Whether you’re running some small scale fundraisers for some new equipment, or large fundraising efforts for clubhouse renovations, we’ve got some fab fundraising ideas that will bowl you over. 

Our hints and tips will give you inspiration for fundraising events as well as encouraging you to score sponsorships big and small. 

Sports Club Fundraising Ideas

Here are some of our favourite ways to raise money for your sports club, whether it’s cricket, football, rugby, basketball, netball rowing or something else!

Host a -Thon

If you are on the committee of a sports club, then odds are you’ve got some space you can utilise. It could be a field or a court, indoors or outside. Use the space you’ve got (on a non-match day, of course) to host a fun exercise-related activity. This could be a one-off event or a weekly thing. 

We’re thinking a Yoga-thon, Dance-a-thon, Zumba-thon or similar. Something fun, engaging social and, most-importantly, likely to bring in those much-needed donors and donations. 

Sell Refreshments

Do you have a clubhouse for home matches? Use the opportunity of having spectators to sell refreshments – Tea, coffee, soft drinks and maybe even food if you have the facilities! 

Many football matches start quite early in the morning, and being a Winter season sport, offering a hot coffee and a bacon buttie could be just the thing for those standing on the sidelines cheering their loved ones on. 

Likewise in the summer months, a cold lemonade (or beer) on a hot day is the perfect accompaniment to a long afternoon watching cricket. 

Make sure you gain any licences you may need to sell food and alcohol and follow the necessary food hygiene regulations. 

Comfort for Hire

There are two kinds of spectators – Those that come to matches week-in, week-out and have all the gear, and those that get roped in by a friend or family member to come and watch once in a blue moon. 

Make their spectator experience more comfortable by hiring out a few home comforts. We’re thinking:

• Deck chairs / fold up camping style chairs (so they don’t have to sit on the ground)
• Cushions (to make wooden benches a bit more comfortable)
• Picnic blankets (for those sunny days where you can sunbathe and spectate at the same time)
• Blankets (for those cooler evenings where the cricket is lasting forever but they’ve not brought a jacket)
• Umbrellas (because UK weather is so unpredictable!)

Even if these things were just £1 to borrow, the extra money would soon rack up. 

Outdoor Cinema

Many sports clubs already have the main things needed to easily arrange a fundraising event (space for guests, somewhere to park, a way to offer refreshments). 

The outside space at a football or cricket ground is perfect to set up an outdoor cinema! This could be a wonderful way to end the season with all their members plus their friends and family. Couple the film with cinema meals (nachos, hot dogs), snacks (popcorn, sweets) and drinks (soft or alcoholic) and the tickets will practically sell themselves! 

Picnic Auction

We can really visualise this fundraiser being a huge hit at a cricket club. 

Picture this – The sun is out, the air is warm, you have a pimms in one hand and your sunglasses in the other, chatting with friends and whiling away the afternoon watching a game of cricket. Sounds pretty good doesn’t it? 

A picnic auction would be a perfect addition to an afternoon like this. 

Approach local cafes, bakeries and shops (even better if they are independently owned) and ask if they would be willing to donate a picnic hamper for your event. 

People can buy tickets on arrival at the start of the match, with the winners being announced when it’s time for tea!

Signed Memorabilia

Does your sports club have any ex-members that went on to play professionally? Or maybe your first team is semi-pro and has players who play for you as well as at a county level. 

We’d imagine that these people would only be too pleased to sign a bat / ball / team t-shirt etc that you could then auction off to the highest bidder!

Quiz Night / Bingo Night

Why not host a Quiz Night or Bingo Night once a month (or as often as you think would continue to be popular) for your members and their friends and family? 

Ask local businesses to donate prizes to further entice people to buy their tickets and join in the fun. 

Try to run this type of evening on a night that doesn’t interfere with training or the evening before a match so that everyone can let their hair down. 

Make Donating Accessible to All

Odds are that if you’ve got a clubhouse, you’ve probably got a charity pot on the bar for people to donate their loose change from buying some pork scratchings. 

But how many people are bringing cash with them to watch a match?

Using a Donater Smart Sticker or QR Code means that anyone spectating with a smartphone on them can make a donation to your cause. All they have to do is tap their NFC enabled phone on the Smart Sticker or scan the QR code. They’re then taken straight to your online donation page where they can donate digitally with Google Pay or Apple Pay. Easy! 

The Donater QR Codes can be printed and put virtually anywhere – Framed on the bar, on the back of the toilet cubicle door, menus, fixtures. 

Sponsorship Opportunities

There are plenty of sponsorship opportunities at sports clubs. Sponsors could pay to get their company on your fixture boards, score boards, team shirts, clubhouse noticeboards etc. 

Offer a range of options of sponsorship packages at different price points to suit all budgets. 

Consider approaching independent businesses in your local area that would benefit most from accessing the audience your sponsorship packages would offer. 

Donater Can Help Your Sports Club Raise Money This Season

Here at Donater we have a suite of fundraising tools specifically designed to make giving easier. Easier for the donor to make a donation, and easier for charitable organisations to receive that all-important fundraising.

Our suite of online fundraising tools include:

• A dedicated online fundraising page, personalised to your charity or good cause. Supporters will immediately recognise your branding and thus, trust that they are in the right place to make a donation. Online fundraising pages are easy to share online via a handy link, and can be easily linked to your website with a ‘Donate Now’ button. Perfect for a Santa Fun Run fundraising event!
  
• QR codes. We’ve all become more accustomed to QR codes, so you’ll know how quick and easy it is to scan one with your smartphone. QR codes can be just as handy for taking donations. All your supporter has to do is scan the QR code with their smartphone, and it will take them to an online donation page. Once there, they can choose to donate with a tap via Google Pay or Apple Pay, or pay with their bank details. QR codes are a great addition to any physical marketing about your club and events, such as posters, newsletters or even the kit itself.
  
• NFC Tags. Our NFC tags take the above QR code concept a step further, and enable any supporter of yours with an NFC enabled smartphone to merely tap the tag or sticker. They will then be taken to an online donation page where they can make their donation quickly and simply. These work really well with in-person events, and could easily be placed on collection boxes during the Santa Fun Run so spectators can donate to your cause if they wish. 

Get in touch today if you think Donater could help boost your donations digitally.