Fundraising can feel like a hassle, especially if your sports team continually needs to raise money for travel, equipment, player scholarships, or other expenses. If your athletes and parents are tired of your typical fundraising approach, you’ve come to the right place.
We believe sports fundraisers should be easy, fun, and profitable—so we’ve compiled a list of winning sports fundraising ideas that any team can use to raise money and have fun doing it. We’ll cover:
- Our Favorite Sports Team Fundraisers
- Top Youth Sports Fundraising Ideas
- Easy Fundraising Ideas for Sports Teams
- Best Online Fundraising Ideas for Sports Teams
- Most Fun Fundraising Ideas for Sports Teams
Explore this list to make your team’s next fundraiser a slam dunk!
Our Favorite Sports Team Fundraisers
The all-time best fundraisers for sports teams not only make it easy to raise money, but they also give supporters something in return for their donations. The draw of getting a fun treat makes your team’s supporters more likely to give—resulting in more participation and more money for your team.
Here are our top three choices for sports fundraisers, any of which you can launch in minutes with no setup costs by partnering with Team Butter:
1. Popcorn Fundraiser
Who doesn’t love popcorn? After all, it’s America’s favorite snack!
Selling popcorn in exchange for donations is the perfect way to raise money for your sports team while giving supporters what they want: a salty (or sweet!), delicious snack they can eat guilt-free (since it’s for a good cause!).
But we know what you may be thinking—isn’t going door-to-door to fundraise a little outdated? We think so, too! Fundraising online is the norm in this day and age, where you can sell popcorn to anyone, anywhere, at any time. That’s why we’ve created an easy-to-use app that any team member can use to sell popcorn fully online with no setup fees. Here’s how it works:
- You set up your virtual fundraiser. Just sign up with Team Butter, download our app, and make a few selections to create your personalized popcorn fundraiser. The whole process only takes five minutes!
- Share your fundraiser with your team. After getting set up, the fundraiser organizer shares a link with the rest of the team. Individual team members can click the link to download the app and create a profile—complete with their own personalized fundraising page—to start fundraising.
- Players share their stores with supporters. Each participant shares their fundraising store with friends, family, and community members by sharing their personalized link. From there, supporters can browse flavors and place orders from any device.
- Supporters buy popcorn, and you get paid. Supporters order popcorn online, and everything gets shipped straight to their homes, so your team doesn’t have to worry about delivery. We’ll deposit 50% of every dollar earned in your team’s bank account.
That’s it! All your team has to do to succeed with this sports team fundraising idea is share a link and encourage supporters to buy popcorn. You can run this fundraiser completely online in just a few days or weeks. When it’s over, supporters get a delicious snack, and your team gets the money it needs!
2. Cookie Dough Fundraiser
Just like popcorn fundraisers, selling cookie dough is another tried-and-true way to raise a lot of money for your sports team in a relatively short time. Cookie dough fundraisers are extremely popular, especially around the holidays (but really, who doesn’t love baking cookies at any time of the year?).
With Team Butter, you can launch an engaging online cookie dough fundraiser for your sports team in minutes. Just sign up, download our app, and create a personalized cookie dough fundraising store that each player can share with supporters.
When team members’ friends and families visit your online store, they can easily order cookie dough, see a leaderboard of the top five fundraisers, and read more about your team’s story. All the cookie dough ships straight to supporters’ homes, and 50% of the profit from fundraiser sales goes straight to your team!
3. Discount Card Fundraiser
What if your sports team could raise money while actually saving your supporters money? With a discount card fundraiser, you can!
These fundraisers involve selling physical or virtual cards that include various discounts supporters can use in the future. Think buy-one-get-one-free deals at local stores, 50% off movie or museum tickets, and discounts on anything from dining to travel. Once supporters buy a discount card from your team, they can access these deals anytime, anywhere.
By using Team Butter’s discount card app instead of physical cards, you can make your fundraiser even more convenient for you and your supporters. Our app includes thousands of discounts for national and local businesses that supporters can access from the palm of their hands. Even better, 50% of all discount card sales go directly to your team!
