Fundraising Ideas - Coaches Travel

[GymDad57]

Would anyone like to share any great fundraising ideas a girls team can do to help defray coaches travel expenses. Levels 2 to 8. Anythinhg besides hosting a meet, that is not an option.

Thanks!

 

[gymdog]

Holding something like a parent's night out or a gym sleepover that people can drop their kids off for a fee and enjoy some supervised open gym and other activities can usually turn out well if the word is spread enough and you can get enough volunteers aged 16+ or so. In my experience something like that (an event) is usually more successful than trying to get in on a selling program to raise money for a general pool of funds. Those things can be successful but it requires finding the right program and making sure you have enough people who are really dedicated to going around selling to people, otherwise the parents just end up paying through their time and money to get a small percentage back.

 

[bogwoppit]

What about an "a-thon". As in each gymmie on team gets sponsored to do skills, like cartwheels etc. This raises money quickly and easily.

 

[gym law mom]

If you do an "a thon" as Bog suggested, then make a fundraising weekend out of it. Hold a bake sale, carwash and used leo sale at the same time. Not much money at all out of pocket and hopefully you could make $500 or so. We have found that if we also link our fundraiser to a charity(say 10% to Make A Wish for example) people feel better about donating or bringing that car by. Also it helps the girls realize there are others in need and they can do a little to help.

 

[Smile :)]

My sister's gym does a Fall Gala that they perform at and sell tickets. Their proceeds go to the local hospital (owner's husband, brother, and sister in law are all doctors) and perhaps people wouldn't be as willing to show up if they were self-fundraising I'm not sure. Also I realize this is a fair amount of work to get off the ground at least the first year---I think this is their 4th Annual so it's gotten easier I presume.

 

[I-Heart-Beam]

Pack bags at the local supermarket.

Everyone wears team tracksuits, you take a bucket for people to put money in, two people stand at the bottom of every checkout and ask nicely if they want a hand with their bags. Of course there are always the stingy idiots who make you pack like two trolleys full and then give you a 10p donation but we make a lot of money that way.

 

[BlairBob]

Crab feeds. Basically dinners hosted by the booster club. Sometimes it's pasta and crab, etc. You can really make a lot of money from the alcohol sales, but need a liquor license. Sometimes you can hook up with a local restaurant to provide the location or do it in the gym. Beware, crab makes your gym stinky.

Selling candles, cookie dough/pastry dough, candie bars. Having a booth in your gym that sells this that is manned by the boosters daily.

Carwashes. You can make some extra money on presale carwashes. Still, I don't think these pull in a lot of money, overall.

Date night/sleepover pose the problem of how do you raise money for these and pay coaches for their time in the gym and break even/come out ahead.

You could always host a meet and rent out a venue.

 

[nettyinpa]

Recently there was a post related to fundraising in the parent's forum. Here's the link. It has a lot of great ideas.
http://www.chalkbucket.com/forums/parent-forum/12257-fundraising.html

Good Luck!

 

[californiaaaa017]

Car washes actually do make a lot of money if you hold them outside a Walmart or Costco/Sam's Club while people do their shopping. And then you could also have a BBQ or something similar next to the carwash... You would need a lot of volunteers but usually the little girls like to wash the cars, with some older girl's help of course, and you can usually find a couple dads willing to do the grilling, and moms who like to bake. Do this for one whole weekend (Saturday, Sunday) and you could make a ton!

The leo sale is also a good idea, doesn't bring in a ton but most people can't resist it! You could sell them all for $10-$15 dollars, that's soooo much cheaper than they are new, and parents are usually willing to help because it helps them clear out their kids drawers. Also, I don't know how your gym does this, but mine used to do a team leo swap, because when they switched leos, compulsory girls got the previous optional ones. Sell these for $20 or so, since most aren't really that worn out from a couple meets a year. And you could sell the old track suits also, most little girls will snatch them up if if they're not the official ones any more.

The idea of a gala or show is great!

 

[Jamie]

I don't know if you guys do it in the States, but here in Ireland our club raised a god load of money from holding a "table quiz"... luckily the room we held it in the pub was for free and people contributed by buying drinks at the bar.

was a really really great night!