Welcome back to our KSA blog! Today, we’re talking all things fundraising, one of the most common topics we chat about with our clients. We’ve learned a thing or two (or 45!) about fundraising in our years of organizing student athletic events across the country. There seems to be a lot of confusion about fundraising, so today we’re going to demystify the process and show you just how simple fundraising can really be. Our methods get results, regardless of your school’s size or income level – because we want every student to have an incredible competition travel experience. So, let’s jump in!
Get Started
This part is more than simple – you start by deciding that you’re fundraising! We’re most often helping clients come up with a plan to raise money for an upcoming athletic event, but after you’ve established your fundraising program, you can use it for anything your team needs.
Once you’ve decided that you’ll be fundraising, it’s crucial that you get support. Your athletes will be on board as soon as you mention taking the team on the road, but parents and booster clubs and the school board will need a few more details. Meet with key parents before officially kicking things off to make sure you have the support you need. We can help plan a parent meeting to ensure all the details are laid out in an easy to understand and straightforward way.
Get Organized
Those key parents you met with? They can help organize your fundraising efforts – in fact, they can lead them! Ideally, you’ll assemble this group of fundraising rockstars between 12-18 months in advance of your trip, but we have helped teams do it all in less than half that time! Whether you have a formal booster club or just key parents who are eager to help, establish a structure for your fundraising team by assigning positions and responsibilities. Then plan an initial meeting for these leaders to define fundraising plans and goals. You can find a sample team hierarchy and a leadership team meeting agenda here.
Get Out There
Your team is in place, they’ve developed a plan and now it’s time for your athletes to raise some money! We’ve worked with hundreds of schools and every school and community seems to connect with different fundraising ideas. We can provide a list of tried and true fundraisers when you’re ready; we have so many options:
- Digital/online fundraising
- In person events
- Mailers
- Sponsorships
With three student athletes of our own, we know how important fundraising is to an athletic program. Your fundraising program doesn’t have to be fancy – in fact, simple is better! Just aim for organized and consistent and watch the impact fundraising can have on your program for years to come! To learn more about fundraising or to find out how t