured out! They do everything they can to make your group successful. Again this one can be done pretty fast.

5. Promo Fundraising - An online fundraising system where your team can send emails to family and friends inviting them to support the team with through online purchases. Not just an “online mall” this site has great trial offers and savings on things people use everyday!

With school out and the weather heating up, parents are eager for kid-friendly summer activities. Popcorn and cotton candy machines offer a unique way for parents, church groups and nonprofits to channel kids’ youthful energy and idle days into winning fundraisers.According to Benjamin Cohen at Liquidation Connect, cotton candy and popcorn machines work well at fundraisers held in conjunction with seasonal events.

“Cotton candy machines, popcorn makers and hot dog grillers are extremely popular at outdoor summer picnics or indoor summer carnivals,” said Cohen. “It’s a tried and true method to raise funds for youth groups, charity, churches, disease research, sports clubs and more.”

According to fundraisinghelp.com, kids do especially well raising money with freshly popped popcorn because it’s a treat they like themselves and customers see it as a healthy snack. With a popcorn machine, youth groups can successfully brave high-traffic retail locations, such as Wal-Mart stores and shopping malls.

Organizations that purchase popcorn and cotton candy machines will get a lot of fundraising bang for their buck as the margins are huge. A typical cotton candy cone costs just $0.15 to make but sells for $2-$3. The machines can be used throughout the year at sporting events, bake sales and celebrations to raise money or attract visitors to a booth or special occasion.

Some tips for community fundraisers:

• Set fundraiser goals and plan strategies well in advance.
• Be sure to schedule plenty of volunteers and alternates for each fundraising shift.
• Motivate kids and parents alike by sharing goals and offering incentives.

Instead of planning another car wash or dunking booth, tempt contributors with something that appeals to their senses. To get more fundraising concession ideas, call 800-657-1668, or visit Liquidation Connect to purchase a cotton candy or popcorn machine reseller package and sweeten your next fundraising event. About Liquidation Connect

Since opening its virtual doors in 2005, Liquidationconnect.com has earned a reputation for providing fun, unique products. Liquidation Connect deals directly with the manufacturers and distributors to deliver the highest quality products at the lowest prices. They’re proud to offer amazing gift items at affordable prices for families and fundraising organizations.