25+ Slam-Dunk Sports Fundraising Ideas for Winning Teams

If a shoe drive fundraiser sounds right for your team, contact Funds2Orgs to get started!

2. Sports Tournament

Invite the other teams in your league to compete in a tournament, charging each group an entrance fee to participate. Provide a prize to the championship winner, and remember to promote these exciting tournament games to your community.

Give your fans additional chances to donate by selling concessions at the tournament games. You can also incorporate your shoe drive fundraiser by asking attendees to bring an old pair of shoes as their entry fee.

3. Restaurant Percentage Night

Partner with a local restaurant to host a percentage night supporting your team. Invite your community members and their families to dine out that night; a percentage of their bills will go toward your team!

Restaurant percentage nights are relatively easy to set up and can be very successful fundraisers for your team. To ensure your restaurant percentage night is successful, spread the word amongst peers in person and on social media.

4. Matching Gift Challenge

Traditionally, matching gifts are donations a company makes to a nonprofit whenever one of its employees donates. For instance, if an employee donates $50, the company will also donate $50 if certain criteria are met.

A matching gift challenge differs in that a generous donor or corporate sponsor will pledge to match donations during a set time frame. Knowing their gift will be doubled makes community members more likely to donate to your team’s fundraiser.

Start by finding a donor or corporate sponsor and aligning on the parameters of your campaign, such as:

• Match ratio: Will they match donations 1:1 (i.e., dollar-for-dollar) or offer a different rate, such as 0.5:1 or 2:1?
• A fundraising goal: Will they only match donations up to a certain amount?
• A deadline: When will be the final day that donations will be eligible for matching?

Double the Donation’s guide to matching gift challenges suggests looking at local businesses, large corporations, major donors, board members, celebrities, and influencers to be your campaign sponsor. When approaching potential sponsors, explain the community impact their involvement will have and offer recognition opportunities on your team’s promotional materials or at games.

5. 5K Race

Hosting a 5K is a fantastic way to bring your community together in support of your team. Because races are versatile and profitable fundraisers, they’re incredibly popular. Participants can register for a fee, and local businesses can sponsor the event to cover overhead costs.

To encourage people to register, offer branded T-shirts and medals for top finishers. Remember to add water stations along the course! After participants cross the finish line, everyone can relax, socialize, and celebrate their accomplishments at a community party. Include fun activities like live music, food trucks, and games to keep the energy high.

6. Car Wash

A car wash fundraiser is a tried-and-true classic for a reason: it’s easy to set up, and it works! While you’ll want to spread the word about your team’s car wash fundraiser ahead of time, you’ll also gain support from passers-by.

Get your team members to bring the supplies and encourage them to make an easily readable sign to draw attention to your car wash. Set up in a location that’s accessible and has plenty of space, then work together as a team to wash cars in exchange for donations.

7. Yard Sale

Yard sales can help you declutter while raising funds! Plus, they can be hosted online and in person. To host a virtual yard sale, take quality photos of your items from different angles. Then, post your photos online to spread the word.

If you decide to host a yard sale in person, choose a sunny day and host it outdoors. Collect items from friends, family, and community members and consider offering bulk deals or discounts towards the end of the day.

8. Hit-a-thon/Shoot-a-thon

Raise money for your team and provide additional practice opportunities for your members by hosting a hit-a-thon or shoot-a-thon! Contributors pick a player to support and pledge to donate a fixed amount for every hit, goal, or basket they make.

Hit-a-thons and shoot-a-thons are excellent sports fundraisers because they can be tailored to any sport, from baseball to soccer to track. For best results, have your players set up and share online donation pages with their friends, family, and social media connections to collect pledges ahead of the event.

9. Team Fundraising Letters

Fundraising letters provide a great opportunity to explain what your team is raising money for, such as new gear or an upcoming trip to a championship game. Plus, they create personal connections between team members and supporters, allowing your members to express their enthusiasm for your team and your upcoming activities. Supporters are happy to contribute when they know that their gifts are helping your members achieve their goals!

If your team members are looking for guidance as they work to craft effective letters, they can check out some fundraising letter templates for a tried-and-true approach to this fundraising idea. A sincerely written appeal is sure to motivate supporters to give to your team.

