Parents How do your gym finance new equipment purchases?

[sglemon]

Our gym in looking into buying a new competition worthy spring floor for the higher level girls(we already have 2, I assume we are replacing on) and redoing the ancient foam pit. We are getting ready to start a large scale fundraising project. How does your gym finance these type of projects? Is money set aside from tuition? Do you pay a "equipment" fee each year? Separate funding or fundraising? I am just curious for the future, if something needs to be implemented to cover these types of costs.

 

[Moxiegrl83]

Fundraisers mostly. We just moved to a new facility, and did a huge gym sale to get some new equipment. Everyone donated items, and we had a big sale. I think we ended up raising around $1500. We don't pay equipment fee's.

 

[gymmomtoo]

I would guess the owners just set aside money when needed. We've never had a formal fundraiser for equipment or anything, nor do they charge us extra money for equipment fees.

 

[JBS]

We used to fundraise. Now we charge a $120/year fee to all team gymnasts. We still provide fundraising opportunities for this fee.

 

[Moxiegrl83]

We have a yearly $50 fee as well, from all members, which is used for any necessity that comes up. I hear a few grumbles sometimes when it's due, but most parents realize it's all put back into the gym for their kids. So if you don't have a yearly fee right now, you could always discuss adding one. No one likes money just "sprung" on them, so maybe put out a letter saying what the fee is for, it's only once a year, and give a little time to enforce so parents can come up with it.

 

[Quadqueen]

Our gym hosts a large invitational meet every year. The gym makes a few thousand dollars on it, and uses that for equipment, etc.