Top Youth Sports Fundraising Ideas
Beyond seamless online product fundraisers, these fundraising ideas for sports teams are popular options for raising money while having fun and improving teamwork.
4. Restaurant Night
Many restaurants are willing to partner with local groups for a night to help them raise money for a good cause. Work with a restaurant in your area to schedule a night where a certain percentage of their sales profit gets donated to your sports team. By advertising the event, you’ll bring the community together, raise money for your team, and generate more business for the restaurant!
💪Pro tip: Promote your restaurant night fundraiser multiple weeks in advance using flyers, social media, emails, and school announcements to boost attendance.
5. Fun Run
Raise money, throw a fun event, and encourage healthy habits by hosting a fun run! Invite players, along with their friends and family members, to run in a race in support of your team. Each runner can collect pledges for donations based on how far they run (i.e., $20 for every kilometer), or you can charge an entrance fee to collect donations.
💪Pro tip: Give your fun run or 5K a theme to encourage participation and increase fundraising opportunities. For example, you could host a Glow Run and sell glow sticks at the event!
6. Field Day
For sports teams with younger players, consider hosting a family-friendly field day where kids can participate in fun challenges and games together. Set up stations for activities like:
- Tug-of-war
- Relay races
- Obstacle courses
- Three-legged races
- And more!
Charge an entrance fee for the field day, or let parents purchase tickets their children can use to enter each race.
💪Pro tip: Raise more money by setting up a concessions stand at the field day. Sell snacks, drinks, and any team merchandise you have on hand.
7. Car Wash
This fundraising idea is another classic for sports teams—after all, there are always cars that need washing! Gather supplies like soap and sponges, then set up a car washing station in a parking lot or other large area. Have players volunteer to wash cars, and charge $20 or $30 for each wash.
💪Pro tip: Make this sports team fundraiser more fun by asking your players to create a playlist for the event. This way, they can jam out to their favorite songs while washing cars!
8. Pancake Breakfast
Another fundraiser that puts your team members to work is a pancake breakfast. At these events, your players (along with parents, coaches, or even teachers) make and serve breakfast to community members. Put your players’ cooking skills to the test while providing a delicious meal everyone can enjoy together!
💪Pro tip: Along with selling tickets to your pancake breakfast, include “tipping” jars around the restaurant or cafeteria so supporters can donate more for good service.
9. Fitness Class
Why not use your players’ fitness skills to raise money for the team? Sell tickets to a fitness class or “boot camp” and have seasoned players lead community members in a full-body workout for an afternoon. Participants will love the chance to get their workouts in while supporting the team and getting to know players better.
💪Pro tip: Have your players write out a list of the exercises they want to do and lead a mock class to practice their leadership skills. Coaches can give feedback and tips before the real class.
10. Fundraising Tailgate
Turn a typical tailgate into a fundraiser for your sports team, or host an extra fun event before a major game like the semi-finals! Organize a tailgate with food, drinks, music, and games to rev up the pre-game energy, and charge a small fee to attend.
💪Pro tip: Hold a raffle to add even more excitement and fundraising potential to your tailgate. Charge $5 per raffle ticket, then give away a prize like VIP seats for the winner.
11. Walk-a-Thon
Similar to a fun fun, a walk-a-thon is a great way to encourage community members to get outside and get active while supporting your sports team. Encourage anyone to join by paying an entrance fee to walk or watch from the sidelines, or ask each participant to collect pledges before the event. The farther (or longer) they walk, the more donations they earn for your team!
💪Pro tip: Design special t-shirts for your walk-a-thon that anyone can purchase and wear to the event. Participants will get a nice memento to take home, and you’ll raise more money!
12. Silent Auction
Silent auction fundraisers require more preparation than a lot of our fundraising ideas for sports teams, but they make up for it with increased revenue potential. To host one, find a venue and gather several items to auction off. Sell tickets to the event, then let guests bid on their favorite items by writing down their names and bid amounts on a bid sheet for each item. The highest bidder for each item wins and gets to take it home!
