Convert Used Equipment into Cash for Your Team
Here’s an easy fundraising idea that is pretty simple and doesn’t take much time. Simply collect your team’s old or unused hockey equipment. Either take this equipment to a local Play It Again Sports and have them buy it from you, or have a team parent put it on eBay to sell. Your team will be paid cash!
If you don’t want to put the equipment on eBay, you can have a local company do it for you. Just search Google for companies like iSoldIt and QuickDrop.
Note: Watch out for the fees these companies take. You might be better off having a team parent put the items on eBay.
Need Fundraising Fireworks? Try Web, Email Sponsorships
Be sure to read this brief post on how to sell banner sponsorships. It explains how your team can raise more than $3,000 through a simple team banner sponsorship program.Here's a way to double your revenue. When your parents are selling the banner sponsorship, they can also sell a sponsorship for the team website and team emails. s. Web and email advertising are often highly desirable to local businesses because of their specific reach and direct-to-the-local-customer effectiveness.
Constant Contact is a popular email service used by many nonprofits. Nonprofits, such as youth sports teams, receive a special discount. The service is easy to customize so you can create email groups, including, say, Board Members, Team Parents, Team Managers and more. Here are common questions–and the right answers to get you started:
How does the email and website fundraising work?
When each family is selling the banner sponsorship for $200 per business, they simply ask the business if it would like to receive the special combination that includes the "online sponsorship package." Most teams should be able to sell the combination package (team banner and online) for $400 per business. High School teams and larger organizations should expect more.
So what do you include in the online sponsorship package?
The online package could include:
Website Sponsorship
- Add a sponsor section on your website
- Include each sponsors logo and description on this page
- Link each sponsor logo to a page with that sponsor's special
- Include sponsor logos in header of your website
Email Sponsorship
- Place sponsor logos in header of email with link back to website sponsor section
- Include sponsor section in body of email with text of sponsor specials (rotate these to fit season schedule)
- Place sponsor logos in footer of email
You can also be creative and send out a monthly "friends of the team" email to your database that includes sponsor specials exclusively for team families.
Here are some business types and some ideas (in parenthesis) to target as potential sponsors:
- Orthodontist (braces special)
- Pizza eatery (team party- coach eats free)
- Car dealer ($ for test drive, $ to team for car purchase)
- Insurance ($ for new signups)
- Landscaping
- Realtor
- Sports equipment stores
- Sports apparel stores
- Photography
Raise $10,000 to $20,000 with a Golf Tournament Fundraiser
You can tee off on team budget needs with a well-organized golf tournament fundraiser. In this Interview with Mike Stefani of Allen (TX) Eagles Hockey, discover how one youth association raised more than $10,000 in one event:Q: Would you please provide a brief bio of yourself?
Mike: I have been involved with youth hockey in the Dallas area for the last 10 years. Presently I am an Assistant Coach for the Texas Aces Midget Minor A team. I am also a board member for Allen High School in the capacity of fundraising. I am also an Assistant Coach for the JV Gold Team.
Q: What fundraising programs have you implemented in the past?
Mike: This year we did our 1st annual “Allen Eagles Hockey Golf Tournament.” We raised a little over $10,000.00. I would highly recommend a golf tournament. Being this was our first one, we realized many mistakes we made. There are changes we can make next to double our income for the afternoon.
Q: Can you give us a brief overview of the suggested program?
Mike: The golf tournament was a learning experience. To do it right, you need to coordinate group leaders that can then get parents to help each individual group. You need to have leaders for the following: Tournament Director, Public Relations, Sponsorship, Players & Guests, Entertainment, Gifts & Prizes, Volunteers. The Sponsorship Group and the Gifts & Prizes groups need the most people to make it work.
Q: Do you have any other suggestions for other teams and their fundraising programs?
Mike: Stay away from the small things that generate nickels and dimes. For instance, we did a fundraiser 3 seasons ago where we purchased 100 cases of Salsa. We still have 15 cases left over. Fund 2 large projects to do a season and put all of your focus and efforts into those large projects.
Q: What is your favorite thing about youth sports?
Mike: I have coached my son now for 10 years. I love being a part of his and his friends’ lives.
Q: What advice do you have for parents involved in youth sports?
Mike: Put your heart and soul into your kids. Remember that it is about having fun. As they get older, the sport becomes about learning life lessons. Teach them to love the sport and respect it and to give it everything they have.
Don’t Miss Out: The 40K Car Wash Fundraiser
Here's a way for your team to "clean up" and everybody wins. Check out this interview with Lamar Slay on how he raised $40,000 in individual fundraisers for youth groups.Q: Would you please provide a brief bio of yourself?
