Is your team struggling with how to make your revenue last the whole year? Looking for the best way to fundraise for sports to keep your team going even in quieter months of the year? Gift of Kit has you covered!
In this article, we will provide you with some handy tips and tricks on how to raise money for sports teams, discuss the pros and cons of annual sponsorship packages and help you decide the best route to go down for your circumstances. Let’s get into it!
How to raise money for sports teams and grassroots projects
With the cost of facilities, pitches and kits increasing all the time, grassroots sports teams are trying to increase their revenue any way they can. Luckily, there are a number of different ways that you can raise funds for your grassroots sports team.
Club fees
Possibly one of the easiest fundraising options is upping the fees that are paid by members or their parents to be a part of the club. When teams know the exact fees that are coming in every month, they can plan ahead and can enjoy a consistent stream of income. The downside of increasing your monthly club fees, however, is that – with the cost of living crisis and the increase in food, utilities and fuel costs – you might price out some of your members and lose membership.
To mitigate this risk, it’s important to carefully consider the potential impact to your memberships before making any fee adjustments. One approach is to gradually increase fees in small, manageable increments rather than implementing a significant hike all at once. This allows members to adapt to the changes more easily without feeling overwhelmed.
Another way to counteract the impact of higher fees is to offer extra benefits to members. For example, partnering with a local gym to provide discounted memberships for your players will help them stay fit and train outside of regular club sessions for less money. By adding extra value, members may be more willing to accept an increase in fees, knowing they’re getting something beneficial in return.
Match day refreshments
Another increasingly popular way of raising money for your grassroots team is having a refreshment stall at your games. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and snacks can be cheap to buy and make, and can be sold at a profit to parents and crowds who watch your matches.
Fundraising events
Another popular method of generating funds is hosting fundraising events such as family days, raffles and charity game days. Family days can feature a range of activities such as games, craft stalls, and refreshments, attracting a diverse crowd. Raffles, especially with attractive prizes donated by local businesses, can be run alongside these events or even online to boost funds. Charity game days, with special legends, team vs coaches, and parent matches, provide entertainment while raising funds through entry fees, merchandise sales, and additional activities.
Sell merchandise
Through online platforms such as Kitlocker, you can sell branded merchandise to bring funds into the club and enforce a stronger connection between your club and your players. Merchandise can include anything from kits and equipment to water bottles and teddy bears.
Attracting sponsors
Of course, attracting sponsors can be a good way of increasing your funds. Sponsorships can provide a significant boost to your club’s finances by offering a steady source of income and potentially covering the costs of specific needs, such as equipment, kits, or travel expenses. We’ve got a host of resources about how to attract sponsors, how to write applications for funding grants and how to write a sponsorship proposal so that you can attract the right sponsors for you and clearly demonstrate the value your club can offer in return.
What are annual sponsorship packages?
Annual sponsorship packages are agreements between a club and a business, where the business sponsors the club and provides financial support or resources for a year and gets promotional benefits in return.
These packages usually include marketing opportunities for the sponsor, such as logo placement on kits, banners at events, and social media promotion. In exchange for the marketing opportunities, the sponsor offers financial support towards resources such as pitches and facilities, kit, equipment and travel.
What are short-term sponsorship packages?
Short-term sponsorship packages are agreements between a club and a business to sponsor the team for a specific, short amount of time. This could include options like one-time sponsorships or event-specific sponsorships, where the commitment is limited to a particular game or event, or seasonal sponsorships, where the sponsorship covers a particular campaign, rather than lasting for an entire year.
Just like with annual sponsorship packages, short-term sponsorships tend to benefit both parties, with sponsors receiving promotional opportunities in return for financial support to the club.
Annual sponsorship packages vs. short-term sponsorship packages
Deciding whether to use annual sponsorship packages, short-term sponsorship packages, or a mixture of the two is dependent on several club-specific factors. These can include the club’s financial needs, the nature of the clubs’ activities and the interests of potential sponsors.
The main benefit of an annual sponsorship package over shorter-term sponsorship is the promise of a stable and predictable source of income – which can be essential for paying coaches, renting facilities and providing equipment. Annual sponsorship packages tend to foster a stronger relationship between clubs and businesses, as they create a longer-term association between the two, and are attractive to businesses who are looking for ongoing exposure and a consistent method of engaging with their target audience for a year.
Short-term sponsorship packages, on the other hand, offer increased flexibility and can be tailored to specific tournaments or fundraising activities. These can be increasingly beneficial for clubs that host a number of different events or tournaments throughout the year and want different sponsors for each occasion.
A combination of both packages allows grassroots sports clubs the best of both worlds, securing consistent funding through annual packages, while also benefiting from the flexibility of short-term sponsorships. However, not all sponsorship contracts allow multiple sponsors at once, so if you’re a grassroots team looking at the combined approach, ensure that you read contracts thoroughly before agreeing to the terms.
How Gift of Kit can help
At Gift of Kit, we act as the bridge between grassroots clubs and corporate sponsors. To date, we’ve provided over £4m worth of sponsored kit to clubs through global partners like Starling Bank and Just Eat, all at no cost at all to the clubs!
Speak to us today to explore how we can support your club, or register with us to seize the opportunity to receive free kit and equipment from leading sponsors.