Football Fundraising Tips: The Game Must Go On

Need some great ideas to KICK OFF the football fundraising season? Want your fundraising efforts to score MAJOR MONEY TOUCHDOWNS? Yearn to see your fundraising campaign moonwalk past the goal line in extra tight pants as it celebrates the sweet, sweet taste of VICTORY?

As in, want to raise some moolah? Ok then.

In order to keep the sound of grunting and motivational slogans (“Sweat makes the green grass grow! MIRACLE SWEAT!”) Echoing across the field and the smell of freshly oozing testosterone lingering in the locker room throughout the football season, the team’s got to stay afloat. And considering the cost of equipment, traveling, uniforms, grounds maintenance and the seemingly endless expenses that go into maintaining a team, an effective football fundraising campaign is as essential to the football season as Gatorade and congratulatory bum patting.

Parents and family members of the players are an obvious source of donations, but oftentimes their generosity can only go so far. Reaching out to the community (and beyond – this article was brought to you by Buzz Lightyear) can greatly expand your donor base and, therefore, pool of resources. But before you start any football fundraising campaign, be sure to consider a few things first:

Volunteers are like unruly children: they need guidance!

Timeshare your volunteers (a rare case where timesharing actually works) so each person pulls their weight, no one gets burned out and the good times keep on rollin’. Enthusiastic volunteers who feel appreciated for their time and efforts are the Holy Grail of any fundraising campaign (actually, the real Holy Grail of fundraising comes later. SUSPENSE!) Create a rotating schedule of tasks such as ticket taking, transportation to and from games and so forth that clearly outlines duties and averages everyone’s time out as best possible.

Alumni: nostalgia has deep pockets.

Recognizing past players in any way, whether reaching out to them directly or honoring them within your campaign strategy, is a great way to connect to local football fans in your community through past memories.  After all, these are the people attending your games and supporting the team as a whole – honoring them can earn you lifelong fans and act as a way of reaching out to those who would be most likely to give, but may not have known how or thought to.

Teen spirit smells surprisingly good: kind of like cinnamon.

Fellow students are like peppy little spring chickens (whatever that phrase means) just raring to be part of the action! The student body boasts a wealth of fans, potential volunteers and advocates of your football fundraising campaign that can help spread the word and gain far more support than if left alone. It’s also like a tiny little village of people with tons of skills and talents that can be used to raise money for the team – they can hold bake sales, sell arts and crafts, anything for a buck, as well as pitch in any football fundraising ideas you may not have thought of. Failing to enlist their help would be like trying to push a mattress up a flight of stairs all by yourself while you ignore the American Gladiator All Stars reunion in the next room. MADNESS! Take advantage of all the resources at your disposal.

Getting online: be there or be so square you’ll have to start parting your hair differently.

Remember that Holy Grail reference earlier? It wasn’t a cliffhanger. The real Holy Grail of any football fundraising campaign, or any fundraising campaign at all, is getting online. Not only does it open up the entirety of THE INTERNET (it’s a big place, you know) and allow you to connect to tons of people with the click of a mouse, it allows you to collect donations quickly and easily from a variety of sources. Sign up for an online fundraising platform and start promoting your football fundraiser though email, Facebook, Twitter, and everywhere else the kids (and their parents, and their friends, and yes, even their grandparents) are these days to get to word out. Taking your campaign online will increase the potential of your offline efforts tenfold. Elevenfold! Infinity-fold! (There’s Buzz Lightyear again.)

So, what are you waiting for? Try these steps and your football fundraiser will have you screaming violent cheers all season long until you’re hoarse in the throat – with enough money left over for lozenges (the FANCY kind). Win win!