Being involved with travel sports is expensive. There, I said it.

Travel sports are a ton of fun, and we’re living our best lives doing it. But I’d be lying if I said we didn’t feel a little financial pinch because of it.

Sooner or later, as much as I know you hate making your kid beg grandma for money, you’re probably going to end up doing fundraisers.

The question is, which ones are going to give you the best return for your time and effort? And which ones are your friends and family going to look forward to instead of turning off the lights and hiding behind the couch when they see you coming?

I know what you’re thinking… “is there really a fundraiser that people don’t hate?”

They’re a rare gem. But yes! They do exist.

Here, I’ve compiled a list of the best fundraisers for a baseball team. You could absolutely use most of them for other sports groups or activities, or tweak them to your specific needs. Some are easy, some are fun, and some require a bunch of work but have big rewards!

#1) Sponsorships

Sponsorships are by far the most effective way to raise a lot of money quickly. But it does require work—and in some cases, nerves of steel!

You’ll start by creating packets that you’ll hand out to businesses. JerseyWatch.com is a great resource for learning what should go in the packets. You will tell them about your team. Talk about the kids. Explain what they will gain from the experience of playing on the team, and share your team goals.

Maybe you’re raising money to go to Cooperstown. If so, tell them about the opportunity the boys will have to meet other kids from all over the country. They’ll get to visit the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. And they’ll have an incredible experience that will shape their lives for years to come.

Most people find it easiest to start with businesses they know. Do some of the parents work for locally-owned businesses? Since they’re probably already familiar, these are always excellent resources.

From there, branch out to businesses you frequent regularly. Try asking the owner of your favorite restaurant or the company that cuts your grass while you’re spending your free time at the ballpark!

A sponsorship is different than a donation in that your sponsors should receive some sort of return on their investment. Generally, this return comes in the form of exposure for their business.

No matter what you plan to offer, it’s important to outline what your sponsor will get in return. Putting their logo on your uniforms or a team banner is a good way to promote their business. You may also want to recognize them on your website or social media.

#2) Football Squares

Football Squares is another really popular fundraising idea. It’s simple to organize, and the payout can really add up quickly. That’s what we call, “bang for your buck”!

For all the details on how the game works, I highly recommend checking out this article from playfootballsquares.com. But basically, it involves a high-profile football game and a grid with 100 squares. Winners are determined by the game score at various points in the football game.

If you were to sell each square for $10, that’s $1,000 per game board. And once you fill up a board, just start a new one. Depending on how much effort you put into this fundraiser, you can make thousands of dollars!

This is a popular game to play during the Super Bowl, but you can actually play it alongside any game that gets a lot of attention—like playoff games or a rivalry game for your local college football team.

Football Squares is a game of chance, meaning absolutely no skill is required. Your three-year-old niece has the same chance of winning as the meathead that sits three cubicles over at the office. It’s also great for watch parties where all different levels of interest in the actual game may be present. *Sideways glance* … some of us are there for the snacks…

To manage the game you can keep it simple by filling out the board on a Google Sheet so everyone has access, then collecting the money in person. Or you can go more high-tech and give up a small part of the profit in order to manage the game and collect the funds online. The online option will keep you out of the mental institution in the event you want to involve people you don’t see every day… ask me how I know about that.

Raffles

A raffle, in general, is an excellent way to generate money for your organization. For raffles where a prize is being given, each family can donate a small amount and it adds up to an impressive giveaway.

Be sure to set your ticket prices accordingly. A simple gift means the suggested donation per ticket should be smaller. But for higher-value prizes, you should definitely ask for a higher donation per ticket.

No matter the size of the prize though, you always want to suggest giving a higher dollar amount for multiple tickets. If you’re asking for $5 for a single ticket, then consider also suggesting 5 tickets for $20 or 15 tickets for $50.

By showing an option for a higher dollar amount you are taking advantage of the power of suggestion. Research shows that recommending a donation figure will eliminate “decision paralysis” and some of your donors will give more simply because you suggested that amount. Wpcharitable.com

#3) Yeti Cooler Raffle

The Yeti Cooler Raffle is hands down one of the most popular (and universally successful) fundraisers for sports teams. It’s simple really.

