| I often get asked for fundraising ideas for booster | | | | Sponsors can offset the cost of the stadium |
| clubs, athletic clubs, schools, and sports teams. Of | | | | cushions by ads on the back of the cushion. The |
| course, the answer is different for each team, but | | | | booster club can then sell the cushions for $5-$10 to |
| one of the key factors is that whatever type of | | | | make 100% profit and generate thousands of dollars |
| spirit item you choose to sell, it needs to be fun for | | | | at a single game. You can sell up to 20 business ads |
| the recipient and useful for them (at least useful for | | | | on each side of the stadium cushions. Imagine the |
| that given period of time). I have compiled a list of | | | | amount of money your booster club can earn with |
| 20 inexpensive fundraising ideas for your school | | | | the combination of the sponsorship money collected |
| sports team or booster club that have great profit | | | | plus the money collected from sales of the stadium |
| margins to raise money for your club or team. These | | | | cushions! |
| spirit items are fun, inexpensive, and generate school | | | | 9. Hand Fans - Sports shaped hand fans are great for |
| spirit. Remember that by getting a business to | | | | games in the South during the beginning of football |
| sponsor the spirit items, they pay for them, and your | | | | season. Choose from Football helmet or football |
| club can sell them at 100% profit. That is the key to | | | | shaped hand fans. These fans can be printed with |
| a successful fundraising campaign. | | | | the team schedule, and even a business sponsor |
| 1. Pom Poms - These can be imprinted with your | | | | name to help offset the cost. Any type of spirit item |
| school or team name and can be obtained for well | | | | the fans can hold, such as hand fans, helps make |
| under $1.00 each. Custom imprinted pom poms are | | | | them more comfortable, thus cheering more and |
| crowd favorites and look great in the stands. Fans | | | | louder. |
| feel more comfortable cheering on their team when | | | | 10. Schedule Magnets- All fans need a game schedule |
| they have some kind of spirit item such as pom | | | | and a schedule on a magnet is even better because |
| poms. Pom poms have been around for years and | | | | they won't lose it. Most people will put a magnet on a |
| will be around for years to come as spirit items. | | | | refrigerator, and think how many times the average |
| 2. Mini Basketballs - Obviously, these work great for | | | | person goes to the refrigerator. Fans will buy a |
| basketball teams. You can choose to get either the | | | | schedule magnet, and the profit margins are easily |
| vinyl mini basketballs or all the way up to tournament | | | | 400%-500%. This will help boost your attendance at |
| quality balls. The vinyl mini basketballs are about the | | | | games because your fans will always know your |
| size of a grapefruit and cost around $1.40 or less | | | | game times. |
| depending on quantity and are meant as more of a | | | | 11. Car Magnets - Car magnets with your mascot and |
| novelty toy for kids. If you feel your fan base will | | | | team name help to promote team spirit within your |
| buy full sized basketballs, you can get customized | | | | community. These are popular with fans because |
| basketballs with your choice of basketball panel colors | | | | they are easy to remove and cause no damage to |
| and multi-colored logos imprinted on the balls. | | | | their cars. Not only do you make money selling these |
| 3. Mini Volleyballs- Volleyball teams can choose from | | | | car magnets, but think how many people will see |
| either vinyl mini volleyballs or tournament quality | | | | your team name and mascot on a daily basis. The |
| volleyballs. It is important to know your crowd and | | | | more people that see you car magnet, the more |
| have an idea of how much money they are willing to | | | | community support you cultivate. |
| spend. There is always the option to take pre-orders | | | | 12. Megaphones - Cheerleaders have used |
| for higher ticket items such as tournament quality | | | | megaphones for years and the the mini plastic |
| volleyballs. | | | | megaphones are great for fans to use for cheering |
| 4. Mini Footballs - Promotional mini footballs are | | | | for their team. Personalized megaphones are a great |
| commonly thrown at football games by the | | | | way to get your fans loud. |
| cheerleaders. These mini footballs can be used in 2 | | | | 13. Spirit Noodles - Spirit noodles are made of foam |
| different ways for fundraising: a) You can have a | | | | and are great to wave around while cheering. These |
| business sponsor and put their name on logo on one | | | | are a great option when noise makers aren't allowed |
| side of the ball and your school and team name on | | | | in your stadium. They come in varios shapes and |
| the other sides of the footballs. With this option, the | | | | sizes to tailor to your team or school. |
| business actually pays for the footballs and lets the | | | | 14. Foam Fingers - Foam fingers and foam hands |
| cheerleaders throw the footballs at the games. This | | | | come in many different varieties and shapes. There |
| helps the team by generating revenue and team | | | | are foam paws, foam talons, foam mascots, and |