💪Pro tip: Save money by contacting local businesses for auction item donations. Ask for gift cards, merchandise, or even baskets of items that you can auction off.
13. Merchandise Sales
Sports team memorabilia is always a hit with supporters who want to show off their pride for your team. Partner with a local printer or an online custom design store to create branded items with your team’s logo, such as:
- T-shirts
- Stickers
- Hats
- Water bottles
- Tumblers
You can sell your merch at games, online, and every other fundraising event you host!
💪Pro tip: Create several designs supporters can choose from, and keep track of which ones are most popular so you can offer similar merchandise in the future.
14. Sports Camp
If your high school or college-aged athletes are willing to teach kids the basics of their sport, try hosting a sports camp fundraiser. Your camp could be a few days or a full week where future athletes learn, practice, and make friends while cultivating a love for your sport. Since you’re offering multi-day activities and lessons, you can charge more for registration fees—all of which go straight to your sports team.
💪Pro tip: Ask if any of your team members have worked or volunteered as camp counselors before, and see if they’re interested in taking the lead!
Easy Fundraising Ideas for Sports Teams
Looking for sports fundraisers that don’t require a lot of planning, time, or up-front costs? We’ve got you covered with these easy fundraising ideas.
15. Concession Stands
72% of U.S. sports fans always or usually purchase food at games, making a concession stand the perfect easy fundraiser. Simple concession stands are easy to set up and help you raise money at every game—all you need is a table, a volunteer or two, and some snacks to sell! You can open your concession stand before the game, during halftime, and afterward to boost its fundraising potential.
💪Pro tip: Just like with team snacks, ask your athletes’ parents to sign up to bring concession stand snacks for each game. This way, you’ll save money and space out parent responsibilities.
16. Sponsor a Player
A sponsor-an-athlete fundraiser is a great way to encourage community members to get to know your players better while supporting their participation directly. Add up the average costs associated with playing on your sports team (like uniforms, equipment, fees, etc.), and encourage supporters to donate to cover the costs of one player. You could keep it anonymous or let supporters choose which player they want to sponsor.
💪Pro tip: Promote your fundraiser on social media to encourage more sponsorships. Get inspired by this example Instagram post from Kent State’s Cheer and Dance teams:
17. eCard Fundraiser
Another fundraiser your team can run easily throughout the season is an eCard fundraiser. Using a free eCard sending tool, your team can design a few online greeting cards that supporters can send each other for a small donation, like $5 or $10. Once you design the eCards, all you have to do is promote them to raise money!
💪Pro tip: Try designing eCards for several different occasions, like birthdays, holidays, and game days.
18. Shoe Drive
A shoe drive is a type of recycling fundraiser where your sports team sets up collection boxes throughout the community, and supporters donate shoes they’ve outgrown or no longer need. Once you’ve collected enough shoes, you can send them to a shoe drive fundraising partner and exchange them for cash!
💪Pro tip: Ask local businesses if you can station shoe drive collection boxes at their restaurants or stores, and bring one with you to every game and fundraising event.
19. 50/50 Raffle
Get the thrill of an auction without the hassle of collecting auction items or tallying up bids. In a 50/50 raffle, everyone who enters makes a small donation to get a raffle ticket. You’ll pool all the money from entry fees, and give half of that total to the raffle winner. The other 50% goes to your team! 50/50 raffles are exciting, mutually beneficial, and extremely easy to host. All you need is a roll of raffle tickets!
💪Pro tip: Don’t host your 50/50 raffle as its own event—just do it at a game! Ask supporters to purchase raffle tickets at the door, and announce the winner after the game ends.
20. Corporate Sponsorships
An easy way to get a lot of money for your team without asking everyday supporters for anything is to seek a corporate sponsorship. Any local business can sponsor your sports team by making a large donation in exchange for advertising. All you have to do is add the sponsor’s logo to your website, scoreboard, or even uniforms to increase their brand recognition.