10. Sports-Themed Auction

Invite your community to an auction with proceeds benefiting your team. Include items such as signed balls and jerseys, framed photographs of the group, past championship memorabilia, and gift cards and baskets from local sports equipment stores.

Like a school auction, a team auction can happen in-person or online and be silent or facilitated by an auctioneer. While you’ll likely need to invest in a mobile bidding platform for your auction, this unique idea will surely raise money and bring your community together to support your team.

11. Bowling

You know your team excels on their usual court or field, but how do they stack up in the bowling alley? Provide your athletes with a fun challenge and their supporters with a way to contribute by hosting a team bowling night.

Arrange with your local bowling alley to rent all or part of the venue for a night, then let supporters play in exchange for making a fixed donation per game. You can raise more for your team—and make the night even more fun—by selling concessions as well, with a portion of the proceeds going toward your team. And if you want to combine fundraisers, you can ask attendees to contribute to your shoe drive fundraiser when they arrive at the bowling alley.

12. Field Day

When you host a field day fundraiser for your team, everyone gets the chance to be an athlete! Team members and supporters can have fun competing and raising money by participating in classic and innovative field day challenges.

Have your team invite their friends and family to the park or their usual practice field for a weekend day of fun. Participants donate to compete in each game or race. Team members can facilitate or participate in the games. Ask them to get creative when designing the competitions

13. 50/50 Raffle

A 50/50 raffle is a simple yet effective fundraiser. Sell raffle tickets during games or other events. Half of the money you collect goes to one lucky winner, while the other half supports your team.

Even professional teams, like the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, and Kansas City Chiefs, regularly host 50/50 raffles, proving how effective and fun they can be. Not only does this add an extra layer of excitement to your events, but it also encourages more people to get involved, knowing they’re supporting a great cause with a chance to win!

Online Fundraisers for Sports & Teams

1. Paid Ad Campaign

Paid ads on platforms like Google, Facebook, and Instagram can drive people to your team’s online fundraisers, reaching people beyond your immediate circle of team members and their families.

Here are a few ways paid ads can support your team’s fundraising efforts:

• Promote specific fundraising campaigns by driving people to a landing page where they can donate or sign up to participate in events.
• Create time-sensitive ads to capitalize on specific moments, such as the start of a sports season, playoffs, holidays, or funding deadlines.
• Use audience-targeting features to reach local community members, alumni, or sports enthusiasts who might be interested in supporting your team.
• Attract local businesses to sponsor your team by running ads focusing on community impact.

Best of all, you might be able to advertise for free. If eligible for the Google Ad Grant program, you can receive up to $10,000 in free ad credits to spend on Google Ads every month. The program has strict eligibility requirements, but if your team is affiliated with a nonprofit, you might be able to benefit.

For example, a youth basketball team within a church league or a local Boys & Girls Club chapter might be eligible. Then it can run ads like this:

A fundraising ad like this can target terms like “support youth basketball” or “donate to local sports.” Then, the ads will be more easily located by users interested in donating to your team.

2. Fundraising eCards

If you’re looking for a low-touch sports fundraiser, look no further than a fundraising eCard campaign. Creating and selling digital greeting cards offers families and community members a simple way to contribute while spreading team spirit.

To get started, design eCards that reflect your team’s values, colors, and identity. Offer cards for team-specific celebrations like championships or the start of a new season. You might also create cards for various occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, or thank-yous:

Launching this fundraiser is easy. Choose a donation eCard platform that enables you to design eCards and upload graphics like your team’s logo. Then, upload your eCards to your website, where people can browse, customize, and send eCards in exchange for a donation.

Share the link to your fundraiser on your social media pages, and encourage team members to spread the word, too!

3. Crowdfunding Campaign

If you’ve spent time on social media, you’re already aware of crowdfunding campaigns and know just how successful they can be. If your team members are social media-savvy, this popular fundraising method can work for your team!

Your first step is to choose the right crowdfunding website to suit your team’s needs. Once you’ve found the perfect platform, create a page that clearly outlines your team’s fundraising goals and have your members share it with their friends and followers on social media and via email. Encourage visitors to donate to your crowdfunding page by including a picture of your team in action and a bit of your background story.

4. Online Donation Page

If your fans already depend on your team’s website for your game schedule, special event information, and other essential details, consider adding an online donation page so that they can support you.

