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Every organization talks about giving back to the teams and players. Talk is pretty good. I decided to offer
you help instead.
It is expensive to play flag football, and even more expensive to travel to do it. There are only "X" number of
trips you can ask your players to pay for. But there are ways to raise some money so that the full expense doesn't fall
onto the players.
Below are some tips on how to travel more and pay less every season.
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Get a team bank account.
Sponsorships and advertising can be tax-deductible, which is a positive as you
begin your fundraising efforts. Having a bank account in your team's name makes the whole process easier. Individuals
and businesses feel more comfortable knowing their contribution is going into the team account instead of an individual's
pocket.
Talk to the places you visit.
Did your team come together at the gym? Do you meet up at the same bar every
week? Do you have a favorite pizza place? These are the best options for sponsorship. A sponsor wants to know
you before you ask for money, and he wants to know what kind of business he is going to receive because of
your sponsorship. This is the tough part: you can't promise more than you can deliver. Some teams
get together after the games each week or on a separate night, and the location where you meet up is the perfect sponsor.
Your employers is another great option, since there is usually a tax deduction for them. I've attached a "Sponsor Letter"
which you can change to fit your team and location.
Remember, businesses pay for patronage (you coming in their business) and for advertising
(other people finding out about their business). Your team website, sweatshirts, and jerseys are great places for a
business to get exposure. Use that to your advantage.
Download "Sponsor Letter" here!
Or you can sell something!
We've all be approached by children offering us Girl Scout Cookies, wrapping paper, pizza,
and more. While those fundraisers make money, as adults, we have some other options available to us. As a sports
team, anything sports related is easier to sell. You can sell team items and make a profit, or you can use the professional
or college sports to help you along. I've attached a few of the set-ups that I've seen along the way, and you're welcome
to contact and set up your own.
Charitymania.com is a raffle/sports pool-type game that is relatively easy to sell.
Each ticket sells for either $10 or $20, and you make about 75% on each ticket sold. The only preliminary expense is
the cost of printing the tickets (about 40 cents each), but you aren't charged for tickets that aren't activated. What's
nice about it is your team name is listed on each ticket, and none of their games last fewer than 10 weeks, so the people
who buy your tickets can win throughout the contest.
The contest is relatively simple. You are assigned 3-4 competitors randomly each week throughout the
season. The total points they combine for is your score. Charitymania then pays out for the top 3-5 scores and
the worst 3-5 scores. The prize is then sent to the team, and you pay your winner.
Fasttrack fundraising has a lot of ideas that can be adapted by flag
football teams. The discount card works because it gives discounts to local restaurants, but you have
to recruit the restaurants. They also do the online fundraising, using magazines and credit card payments, as well as
bracelets, cookie dough, popcorn and more. Go to www.fasttrackfundraising.com for more information!
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Build a budget.
Know where you are going, and how much it is going to cost for you get there. "I want
to play in 4 tournaments, which cost $2000 to play in, and our team dues only cover the league and one tournament. That
means we have to raise $1500 at least." By knowing what you need to raise, and knowing how you're going to spend the
money you raise, will keep you focused on your goal. It is also easier to get sponsorships for "this tournament entry
fee" than to say "we need $1000."
Throw a Party!
Nothing brings a team together like a party, and a team party is a great place to raise some
funds. However, this will only work if all your players are going to show up and sell the tickets. Your guys go
out every week; one week they can spend their money with you. Bull and Oyster Roasts, Crab feeds, and Bonanzas are all
great ways to raise both funds and the awareness of your team (since there are alot of players who don't know about flag football).
Most banquet halls are easy to find and have catering attached, and give you the price per person. Add in the entertainment
(and this is when that aspring DJ on your team is great to have), and pad the tickets by a couple bucks, and you've got a
fundraiser. Once your guests are in the building, a 50/50, drink wheel, raffle and/or other games are a great ways
to pad your income. Your team is going to have to work the event though, so make sure they know the expectations.
Impact Sports is the team dealer for NIKE, and they have two major options for
fundraising (plus you can order your NIKE uniforms through them). Ken Johnson has been my contact (kenjohnson@teamimpactsports.com), and he can go much more in-depth into this than I can, or you can go to www.teamimpactsportsonline.com.
I will give you the overview of each fundraiser.
With the Impact Sports Elite Card, you're selling discount cards. Each card costs
$20, and your team earns $12 from every card you sell. If you have guys who are going to buy Nike shoes, this is a great
deal and they'll save what they paid for the card with their first purchase. If they are buying apparel, you make your
$20 back by the time you buy your 2nd shirt. You order as many cards as you like, and send back what you don't sell.
With Impact Sports' apparel sale, you're selling to your team, family and friends.
You select your team logo to be put on the items, which are heavily discounted NIKE items, and Impact creates a webpage for
your team to place their orders. You then make a profit on each item that is ordered. Other than passing out the
order sheets, this is pretty easy to accomplish, if you have a large following.
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The Flag Football Challenge Series
*801 Long Bar Harbor Rd, Suite 200 *
* Abingdon MD 21009 *
(410) 612-9231
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