To put this fundraiser together you buy a Yeti cooler, then fill it with bottles of booze, other beverages, snacks, and maybe a few tailgate games. The initial investment is a bit more than some of the other fundraisers, but it is extremely popular and most people say it is well worth that investment.

Plan to spend between $500-$800 on the cooler and its contents. Set it all up, then take a photo for your promotional flyers.

This is a high-value item, so don’t be shy about setting your ticket prices accordingly. $20 per ticket is not out of line, but don’t forget to activate that power of suggestion and offer options with higher dollar amounts. If you’re asking for $20 per ticket, maybe you offer 3 tickets for $50, 7 tickets for $100, and 18 tickets for $200.

#4) Lottery Ticket Raffle

A lottery ticket raffle is another fundraiser that is simple and profitable.

Each family purchases a certain dollar amount of raffle tickets—maybe around $20 each depending on the resources your families have to work with. Arrange the tickets in a basket, take a picture for your flyer or social media, and let your friends and family know how to participate.

We did this raffle a few years ago, and even though we only had a few families participating, and many of our families had very limited resources, we had an excellent response.

We had a total of $75 worth of lottery tickets in our basket, sold the tickets for $5 each or 3 for $10, and earned a profit of $1,200.

#5) 50/50 Raffle

This is not the most exciting fundraiser, and it is not the most profitable either. But it is as simple as it gets and requires very little upfront cost.

The 50/50 raffle is not a difficult concept to understand. You simply collect donations, then half the money goes to the winner and the organization keeps the other half.

The key to success with this fundraiser is to keep the dollar amount small—most people choose to charge $1-$5 per ticket—and repeat the fundraiser over and over. This one works best in conjunction with a series of games or events, but be creative and come up with your own system!

It’s as cheap and easy for your donors to participate as it is for you to set up, so they won’t mind seeing it again and again. But as with the other raffle fundraisers, always try to upsell your tickets and group multiple entries for a larger donation.

#6) College Basketball Bracket Challenge

With this fundraiser you can expect to raise a few hundred dollars and it’s easy to manage. Because bracket challenges are so popular, there are a lot of platforms you can use to keep it simple. I have always liked using CBSsportsline.com but there are other good ones out there too.

Typically, you will give half the earnings to the winners, and the other half goes to the team. It’s a good idea to have several winners, so you may want to divide those winnings into 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes.

The price that you charge for each bracket will depend on your audience. I’ve seen entries go for as little as $5 or as much as $50 per entry. It will all depend on the crowd you’ll be hitting up.

One thing to keep in mind about this type of fundraiser though is that there will be tons of competition for your bracket dollars. Most people who enjoy participating in these already have a group that they’ve been playing with for years. So it can be hard to get them to pivot to your bracket or share the love.

Because the competition is so fierce, I would recommend only doing this fundraiser if you have buy-in from the majority of your team. Your friends, family, and co-workers will be more likely to participate in your bracket if there is potential for a higher payout. If you only have a handful of families selling bracket entries, that will be harder to achieve.

#7) Events

If you are blessed with a few families on your team that know how to throw a good party, you might consider putting on an event.

The possibilities are endless, but some popular fundraising events include:

Golf tournament
Spaghetti dinner
Homerun derby
Wiffleball tournament
Haunted house

All of these events have the potential to raise big money, but they are a massive amount of work and a huge time commitment. That said, consider asking grandparents for help organizing an event. If they’re retired, they may have a little more time available and would jump at the opportunity to help the team.

The most important thing to remember when planning your team's fundraisers is to make sure you’re choosing things that everyone can get behind. Fundraising is not easy, and everyone needs to do their part.

By keeping the activities fun, and choosing the fundraisers that will resonate with your friends, family, and coworkers, you will keep the workload smaller, and the profits higher. You will also create a community around your team that will root for your kids as they pursue their athletic dreams!

7 of the Best Fundraising Ideas for Your Youth Sports Team