Lamar: I am a consultant who works with churches in several different capacities, one of which is fundraising. For 25 years, I served as a youth pastor at large churches and did annual fundraisers. I also served on a Christian school board and chaired the student fundraising. I have five children and they all played youth sports!
Q: What fundraising programs have you implemented in the past?
Lamar: Magazine sales, carwashes, inflatable games.
Q: Which fundraising program/s would you recommend for other youth teams?
Lamar: The car wash.
Q: Can you provide a brief overview of the suggested program? (How to implement, time per family, other details).
Lamar: The most successful fundraiser I have ever done was one I repeated at multiple places. It was a car wash. The last one we conducted raised more than $40,000 with about 140 kids participating. We conducted the car wash like you would a jog-a-thon, with kids getting pledges for each car we would wash. The car wash was free and we actually got a local full service carwash to wash our cars for us.
Q: What is an average number of dollars per family that other teams should expect to receive from implementing this program?
Lamar: We asked each kid to raise $3 total per car we washed. We told those who pledged that we would cap their donation at the first 100 cars. (If they pledge 30 cents per car, 100 cars would equal $30) If 100 kids raise a total of $3 each per car, you will raise $30,000.00.
Q: Do you have any other suggestions for other teams and their fundraising programs?
Lamar: The key to getting kids to work hard is to reward them. The best reward is cash. We ran the car wash for four weeks and each week we would give away several hundred dollars in rewards to the kids who brought in the most money for that week. We would go to local businesses and give them coupons worth $50. If a kid came in and asked for a donation, the business owner would give them the coupon and when we had our meeting, that kid would get $50. This got the kids out knocking on doors. The grand prize for the top 10 kids was a road trip in a RV (donated) where we paid for everything, including a $100 each for a shopping spree at an outlet mall.
Q: What advice do you have for parents involved in youth sports?
Lamar: Remember that you are teaching your kids about life, not just sports. As a Youth Pastor, it was easy to tell a lot about a kid's relationship with his/her parents by attending one of their games. The interaction through eye contact while on the field or court or after the game told me a lot and often was a real clue about the kid's self-esteem. Parents, kids don't miss much. If they think you are not pleased with their performance, they assume you are not pleased with them as a person. That can be very damaging to their self-esteem. On the other hand, if a kid feels your love and affirmation regardless of how they performed, their self-esteem will get a great boost based on your unconditional love.
Team Banner = $3,000 in Sponsorship
It's no surprise that a team banner can psych up the players time and again. What's unexpected is the banner can generate revenue season after season. Here's a success story of a youth hockey team and its team manager, Missy Barry, that raised more than $3,000 by persuading local businesses to sponsor the team banner.Q: Would you please provide a brief bio of yourself?
Missy: I am a proud mother of two boys, 8 and 10. I have logged more time at youth athletic events than just about anything else. My oldest son plays travel hockey (Dallas Stars Select Squirt Major) and select lacrosse (Mustang Wranglers Lightning). I am team manager for both.
Q: What fundraising programs have you implemented in the past?
Missy: We had a garage sale last year. The sale raised $2,000. This year we offered banner sponsorships. We will raise approximately $3,000.
Q: Which fundraising program(s) would you recommend for other youth teams?
Missy: The banner sponsorship has been great!
Q: Can you provide a brief overview of the suggested program?
Missy: We have a team banner and a sponsor banner (donated) and we display it at all games. The families ask friends, family and local businesses if they would like to sponsor (advertise) the team and they get a space on our banner. It is great publicity for the donor and 100 percent profit for the team.
Q: What is an average number of dollars per family that other teams should expect to receive from implementing this program?
Missy: We required $200 per family, but the average will be more like $300.
Q: Do you have any other suggestions for other teams and their fundraising programs?
Missy: Look into 100-percent return programs. Put your efforts into one large fundraiser and be done!
Q: What is your favorite thing about youth sports?
Missy: Just one thing? I love watching my son grow and develop as a player and a person.
Q: What advice do you have for parents involved in youth sports?
Missy: Relax and enjoy it!
3 Keys to Hockey Fundraising Success
3 Keys to Hockey Fundraising Success - The secret to youth sports fundraising success is 1- Properly motivating your sellers, 2- Choosing products to sell that are in demand with prices above $7, and 3- Sell only products with profit margins of 50% or more. If you don’t motivate your sellers, sales will be mediocre.If you sell inexpensive products, then revenue will be too low. If you don’t sell products with high profit margins, it will be difficult to meet your funding goals. Sell products people really want, that offer good value, and that provide good profits. Do that and your sports team fundraiser will be a big success. Special thanks to Kimberly Reynolds for this fundraising tip.