💪Pro tip: Create a few different “sponsorship levels” with different perks for businesses. For example, a $1,000 donation might get them a shoutout at your next game, while a $3,000 sponsorship means you’ll add their logo to all your game flyers.
21. Movie Night
Movie nights make for a fun, low-effort fundraiser. Just pick a movie and a place to show it, then sell tickets to the event! When choosing a movie, make sure to:
- Pick something family-friendly.
- Choose a movie that your players are excited about.
- Make it relevant to your sport.
It doesn’t have to be a sports-themed movie (though it can be!). Any film that promotes teamwork, overcoming adversity, or following your dreams can be a good choice.
💪Pro tip: Along with selling tickets, sell popcorn and other snacks at the event to raise even more money.
22. Cook-Off
Have any aspiring chefs on your sports team? Host a cook-off where players, families, and community members bring in their best dishes and compete to win a prize! You’ll need several tables, a large open space, and a few judges for this fundraiser. Everyone who enters or attends pays a small fee, and the eventual winner gets a fun prize.
💪Pro tip: Ask all cook-off participants to bring their own supplies if they’re cooking at the event to cut down on work for your team.
23. Football Squares Fundraiser
Another easy, exciting fundraising idea for sports teams and their supporters is to host a football squares fundraiser. Inspired by popular Super Bowl squares pools, these fundraisers work similarly to 50/50 raffles, where 50% of participants’ entry fees go to your team, and the other 50% goes into a pool for winners.
However, football squares are more interactive than raffles and often result in multiple winners! Participants choose a square with two digits, and then the last digits of your game’s final score determine who wins. If the score was 11-13, for example, the person whose name is in the square with the digits 1 and 3 wins the prize! Here’s what your board might look like:
💪Pro tip: You can run this fundraiser once or all season long! Ask supporters to buy a square for each game at a lower price or for the whole season at a higher price.
24. Yard Sale
Your team members and their parents likely have plenty of gently used items they want to get rid of. Ask your team to bring in toys, good-condition clothes, and any other household items they no longer need. Then, set up a yard or garage sale where all proceeds go to your sports team.
💪Pro tip: Let your team members get creative by designing several yard signs and posters to place throughout the neighborhood. Your players will have more fun, and you’ll draw more people in!
25. Lawn Mowing Fundraiser
Like a car wash fundraiser or a pancake breakfast, this fundraising idea asks your team’s players to put in a little work to raise money. Supporters can donate a certain amount of money to your sports team, and in exchange, one of your players will mow their lawn.
💪Pro tip: Advertise this fundraiser in multiple community spaces to spread the word. Post flyers for the fundraiser at coffee shops, libraries, the civic center, etc.
Best Online Fundraising Ideas for Sports Teams
We’ve already covered a few ideas for fundraisers you can run online, but let’s dive deeper and explore more great online fundraising opportunities.
26. Virtual Product Fundraiser
Product fundraisers work better online, whether you’re selling popcorn, cookie dough, t-shirts, or another fundraising product. You don’t have to worry about players going door-to-door and losing their order forms when everything is handled online! Just choose the product you want to sell, create an online store, and start raising money for your team.
💪Pro tip: Partner with Team Butter to set up compelling, personalized online fundraising stores in minutes. Watch our video below to see how it works!
27. Online Donation Page
While this isn’t a traditional fundraising campaign or event, this sports fundraising idea is essential for raising money online in the long term. By creating an online donation page for your sports team, you’ll make it easy for supporters to give to your team at any time—even when you’re not hosting fundraisers!
💪Pro tip: Look to other sports teams’ and organizations’ donation pages for inspiration. See what they do well, and use similar tactics on your own donation page.
28. Online Auction
An online auction is just like a silent auction: You collect items, supporters bid, and the highest bidder for each item wins it. However, with this sports fundraising idea, everything happens online! This means your auction can last for days or even weeks, and anyone can join from the comfort of their own home.
💪Pro tip: One drawback of this idea is that it typically requires you to use auction software, which may be expensive. Look for a free solution to save your team money.
