Top 9 Fundraising Ideas for Sports Teams of All Sizes

Running a sports team is all about heart, hustle, and teamwork—and, let’s be honest, some serious fundraising! Whether you’re running a youth sports club, managing a high school team, or leading a local league, raising funds is essential. From travel costs and new uniforms to event fees and equipment upgrades, every little bit counts.

If you’re ready to get your community cheering—and donating—these 12 fun and creative fundraising ideas will help you score big while keeping fundraising efforts organized and impactful.

Top 9 Fundraising Ideas for Sports Teams

1. Host a Car Wash Event

A car wash is a tried-and-true way to raise funds while bringing the team together. Arrange to use a local park, community center, or even a school parking lot, and spread the word on social media and within your local community. Car wash fundraisers give team members a chance to roll up their sleeves and bond, while supporters get their cars cleaned for a donation. You can set suggested donation levels (like $5 for a basic wash or $10 for a wash and wax) to help reach your team’s fundraising goals even faster.

To increase participation, consider adding incentives, like offering a “deluxe” car wash package for a slightly higher donation or holding a friendly competition to see which team members can wash the most cars.

2. Sell Raffle Tickets with Exciting Prizes

Raffles are one of the best fundraising ideas for sports teams. To set it up, gather donations from local businesses such as gift cards, sports gear, or even tickets to events. Selling raffle tickets is easy and can be done both in-person at games and online through your social media channels. By offering unique prize options, you’ll attract more supporters and increase ticket sales.

Encourage community members, family members, and friends to participate in the raffle, and create excitement around the drawing date. Be sure to promote the raffle widely and thank local businesses for their support, which may encourage them to partner with your team for future fundraising efforts.

3. Organize a Pancake Breakfast

Nothing beats a good pancake breakfast! Set up at a local restaurant or community center and invite family members, friends, and community members to a hearty breakfast for a set donation amount. You could charge an entry fee per person or create package deals for families to help maximize ticket sales.

Consider partnering with a local restaurant willing to donate ingredients or space for your event. Use the opportunity to tell attendees about your fundraising goal, and how the funds will be used to support the team’s needs.

4. Hold a Silent Auction

Silent auctions can be a high-revenue fundraising activity if well-organized. Have team members and their families ask local businesses to donate items for the auction, such as sports memorabilia, gift baskets, or exclusive experiences. Hold the auction at a community event, such as a game day or an organized banquet, to attract more attendees.

Display items attractively, and set minimum bids to ensure you cover item values while giving supporters a chance to bid up for a good cause.

5. Organize a Bake Sale

Bake sales are a fantastic option because they’re simple to organize and can be held almost anywhere. Host your bake sale at a popular community location, such as a local park, or tie it in with other fundraising activities like a car wash or sporting event. Ask team members and their families to contribute baked goods and sell them at suggested prices.

Cookie Dough Fundraisers

Cookie dough fundraisers are popular for a reason—they’re easy to organize, and who doesn’t love cookies? Several companies specialize in helping teams sell cookie dough with a portion of each sale going back to your team.

This is also a great fundraising idea for youth sports teams, as younger players can get involved with spreading the word to family and community members. By setting a clear fundraising goal, you can encourage your supporters to buy multiple batches or even purchase dough as gifts for others.

6. Partner with a Local Food Truck for Game Day Events

A local food truck can be a great addition to any sports event. Reach out to food truck owners to arrange a game-day partnership, where a portion of sales is donated back to your team. You can also organize a “Food Truck Night” in your community and invite supporters to enjoy delicious food while raising funds for the team.

7. Encourage Peer Fundraising

Peer fundraising encourages team members to reach out to friends, family members, and community members directly for donations. Set a fundraising goal for each team member, and support their efforts by providing templates for emails or social media posts.

This can be particularly effective if there’s a specific need, such as purchasing new uniforms or covering travel expenses for an out-of-state tournament. Peer fundraising also creates a personal connection with supporters, often resulting in more significant contributions.

8. Host a Golf Tournament

A golf tournament is a sports fundraising event that appeals to both youth and adult supporters. Coordinate with a local golf course to hold the event, set an entry fee, and offer sponsorship packages to cover event costs. Adding elements like raffle ticket sales, silent auctions, or even friendly competitions can help maximize funds raised.

Golf tournaments can attract a broader base of supporters and often lead to more significant contributions, making them one of the best fundraising ideas for sports teams.

9. Sell Custom Merch with Your Team Logo

Selling custom merch is a great way to raise funds while promoting your team’s brand. Consider popular items like T-shirts, water bottles, hats, and hoodies with your team logo or slogan.

These items can be sold at games, community events, or even through an online store, giving supporters a chance to show their team pride while contributing to fundraising goals. Set clear prices for each item, and consider offering bundle deals or discounts for multiple purchases to boost sales.

Regpack is the MVP for Sports Team Sign-Ups

Managing sign-ups for your sports team can be as intense as game day itself—but it doesn’t have to be! Regpack is here to help you handle the sign-up season. With our all-in-one league management software, you can streamline the entire registration process, making it easier than ever for players to join your team and for you to manage it.

With Regpack, you get:

• Flexible Payment Options: Families can pay all at once or in manageable installments, making it easy to support everyone who wants to play.
• Built-in Payment Processing: No need to juggle separate payment systems; with Regpack, you can securely process payments right from the platform, making it simple to track and manage funds.
• Family-Friendly Accounts: Regpack lets families register multiple players under one account. That means siblings, cousins, or friends joining the team can sign up together, simplifying the process for everyone.
• Automated Invoicing and Receipts: Generate invoices, issue receipts, and keep everyone up-to-date on payments.
• Waitlist Management: Got a popular team or limited spots? Regpack’s waitlist feature keeps you organized, so you’re always in control and can fill last-minute openings with ease.
• Real-Time Reporting: Get instant access to data on registrations, payments, and attendance, making it easy to make informed decisions on the fly.
• Email Communication Tools: Keep your team and their families in the loop with built-in email templates and scheduled reminders, so everyone always knows the plan.

Regpack is designed to take the hassle out of managing your team. Whether you’re coordinating sign-ups, tracking payments, or keeping everyone informed, Regpack does it all in one easy-to-use platform.