Keep The ‘Fun’ In Fundraising

How To Fundraise For Cheerleading Whether you’re new and not quite sure where to start, or you’re a seasoned professional looking for some fresh ideas, it’s important to remember that fundraising can be a fun, and crucial, way for a cheerleading team to receive financial support from its community. If you are leading a team, here are some initial planning points to keep in mind. Strategize A comprehensive overview of the season’s schedule should be completed at least one month before the official fundraising season kicks off (for most teams, that is June). Creating a calendar of events will help you determine when you need to start fundraising activities for camp and practice wear, uniforms and competition gear. All costs associated with the season, including uniforms, travel, etc. should be estimated and communicated to the team well in advance. Also, make sure to be clear about which expenses are the responsibility of individuals (like uniforms) and which are the responsibility of the group (like competition costs). Contributors and Partners A great place to start is to have each member of the team make a list of the friends and family that they can reach out to for contributions. Another resource for your team are the local businesses in your area. Can you get coupons from a restaurant or salon that you can use as an incentive for anyone that contributes? Training Since not everyone on the team will be experienced with fundraising, be sure to take some time to explain the goals and expectations to them. Encourage older girls to share tips and tricks that they have picked up over the years. Here are some additional points to discuss: Persistance is good, being pushy is not. Keep the pitch short and sweet. Convey a sense of urgency so people will be motivated to act now. Detail how the donation will make an impact – tell them that they are helping cover the cost of your uniforms, training or competition goals. Make sure your team knows when it is appropriate to define a dollar amount, and when they should leave it up to the person that is donating. Incentives Think of a creative, public way for your team to thank its supporters, such as writing and performing a special cheer for them (include their names!) at games. A team that recognizes support is more likely to have repeat and annual contributors, so it’s a good idea to have the team send thank you letters at the end of the season that include a picture of the uniforms that were purchased, or a summary of the team’s accomplishments. Fundraising Ideas Sales: The most traditional way to fundraise is through sales, such as baked goods, candy and cheerleading accessories. Keep your sales fun by associating them with an upcoming holiday, like pumpkins for Halloween and flowers for Valentine’s Day. Raffles: Check with local businesses to see if they would be willing to donate items for a raffle. Raffles work best when you have at least one big prize to offer, like a television. Events: If you do an event to fundraise, keep it simple. A community garage sale, where your friends and neighbors donate their old items, would be easy to organize and would get people excited. Media Be sure to advertise your events in the school paper and also in your local newspapers and on local television and radio stations. Encouarge your team to post information about fundraising on their social networks as well, and consider starting a blog that your community can follow. You can post dates of events, goal markers and photos of the team. A blog is also a great place to thank people that have made a donation to your team. Even though today’s fundraiser is competing in a world where collecting money is an increasingly complex form of hands-on art, you need to remember that a simple approach is the best guarantee for success. Don’t forget that in order to motivate people to help you reach your goals, you need to show a passion for what you are doing. Make sure that your team is given fundraising activities that allow them to show how much spirit and heart they have, and that let’s them have fun! Check out our Complete Guide To Fundraising For Cheerleading