29. Birthday Fundraisers
Have any especially avid fans? Encourage them to host their own birthday fundraisers in support of your sports team. Instead of asking their friends and family members to buy birthday presents, the fundraiser host asks them to donate to your sports team. These fundraisers are easy to host on social media and help supporters feel closer to your team.
💪Pro tip: If your sports team or club has a website, create a dedicated page with step-by-step instructions on how to host a birthday fundraiser.
30. Virtual Fitness Challenge
A virtual fitness challenge is a pledge-based fundraiser, similar to a fun run or a 5K. Instead of competing in a race, though, participants in your fitness challenge set their own goals and work towards them in their own time. For example, they might aim to:
- Walk 10,000 steps a day.
- Exercise for 30 minutes a day.
- Attend a fitness or yoga class X times a week.
Each participant collects pledges for donations from friends and family. The more they achieve in their challenge, the more donations they earn for your sports team!
💪Pro tip: Provide supporters with a few options for their fitness challenges and encourage them to set goals that align with their needs and schedules.
31. Video Game Tournament
FIFA tournament, anyone? If your players are also gamers, consider hosting a video game tournament and raising money in the process. Invite players, supporters, and community members to enter the tournament for a small fee, and offer a prize for the eventual winner.
💪Pro tip: Livestream your tournament to get more views and potential donations!
32. Viral Video Challenge
Most people remember the Ice Bucket Challenge and how much it raised for ALS research. Your team can host a similar social media challenge by asking supporters to film themselves completing a small task and tag their friends to join the challenge. Each person completes the challenge and/or donates, spreading the word about your team’s fundraising efforts.
💪Pro tip: Choose a challenge that’s easy and fun to complete (such as dumping a bucket of ice water on your head!) to inspire more people to participate.
33. Matching Gift Challenge
Several companies have programs where they match employees’ donations to eligible organizations with donations of their own. For example, an employee’s $50 donation might get matched with another $50 from their employer, totaling $100 for your team! Challenge your supporters to check their matching gift eligibility and submit a request if they’re eligible.
💪Pro tip: Make sure to provide instructions for determining matching gift eligibility or include a link to a search tool in your promotional materials.
34. Text-to-Give Fundraiser
Did you know your supporters can donate to your sports team just by texting? If you partner with a text-to-give service, you’ll get a designated phone number or shortcode to share with supporters. When they text in a certain keyword (like “GIVE”), they’ll immediately receive a link to your donation page. This simplifies giving and encourages more supporters to contribute.
💪Pro tip: Choose a text-to-give keyword that supporters can easily remember, like “FUNDS4FOOTBALL” or “GO WILDCATS.”
35. Virtual Fun Run
Yes, fun runs can even be done virtually! If your supporters are spread across a large geographic area or you just don’t have the resources to host a full-blown, in-person fun run, try hosting one online. It works the same way—participants collect pledges, track how far (or how long) they run, and then collect donations based on the results.
💪Pro tip: Choose a day for your virtual fun run, and post fun graphics, updates, and reminders on social media throughout the day.
Most Fun Fundraising Ideas for Sports Teams
If you’re looking for a fundraiser that all your players and supporters will be excited to participate in, consider these fun sports fundraising ideas.
36. T-Shirt Fundraiser
Designing, printing, and selling t-shirts with your team’s logo and other creative designs can be a lot of fun. Plus, similar to Team Butter fundraisers, t-shirt fundraisers can be run completely online with the right vendor.
💪Pro tip: Have a t-shirt design contest among your players and/or supporters. Let anyone enter their design, and then everyone else votes to determine which t-shirt will become a reality.
37. Sports Tournament
Host a soccer, basketball, or volleyball tournament with your players and community members. Encourage anyone to enter the competition for a small fee, then give out a prize (such as a free branded t-shirt!) for the winner or winning team. Participants and spectators alike will have tons of fun seeing the tournament unfold.
💪Pro tip: If your participants and their parents are okay with it, consider livestreaming the tournament to increase engagement and donations.