Online donation pages are one of the most effective fundraising strategies your team can choose if your online presence is already strong. Create your page using a provider that allows you to show team spirit by customizing it with your team colors, logo, and other familiar imagery.

Your team can keep your online donation page on your website at all times so that giving doesn’t have to stop, even during the off-season! Your team can hold more time-sensitive fundraisers and offer the online donation option simultaneously.

5. Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Campaign

Your team members know how motivating a little competition can be, so they’re the perfect volunteer fundraisers for a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign. This online fundraising strategy is structured similarly to crowdfunding and is ideal for raising money through your team’s social media networks.

Once your team selects a peer-to-peer fundraising platform, each participating team member will create and customize an individual fundraising page to share with their friends and followers online. All donations raised on these pages will be directed back toward your team to help you reach your goal.

Use your peer-to-peer fundraising platform’s built-in gamification tools, such as badges, trophies, and the leaderboard, to see who among your team members is especially active in your fundraising campaign. You can even incentivize their efforts by providing recognition or a prize to the member who raises the most in donations.

6. Team Merchandise Sale

Provide your supporters with fun memorabilia and a way to support your team by selling team merchandise online. Set up an e-store and provide a link to it in your social media posts and on your team or league website.

Are you looking for the perfect items to sell? In addition to t-shirts, try products associated with athletics such as reusable water bottles. You can also use your online store to sell things like those you have incorporated into in-person fundraisers, such as autographed balls and team calendars.

Like an online donation page, your team merchandise store can stay up as long as you have items to sell in it, making it a great year-round fundraising idea.

Top Youth Sports Team Fundraisers

1. Coach/Teacher Talent Competition

A coach or teacher talent show is a fun (and often funny) way to raise money for a school’s athletic program or a youth sports league.

Here’s how it works: your league rents a venue for an evening (your school or community recreation center may be willing to provide one free of charge) and gives each coach in the league a chance to perform. Audience members make donations to the program or league in exchange for admission. You can even let them vote on the winner—and don’t forget a prize for the champion!

2. Discount Card Sale

In a discount card sale, your team members sell cards offering discounts at local restaurants or other businesses to friends, family, neighbors, and other supporters. Fans who attend your team’s games are also great potential supporters.

Younger participants in a discount card sale fundraiser can have their parents help them sell the cards. Ideal for all types of youth sports, discount card sales raise money and bring attention to youth sports programs in the community.

3. Lawn Mowing Fundraiser

Allow your team members to give back to their community and raise money for their team at the same time. Perfect for older members of youth sports leagues and teams, a lawn mowing fundraiser helps kids get involved in raising money for their group.

Your team members offer to mow their neighbors’ lawns or complete other yard maintenance tasks in exchange for donations to their team. Participants can work in pairs or groups to improve teamwork skills in the process.

4. Face Painting and Temporary Tattoo Booth

Fans and even team members can pay to have their faces or arms painted to show their team spirit, with part of the proceeds going to your team’s fundraising effort. Parent volunteers may be willing to donate their time and the cost of their supplies so that all donations go straight to your team.

5. Autographed Ball Sale

Whether they’ve recently won a championship game or are on their way there, you know that your youth team’s members are superstars. Their families and friends also know this, so allow them to celebrate their players’ accomplishments by purchasing autographed balls.

Perfect for youth baseball, basketball, and soccer teams, this fundraising idea is both easy and effective. Have your team members sign balls, perhaps those from winning games, and then sell them to supporters afterward.

Your team members will feel like celebrity athletes, and their biggest fans will receive souvenirs to treasure, all while supporting your team’s fundraising efforts!

6. Pancake Breakfast

Bring your team and their friends and family together for a fun breakfast event that raises money to cover your team’s expenses. With the help of parent volunteers, make and sell pancakes to your supporters for a morning of bonding and fundraising.

You’ll need to book a venue, which your school or community center may be able to provide for free or at a reduced cost. The venue should have plenty of kitchen space and pancake-making supplies. Many of your team’s parents will be happy to help with cooking and set-up.

If you’re hosting a shoe drive fundraiser as well, attendees at your pancake breakfast can bring shoes to contribute.

Sports Fundraising Ideas for All Ages

1. Fitness Challenge

Get a good workout and support your favorite team with this fun and competitive fundraising idea. Participants’ donations allow them to compete in various fitness challenges that your team invents.

