Fundraising do's and dont's.....

[SBFDad]

As a former team manager, fair amount of experience in this.

Best thing we did was to offer up quality fundraising opportunities and allowed people to keep 100% of what they raise. It provided incentive for parents to actually put in some effort. You have money concerns? Not if you put in the work. Don’t wanna worry about raising money? Cut a bigger check for your team fees.

After this policy was put in place, no one ever complained about team fees again and no one ever played BS games with payments. And team budget stress went way down.

The key though...gotta provide good opportunities at key moments throughout the season to raise money. Gambling always worked well...selling squares and brackets for major sporting events was always a good one. Shhhhh. Don’t tell the popo.

 

[rainbow_unicorn]

Non-profits have to raise funds somehow.

Yeah, that's called club dues.

 

[Soccer_newbie]

It’s like the popcorn you “buy” from the Boy Scouts. You are making a donation to the Boy Scouts and in return as a sign of appreciation they give you some popcorn. Otherwise it is the most expensive popcorn on the planet. Focus on the donation. Not the popcorn.

Oh my gosh! The Boyscout popcorn was the worst! My husband didn't realize how much 1 bag of popcorn was and he felt bad saying nevermind after he found out the cost. Most expensive bag of popcorn we ever bought.

 

[soccerchaffeur]

Fundraising for the club = bullshit.


Worst fundraiser was the club that put on the golf tournament where each team had to find a golf foursome (charging $200 per player) and for the golf tournament each team had to provide a tee sponsor ($250) and had to donate a "gift basket" for the silent auction (valued at $500+). For any of those three items ($800, $250, $500) that you didn't provide they TOOK the money out of your team account. None of the money went to your team. 100% went to the club. Complete bullshit.

I think we were part of the same club. Not sure where that money went? Certainly didn't go to better fields or anything that benefited our team. What a bunch of Slammers...errr Scammers!

 

[timbuck]

It’s not just the above mentioned club. One that rhymes with “bikers” did something similar.

 

[etc1217]

Why would anyone pay for a bus trip they can get for free?

1) It's a fundraiser.
2) You don't have to drive especially if it is more than an 1 1/2 drive.
3) You can drink on the bus = sell alcohol shots = more money (unless they changed the rules)
4) You can drink and don't have to drive or at least sober up on the drive back before you have to drive.
5) It's a fundraiser.

 

[zebrafish]

It’s not just the above mentioned club. One that rhymes with “bikers” did something similar.

No way! As did a club that rhymes with "Doh! See? Fallacy!"

 

[Frank]

Chipotle. You get 50% of sales.

 

[Sunil Illuminati]

Chipotle. You get 50% of sales.

......and salmonella

 

[soloyosh]

We partnered with a local bank branch that was converting their landscaping to zero-scape. The team spent a Saturday morning spreading gravel at the direction of the landscape supervisor. Paper took a picture and the the bank donated what they paid the landscaping company for that part of the job to the team. Worked out to be $2k.

 

[outside!]

Great idea. BTW, it is Xeriscape.

 

[Slammerdad]

Yes, that was sarcasm. I am not opposed to DOCs (and coaches for that matter) earning a living. I am good with teams having fund raisers to cover tournament and/or travel costs. I am down with clubs finding ways to pay for kids that might not otherwise get a chance to play due to cost.
But I am familiar with this (per @TangoCity): "Worst fundraiser was the club that put on the golf tournament where each team had to find a golf foursome (charging $200 per player) and for the golf tournament each team had to provide a tee sponsor ($250) and had to donate a "gift basket" for the silent auction (valued at $500+). For any of those three items ($800, $250, $500) that you didn't provide they TOOK the money out of your team account. None of the money went to your team. 100% went to the club. Complete bullshit."
Don't operate as a for profit business, but get the benefit of a non-profit then demand that your "customers" raise additional funds. Happy to pay my share. But mandatory fund raising is a major turn off. At least for me.

I think in looking at fundraising with the example put forth above (golf fundraiser) there is some misconceptions that I want to add. First, my DD's club did do the golf fundraiser. No funds were taken out of any team accounts for unsold golfballs, or tee sponsors. It was suggested amounts for each team but not every team participated and they were charged NOTHING. Additionally, the top sales of golf balls for the girls were rewarded giftcards (up to $500.00) so there was some incentive to sell. Lastly, any team that hit the golf ball sales mark for every girl on the team was rewarded (this year) with a high end sports jacket with custom logoing specific to their team and the club. Now does it appear like a money grab? At first glance yes, but speaking specifically from MY experience, our dues are significantly lower than surrounding clubs ( by more than $1k annually) and I have witnessed several players who have received full scholarships to play due to financial hardships and no these were not the unicorns, but everyday players.
None of our coaches drive Tesla's or Ferrari's(unless they are self made) so I would tell you that nobody is getting rich from the fundraiser.
Just wanted to make the point that the golf tournament is largely successful for my club in fundraising and not at all what prior posters are representing.

 

[TangoCity]

I think in looking at fundraising with the example put forth above (golf fundraiser) there is some misconceptions that I want to add. First, my DD's club did do the golf fundraiser. No funds were taken out of any team accounts for unsold golfballs, or tee sponsors. It was suggested amounts for each team but not every team participated and they were charged NOTHING. Additionally, the top sales of golf balls for the girls were rewarded giftcards (up to $500.00) so there was some incentive to sell. Lastly, any team that hit the golf ball sales mark for every girl on the team was rewarded (this year) with a high end sports jacket with custom logoing specific to their team and the club. Now does it appear like a money grab? At first glance yes, but speaking specifically from MY experience, our dues are significantly lower than surrounding clubs ( by more than $1k annually) and I have witnessed several players who have received full scholarships to play due to financial hardships and no these were not the unicorns, but everyday players.
None of our coaches drive Tesla's or Ferrari's(unless they are self made) so I would tell you that nobody is getting rich from the fundraiser.
Just wanted to make the point that the golf tournament is largely successful for my club in fundraising and not at all what prior posters are representing.

Our team had $800 taken out of team account by club DOC for golf tournament fiasco. (it was not Slammers).

 

[Fact]

Additionally, the top sales of golf balls for the girls were rewarded giftcards (up to $500.00) so there was some incentive to sell. Lastly, any team that hit the golf ball sales mark for every girl on the team was rewarded (this year) with a high end sports jacket with custom logoing specific to their team and the club. Now does it appear like a money grab? .

Yes sounds like a money grab. What child wants to be the one that prevented her team from getting a jacket? Way to use peer pressure!

 

[Slammerdad]

Our team had $800 taken out of team account by club DOC for golf tournament fiasco. (it was not Slammers).

Yes sounds like a money grab. What child wants to be the one that prevented her team from getting a jacket? Way to use peer pressure!

Just to again clear up misconceptions. Of the 30+ teams in the club, 4 made the goal. So it didn't appear to be "peer pressure". One team had two players who didnt hit the goal and the club still gave them the jackets as a sign of the good effort. Lastly, if you are worried about peer pressure, you better find another activity for your kid as soccer is LOADED with peer pressure.

 

[Fact]

Just to again clear up misconceptions. Of the 30+ teams in the club, 4 made the goal. So it didn't appear to be "peer pressure". One team had two players who didnt hit the goal and the club still gave them the jackets as a sign of the good effort. Lastly, if you are worried about peer pressure, you better find another activity for your kid as soccer is LOADED with peer pressure.

You have to be kidding that the kids did not feel the pressure. This is how it always went down at my house.
Dd: But mom I need to sell 50 more boxes of cookies.
Mom: Honey please sell these at work tomorrow.
Me: Yes dear.