38. Calendar Sales
At the beginning or end of the year, your team can create and sell custom calendars featuring photos of your team. This is a great way to connect with supporters, highlight your team members, and appeal to proud parents. You can also include any important game days and events on the calendar to keep supporters informed.
💪Pro tip: Make this fundraiser more fun by scheduling a photoshoot for your team. Your players will love taking pictures with their teammates and seeing the final product.
39. Golf Fundraiser
Whether or not golf is your team’s sport, golf fundraisers can make for highly enjoyable and profitable fundraising events. Partner with a golf course to rent the course for a day, and sell tickets for supporters to play individually or as a team. Then, add in additional fundraising opportunities throughout the event. You might sell refreshments, team merchandise, or even auction off some items.
💪Pro tip: Take inspiration from the golf fundraising flyer below and include a QR code on your promotional materials. Supporters can quickly scan the code to buy tickets and donate.
40. Community Bowling Competition
A bowling competition is similar to the sports tournament fundraising idea, but it’s more accessible for families and supporters of all ages. Anyone can sign up to bowl as an individual or a team for a small donation. You can also sell snacks for additional revenue!
💪Pro tip: See if the bowling alley you’re working with is willing to sell their usual food and beverages during the event and give your team a portion of the sales.
41. Athlete Talent Show
Your athletes are bound to have more talents they don’t get to show off on the field. Celebrate your team members and their other interests by hosting a talent show fundraiser! Ask every team member to perform their talent, and sell tickets to the event to raise money.
💪Pro tip: Have your team’s coach or one of the athletes serve as an MC for the talent show. They can announce each act, engage with the crowd, and remind guests to donate.
42. Sports Trivia Night
Host a trivia night where players and supporters can come together for a fun guessing game. You could ask trivia questions about:
- The history of your sport and sports team.
- Your most recent game scores.
- Famous athletes who play your sport.
- Sports pop culture.
To raise money at the event, charge a registration fee for teams entering the competition and ask for additional donations throughout the night.
💪Pro tip: Have an especially boisterous player or a “class clown” on your team? Ask them to MC the event and add some humor to the trivia questions!
43. Obstacle Course
Similar to a field day fundraiser, this sports fundraising idea involves creating a fun outdoor challenge and letting supporters try it out for a small donation. Your team members can have fun creating a homemade obstacle course, testing it out, and going through it during the fundraiser.
💪Pro tip: Consider combining this fundraising idea with a field day or raffle to up the excitement for guests.
44. Bake Sale
If your players or their parents love baking sweets, this is the perfect fundraising opportunity for your team! Ask everyone to bring in baked goods to sell, then set up a booth at your school or even before a game.
💪Pro tip: Make this fundraising idea even more fun by baking some (or all!) of the baked goods together. Your players will learn a new skill and have fun working together as a team!
45. Holiday Fundraiser
Holiday fundraisers come in all shapes and sizes, from Christmas fundraisers like ornament decorating events to Easter egg hunts or Memorial Day barbeques. Choose a holiday your players are excited about, then brainstorm ideas for fun, holiday-themed events.
💪Pro tip: Pair any winter holiday fundraiser with a cookie dough fundraiser to double your potential profit!
Knock Your Sports Team Fundraisers Out of the Park
Any of these fundraising ideas for sports teams could be a winner with your team or club. Remember to prioritize ease of fundraising, profitability, and fun, and you’ll be able to raise the money your team needs to thrive.
For more information about how you can get started with these easy, profitable fundraisers, check out these additional resources:
- Popcorn Fundraising Made Easy. 100% Virtual. 50% Profit. Learn more about our #1 fundraising idea for sports teams: popcorn fundraisers. Explore our flavors, app, and fundraising process here.
- Cookie Dough Fundraising with Team Butter: 50% Profit. Dive deeper into the sweet fundraising potential of Team Butter cookie dough fundraisers and learn how to get started.
- 110+ Incredible School Fundraising Ideas (Raise Money Now!). Looking for even more fundraising ideas for your sports team? Check out this list of over 100 additional ideas.