Compete against fellow participants to see who can complete the most push-ups or sit-ups in five minutes, or challenge yourself to meet or exceed a set goal. If your team has access to gym equipment that your participants can use free of charge, you can incorporate that equipment into your challenges.

2. Concessions Stand

Sell snacks to your fans to create an exciting environment at your next game and raise money to support your team. Perfect for arena and stadium sports like baseball, basketball, football, and soccer, a concessions stand encourages your fans to make donations through the food they buy.

Encourage friends and family to volunteer their time and work shifts at the concession stand. They may also be willing to donate their snacks and drinks purchases so that all of the proceeds go to your team.

3. Host a Kids’ Sports Camp

By hosting a sports camp, your players can raise money for your team and promote a fun and healthy lifestyle among students in your community. Your team members volunteer to coach practices for students who pay to attend the camp, get kids involved in athletics, and raise awareness for your sport and team within your community.

You’ll need a venue and the equipment for the sport you’re coaching to get started. Your regular practice venue will likely be able to provide you with space and equipment for free or at a reduced cost.

4. Goal Shot Fundraiser

Get your fans into the game with a goal-shot fundraiser! This is a great soccer team fundraiser that can easily be adapted to basketball as a free-throw fundraiser.

After the game, bring participants onto the field for their chance to score a goal. Each donation gets them one chance to make a goal. Don’t forget to reward anyone who scores with a prize such as a ribbon.

The best part about this fundraiser? It’s easy and doesn’t cost your team anything to host! All you’ll need is a volunteer from your team to collect donations and facilitate the line of participants, as well as a good-sport goalie!

5. Team Calendar Sale

To create your calendar, select a picture of your team in action for each month. Don’t have a regular game photographer in your league? See if friends and family members of your team have been taking pictures. They’ve likely shared some on social media that would make great calendar photos!

Include a season schedule and other important dates related to your team and the current season in the calendar. You can sell the finished product at games, online, or both.

[Download] Community Engagement Tip Sheet

Community Engagement for Fundraising Ideas

Getting Local Businesses on Your Side

As we start to wrap things up, there are a few things we’d like to share to improve community engagement. First up—businesses. Know this: the businesses in your area want to support you, but they need to know that your sports team exists. Businesses are always looking for innovative ways to connect with their communities, and your team represents a big connection!

Partnerships between your sports team and local businesses don’t have to be complicated. Companies can partner with you for win/win situations. For instance, you may get a local business to sponsor your entire season, or you might get several others to donate equipment. Perhaps the local pizza shop offers team discounts, or a sports store outfits your players.

Sports teams and business partnerships that are created for a mutually beneficial aim are the most successful. For example, if you have a team sponsor, allowing them to have their logo on your team jerseys is a great way for them to promote their business and support your team! These types of relationships tend to last years, so reach out to the business community.

Doing Good While Raising Funds

Another excellent way to stand out in the community is to help others. For example, let’s say you’re a member of a school sports team. When you organize a fun run to raise funds for charity or a local food bank, your community will notice. What people see when your team gets involved is that you’re not just about winning, but also about being good neighbors.

Doing good while raising funds for your sports team is a double win. Your players get reminded that your group is about something bigger than themselves or gold medals. Moreover, your community gets a chance to see that you’re investing in the community by giving of your time and resources. That means they’ll be more likely to support you when you need it.

The connections your sports team can make by adding events where you do good for others go beyond the goodwill you’ll receive with your sports fundraising ideas. In other words, your community will remember that Saturday your team spent cleaning up the beach or local park, and they’ll have good feelings about your team.

Sports Team Fundraising: Additional Resources

Choosing and planning the perfect fundraiser for your team is exciting, but the many available options can make the process a little overwhelming! Allow your team members to get creative and work together on your next fundraiser by checking out these innovative options for fundraising activities.

Interested in all things fundraising? Check out our additional resources:

• 30+ Family Friendly Fundraising Ideas for Kids to Raise More. There are plenty of other fundraising events that kids can participate in. Read this guide for family-friendly ideas!
• 100+ Amazing and Unique Fundraising Ideas for Everyone. Looking for out-of-the-box fundraising ideas? Check out these unique fundraising ideas to shake up your strategy.
• 25+ Seasonal Fundraising Ideas to Stock Your Calendar. Make the most of each season with these fundraising ideas for any time of year.