Fundraising Ideas

Getting to camp can sometimes be more a matter of funds than desire and need. Listed here are a couple of ideas that might make the difference for your program. We hope you will find them helpful as well as imaginative. If you have a proven idea that we've overlooked feel free to write us so that we might pass it along.

These guys know how to raise money and they do it all in only 4 hours. Quick, clean and profitable is the best way to describe Varsity Gold - and they help you run it, start to finish. While their average profit to each player is $100, they also reinforce what you're trying to do on and off the field in terms of leadership. Varsity Gold is more than a fundraiser - it's also an outstanding team-builder. Visit their web site at: www.varsitygold.com or contact Steve Grant , at 415-279-6842.

Car Wash

Here's a tried and true cash maker with a couple of twists. First, find a location for the car wash with good exposure and free water. Many local businesses will allow you to hold your car wash at their business and will provide the water hook up as a donation. The Longs Drugs in our home town has always made such a donation. Second, at least two weeks prior to the event, pre-sell it door-to-door, to neighbors, friends and family by providing a coupon. Charge one price for autos and an increased price for trucks, vans and SUV's. Most people will be willing to donate but will forget to show up on the day of the car wash. Third, limit the time of the car wash to four hours only and make sure it is printed on the coupon. Fourth, the coupons can be printed on a home computer. This is usually a quick thousand dollars.

50/50 Raffle

In the off-season have football players attend basketball games and run a 50/50 raffle. The winning ticket holder keeps half of the funds generated and your program the other half. It is a good idea to clear this type of fund raising with your athletic director first but it can produce $50-100 per home game. Multiply that times the number of home basketball games and tournaments and there's another grand.

Tip a Player

Through the cooperation of a local restaurant your players take over as servers and get to keep the tips. First, you bill it as a fundraising night so the tips will be inflated. Second, advertise it to friends, family and student body of your school. Get the local newspaper to run a small article. The bottom line is you are going to bring in more than normal business and that is the benefit to the restaurant as they still charge regular prices. It's a win/win for everyone.

Lawn Mowing

Ah yes, the old lawnmower fundraiser. Get players to bring their own mowers, trimmer's rakes and brooms. Then, blitz several neighborhoods going door to door and explaining this is a fundraising enterprise. You'd be surprised at how many folks will let you cut their lawn, even when they may already have a service. As with all of these ideas, make sure players are wearing their jerseys.