Softball fundraising where the two words I dreaded hearing. I never really liked the notion of having my players standing in front of the local convenience store with their helmets out to help fund a trip to a National Tournament. This was way to close to begging in my opinion. But I also recognized that this was a way to make the costs structure for the team much more manageable. It also demanded a more imaginative way of achieving the same end.
To be honest, we often tried to manage the cost for playing to no more than $1,500 to $2,000 per player, but then there were also the overnight hotels, meals and the rest that quickly added up. And if you were invited to a National Tournament, suddenly you were approaching the breaking point.
So, at the same time you are appointing a parent responsible for handling the money, another who is responsible for securing hotel rooms and travel arrangements, another to arrange team meals while at tournaments and all of the other committees, one very useful committee is the Fundraising Committee. This group of three to four parents is responsible for coming up with ways to raise money for the team in a more "dignified" manner (yes, I really did hate the helmet thing). It could range from something as simple as car washed to selling lottery tickets to the always popular frozen pizza mix (another of my less than favs...). We actually had an Art Auction one year, which actually help fund not only the National Tournament but also helped cover hotel and travel expenses. In short, this group needs to be imaginative in what they can do. Team corporate sponsorships would also come through this group. And here is the important part: Come up with something that will be fun for the girls to do to help build team spirit.
One other note: It does not have to be for the team. It can also be for a charitable foundation (part of the "teaching life lessons"). As an example, my youngest daughter's high school soccer team put on an event with the Make a Wish Foundation with the goal of sending one girl and her family on her "dream vacation". They actually sent three different families with the funds they raised. What a great life lesson!
There are also some great tools out there to help you determine what you want your softball fundraising events to be. One is the Fundraiser Help. This site has an endless number of different ideas and programs to help you select just the right program for your team. In addition, they also have a great e-book to walk you through the paces of how to put together a successful fundraising event.
Another site that has quite a few fundraising options is Spiritline.com. When you go to the home page by clicking the link, look for the fundraising tab on the far right. In addition, you can get $5.00 off spirit supply orders $99+.
So, as a final note, make sure you appoint that committee as a good first step. You have enough to do coaching the team and it is a great way to involve even more parents in the success of the team. And, oh yeah, please no helmets at the convenience store ...
Why not share some softball fundraising ideas you've had success with? There is no such thing as too many good ideas when it comes to softball fundraising!
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What my team did was do a 50/50 raffle where we sold raffle tickets to people for $5 a piece and half of the money from each ticket went to the team ...
