Sports Attack has been around since 1995 so we have seen (and heard) of many unique, fun and successful fundraising ideas. Every team and every community is different, take a look below at our top picks for the year and see if one of these ideas would be a good fit for you.
A Day of Service
The idea is simple in general terms, contact your local non-profit community and learn how you can donate your team’s time and energy to help them with a much-needed project. It could be painting a room, cleaning a play yard or filed, picking up trash in a park or river bank etc. Typically, it would be a full day’s work for the entire team.
Then build a social and email campaign asking for sponsors (parents, friends, etc) and provide an online portal for donation collection. Once your service day is completed, pictures, videos and thank-you emails are sent to all those who supported your efforts. We have seen a well organized and executed day of service generate $10,000 to $15,000!
This school fundraiser boasts low overhead costs while helping your school/team gain visibility and recognition in the local community. But most importantly, your kids will learn the importance of being involved and experience the feeling of pride resulting from the day’s accomplishments.
Product sales are a tried and true fundraiser. From gift wrap to candy or cookies, these fundraisers can generate a nice return if your team is dedicated and tenacious. These days, some companies offer online (contact-free) options that make more sense as well as cents. Here are a few unique, fun products we found:
Pals Socks…offering a full line of mismatched kids and adult socks. A unique, fun product and company that facilitates contact-free selling, no need to inventory or sell in person. As Pals Socks founder Hanna says, “What if all kids could start out thinking that “different” is great? That it’s awesome we don’t all match, that we don’t have the same ideas or have to look exactly alike? What if we could inspire our future global citizens to promote inclusivity and acceptance? Yes, Dragons and Unicorns can *defeet the norm* and become best friends. So can a T-Rex and Triceratops!”
Coffee and Tea are an easy favorites if you want to get into a food/drink product selling mode. Little handling or selling necessary! Who does not need a touch of caffeine to start (or end) their day! Some companies will personalize the package for your team, and others just share their good product at a great price. A few good roasters that support fundraising efforts are below.
Christmas Wreaths can be a great option in November. Many folks purchase an annual wreath so finding buyers in the spirit is easy…and online.
christmasforest.com/fundraising
Book Fairs can be a lot of work but send a valuable message to your kids and can easily raise thousands of dollars. The two options are a Used Book Fair or connecting with book retailers/wholesalers to sell new books via their online (or physical) platform, a more contact-free choice in most cases. Here are some details for both:
Used Book Fair
Have your team members collect used book donations from family, friends, work colleagues, as well as community college and school libraries. Set up collection boxes at school but also consider local grocery stores, coffee shops and any business that has a lot of foot traffic. Include a sign promoting the day/time/location of your used book fair.
Have your used book fair in your gym or cafeteria, maybe even tie in a small craft (sell space) or bake sale (team moms). Be sure to price the books at very low prices and communicate that all funds go to your teams’ uniform, equipment and travel expenses throughout the year.
Here is a link for more tips as to how to pull off a successful used book fair: fundraisingip.com
New Book Fair
Some links to book sellers that help you execute all types of book fairs:
Barefoot Books Offers a profitable book fundraising program for schools & nonprofits.
Barnes & Noble Hosts your book fair both in your local store and online, providing a great fundraising opportunity for schools.
Books-A-Million, Inc. There are both online or in-store options
Books Inc Several options available.
Bookworm Central Offers high-quality, customizable book fair fundraisers.
Scholastic Inc. Tried and true programs for all age levels.
Event nights can be scheduled once or with some frequency (one per month) or connect with a local event or holiday (Valentines, Mother’s or Father’s Day, Christmas, etc). With the right supervision and a constant eye to safety, they can be unique and extremely fun fundraisers. Here are just a few ideas:
Parents Night Out: Plan an evening where parents can drop off their little ones for a couple hours. Coordinate some games or a movie for the kids and charge a babysitting fee per child.
Spa Night: Organize with various spa professionals or a local beauty school for recent graduates, a day or evening of pampering! Seek nail and wax technicians, massage therapist (chair), make-up artists, and hair stylists to donate or discount their services to benefit your team.
Mystery Dinner Fundraiser (combined with a spaghetti dinner or root beer social): Who wouldn’t like to channel their inner Sherlock Holmes! Most companies (below are a few) provide a mystery dinner kit complete with scripts and directions, so all your team needs to provide are the actors/actresses along with a director and a detective!