Fundraising ideas for your grassroots football team

Grassroots football is at the heart of many communities across the globe. It’s often where that first spark of passion is ignited in young and aspiring football players, it can provide football enthusiasts with a place to learn, practice and participate in a fun sport - but while high spirits are plentiful, funding sometimes isn't. 

Fundraising offers the best possible opportunity to consistently thrive season after season, enabling both aspiring and accomplished players alike to live up to their full potential. It can bring the community closer together, boost morale and engage supporters. If you need inspiration, keep reading as we’re going to take you through all the top ideas for team fundraising.

Why is funding important for your grassroots team

Grassroots teams heavily rely on donations, volunteers and the support of the community to stay afloat. Whether it's paying for new kits, maintaining facilities, covering travel costs, or simply keeping the club running week to week, the financial challenges can quickly add up. Fundraising can help cover the costs of operations, all of which play a vital role in helping young players to hone their skills for the future.

Top football fundraising ideas

Luckily for all grassroots teams, there are many ways to raise money, all while having fun and bringing the community together. Below are some of the top ways to raise funds for your football team.

1. Provide refreshments at events

A simple way to raise money while benefiting all those hungry supporters. Running a stall with snacks and hot and cold refreshments to help keep players and their families going throughout the day can be a great way to raise funds. If you’re unsure of what kinds of food to sell, then you can ask your supporters what they’d like to see served in a survey, so you know you’re catering to your fans' needs. 

For a bit of extra fundraising, you can also keep a tip jar or pot on the stall that supporters can donate into to support the running of your grassroots club!

2. Start a crowdfunding campaign

Sometimes letting people know outright that your team needs funding is a good way to get the support you need. Starting an online crowdfunding campaign can also help to reach a broader audience. Simply set it up and let people know more about your needs and your goals, and share it with family and friends to kickstart the campaign.

3. Sell team merchandise to supporters

A great way to motivate your team and supporters alike, selling attractive team merch with club branding will not only help raise funds but can help attract sponsors. It’s fantastic for driving funding and selling your kit as replica merchandise on match days, or from your clubhouse all season long if you have the necessary resources to do so.

If you’re looking to create custom team kits with stand-out designs finished with your club branding, then browse through our teamwear at Avec Sport and create a team kit that boosts morale and attracts sponsors. If you want to learn how you can create a custom kit for your team, then read through our guide for more information.

4. Run a raffle at your events

Finding the time to host events or organise big fundraising campaigns can be hard. However, selling raffle tickets at games and other events for the chance to win attractive prizes is a simple and easy way to put more money in your fundraising jar. It’s also an effective way of engaging supporters. 

Tip: You can ask local businesses to supply or donate the prizes in return for advertising or a cut of the raffle money.

5. Sell football programmes

Selling football programmes can be a rather timely task and will incur costs of designing, printing, cutting, binding and distribution. However, they can be an excellent way to keep your supporters informed of club news, insights, and provide general entertainment ahead of kick-off and can be sold for a decent profit.

If you have cost or time restrictions, then you can also make a smaller programme using a double-sided piece of card or glossy paper that includes key match-day stats and one piece of club news.

6. Rent out your pitch or equipment

If you have these facilities, then this is an easy way to raise funds for your team. Especially if they aren’t in constant use throughout the year, why let these empty spaces go to waste? Not to mention that renting these out can help local businesses as well as football teams from other organisations.

7. Match day car washes

All you need is a bucket of water, a sponge, and some enthusiasm - this is a great, low-cost way of raising funds for your grassroots team. Your supporters get to enjoy the game and have their cars washed for when it’s over, making it a win-win for both your team and your fans.

Profitable fundraising events to host

If you’re looking for a way to bulk raise funds in a shorter time frame, then hosting an event is the best way to fill up your team's fund jar. Below, we’ve included some of the best event ideas for fundraising.

1. Football quiz nights

Perfect for engaging supporters and the local community alike, football quizzes will attract football enthusiasts of all roots and ages. You can charge an entry fee or charge a fee for participating, and offer attractive prizes to get people involved. For this, you’ll likely need to rent out a room in a pub or a city hall.

2. Organise a fun run

An attractive event for fitness fanatics and football fans alike. Planning a themed fun run where participants can wear team kits and pay an entry fee to join in on the fun is a great way to add money to your team's funding. You can also encourage runners to seek sponsorships to increase the amount of funding for your team. 

3. Host a charity game

You can charge an entry fee or set up a donation system for attendees. These fun-filled days will attract many people from the local community with the promise of a fun day out. Host a 5-a-side game as well as many other activities, running from training drills, penalty shoot-outs and other football-based games for everyone to get involved in. 

We also recommend offering prizes to the winners of the games as well as providing refreshments and food, which can also build up your funds and ensure your guests are well taken care of. 

4. Help the community

There’s no better way of convincing people to support your team than by supporting their community in return. These activities can be anything from bag packing in supermarkets, car washing and fundraising at large-scale events. You may be surprised just how lucrative spending a few hours at a local supermarket, or standing outside a major venue with collection buckets can be, so we believe that this is certainly worth a try.

However, you’ll need to ensure you have permission from the businesses and events to do these activities.

5. Host an awards evening

An excellent way of offering recognition not just to your team players, but to the community that supports you all, while raising some funds for your team and keeping your club on its feet. You can raise funds at these events through ticket sales, where parents, partners, family and friends of the teams’ players can come along in support and watch as their loved one receives an accolade. You can also provide refreshments and donate the profits of these back into the club for some extra cash.

6. Host a match day watch party

Bring all the local football enthusiasts together and host big match day watch parties. For this, we recommend charging a free entry but offering refreshments and food where you can take the profits for your club, or even go around with a bucket (or card reader if your club has one!) and ask for donations from local supporters.

Attracting a sponsor for your grassroots team

One of the best ways to keep your funds up season after season is to make sure you’ve got sponsorships to back your club. If you're searching for your club's first sponsor, one tip is to ensure that you’re presenting your grassroots teams in the best possible light, highlighting community involvement efforts, the reach of the club, attendance, partnerships and more.

We recommend approaching small businesses in your area for sponsorship opportunities. Brainstorm ways you can advertise them and pitch yourself to them in a way that shows how both sides can benefit from a sponsorship.

If you want to know more about how to attract a sponsorship for your grassroots team, then you can read our handy guide that includes some great tips and ideas to get you started.

Raise funds for your team with Avec Sport

There are many ways you can raise funds from your team, and a lot of these include marketing your team in the right way. From attracting sponsorships to selling merch, having an attractive team kit that stands out from the other teams will make it easier to secure funds. Here at Avec Sport, we know how important it is to have a kit that properly represents your team and supports players with durable and breathable materials. If you want to discover premium custom kits, then browse our team football kits, or get in touch with us for more information about branding your club equipment.