| spirit from the crowd as well as helping the business | | | | many different foam hand shapes that are great for |
| who sponsored with cheap advertising. b) You can | | | | cheering for your team. These are also great for |
| simply print your school and team name on the | | | | stadiums that don't allow noisemakers. |
| footballs and sell them through your booster club to | | | | 15. Sport Horns - Sports horns are unique noise |
| fans. Typically, the business sponsor is much easier | | | | makers that are really loud but come in a small |
| and takes less effort. For a typical football game, you | | | | package. These stadium horns take minimal effort to |
| want to plan on throwing a minimum of 100 mini | | | | blow and will rock the house and a make a bold |
| footballs, and more for big games such as playoffs | | | | statement for your team. |
| and championship games to help keep the crowd | | | | 16. Spirit Towels - Spirit towels are classic stadium |
| going. | | | | items to show team spirit. They have a large imprint |
| 5. Mini Soccer Balls- These mini soccer balls can be | | | | area and are great to wave around while cheering. |
| sold as novelty items to home crowds. The vinyl mini | | | | 17. Sports Bottles - Personalized sports bottles are |
| soccer balls are less profitable than selling the | | | | great items to fill with drinks at concession stands. |
| tournament quality soccer balls. With full size soccer | | | | The custom printed sport bottles give fans a |
| balls, you can print on every panel for a really | | | | souvenir to take home after buying a drink. This will |
| dramatic effect. Take pre-orders to avoid being | | | | encourage fans to buy a drink because they get an |
| stuck with a large quantity of soccer balls. | | | | item they can keep that is useful after the game. |
| 6. Thundersticks - Crowds never get tired of | | | | Many concession stands charge an upcharge to get a |
| thundersticks (or sometimes called thunderstix or | | | | souvenir mug. If you don't want to use sports |
| bam bams). These thunder sticks can be personalized | | | | bottles, consider stadium cups. Stadium cups are |
| with a large imprint area. They are easy to sell for | | | | cheap and a great option to use to serve beverages |
| $3-$4 per pair, and you can get them for around | | | | at the stadium. |
| $1.40 or less per pair. You can print on the both sides | | | | 18. Stadium Blankets - During cold games, stadium |
| of the thunder sticks, so you can get a business | | | | blankets are much needed items that are often |
| sponsor to pay for the thundersticks and sell them | | | | forgotten by fans. You'll be surprised how many fans |
| to make 100% profit. Thunder sticks have become a | | | | will buy a stadium blanket because they forgot to |
| standard in any active stadium. These stadium | | | | bring their own blanket. Stadium blankets have the |
| noisemakers bring the stadium to life and helps to | | | | ability to generate large profits per sale. |
| encourage the players. | | | | 19. Yard Signs - Don't forget about spirit items to |
| 7. Discount Cards - Discount cards are credit card | | | | promote your team outside from games. The |
| sized plastic cards that have multiple discount offers | | | | custom yard signs can be sold to fans to proudly |
| from local restaurants and retailers. The buyer can | | | | display in their yard. These also can have very high |
| usually recoup his/her money after using the discount | | | | profits per sale, and are an easy way to generate |
| card only twice. The discount cards are typically | | | | large amounts of money in a small amount of time. |
| printed with about 15 business are 1 side and the | | | | 20. Hand Clappers - Hand clappers are one of those |
| school and team name on the other side. Some | | | | spirit items that never get old. They make a lot of |
| schools choose to print discount offers on both sides | | | | noise and are fun to use when rooting for your team. |
| of the cards allowing for more business sponsors. | | | | Whatever type of spirit items that you use, make |
| You can charge each business a nominal fee of | | | | sure they are allowed in your stadium. Most |
| $50-$100 to advertise their offer. Then you sell the | | | | importantly, make sure you do have spirit items |
| cards for $10 each and make a huge profit. These | | | | available for your fans. Spirit items are the easiest |
| discount cards are easy sell; they virtually sell | | | | ways to generate team spirit, because fans feel |
| themselves if you get some great offers from local | | | | more comfortable cheering when they have a spirit |
| businesses. The hardest part is lining up your 10-15 | | | | item to use. One important rule to remember is that |
| businesses to advertise. This is not difficult though, | | | | you don't want to overprice your spirit items. You |
| because most business know that offering discounts | | | | have to consider the area you live in when |
| brings in business. | | | | determining a reasonable price that the fans will not |
| 8. Stadium Seat Cushions - Stadium seat cushions are | | | | think is too expensive. School spirit items are easy to |
| another great and traditional fundraising item for | | | | sell; therefore, generating lots of money for your |
| stadium sports such as football and basketball. | | | | school booster club or organization is very easy. |