3 Creative Ways For Team Fundraising

Fundraising for youth baseball and softball teams has been going on for decades. The days of driving down the main street on the weekend and seeing a group of kids holding signs, waving down cars, and making a mess in the parking lot seem to be less and less. Hearing the doorbell ring and opening it up to ballplayer selling coupon cards for his team seem to be extinct.

That doesn’t mean team fundraising is over. In fact, travel teams with a heavy schedule need support if they want to fulfill their projected schedule.  JustBats.com has compiled the three (3) most creative ways for team fundraising we've heard from fans and customers.

Fundraising is important. The United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) covers more than 65,000 teams and over 1.5 million participants in just baseball and fastpitch alone. The budgets for USSSA youth teams are generally modest because there is no league or school to support each team, so raising money for travel teams can help fund tournament fees, travel fees, equipment (such as  baseball bats  and  softball bats , and gloves) . For starters, it’s important to think outside the box when brainstorming your ideas. Traditional fundraising programs and tactics still have their place, but you may have more success creating something unique to reach your goals.

Dining Day Fundraiser

This is a good fundraising tactic because it’s unexpected. Contact local restaurants or major restaurant chains (Papa Murphy's, Chipotle, and Applebee's all help with fundraisers) in your area to see if they would be willing to participate. Try and get as many restaurants as you can and select a specific date. Some tips to remember for Dining Day fundraisers:

• Be careful not to select a day when restaurants are slow.
• Promote the fundraiser to your supports and throughout the community.  
• Assign small groups to each location and have them greet guests at the door. Build up those relationships and let each guest know about the fundraiser.

 The restaurants will benefit from the increased traffic, and your team will benefit from the money raised at each location due to your efforts.

 

Hit-A-Thon

Drop the sponges, leave your car wash, and grab your favorite bat. A Hit-A-Thon is great for both baseball and softball teams and is one of the most entertaining ways to raise money for your travel team. Players can accept pledges in a variety of ways: total hits, hit distance, or by homeruns on a fixed number of pitches. Parents can mingle while money is being raised. It’s a win-win. Some tips to remember for a Hit-A-Thon fundraiser:

• The peak time to hold a Hit-A-Thon is right after a tryout, before Opening Day, or before World Series time.
• Sites such as 99Pledges can help easily setup a Hit-A-Thon in a simple, organized, and effective way.
• Have parents help collect money. They're your best ambassadors.

Setting up a Hit-A-Thon is simple, but it needs to be timely to be effective.

 

Coach Punishment Fundraiser

Fundraising is all about creating emotion and reason to support a cause. A great way to create emotion for your baseball or softball team is embarrassment. How many of your teammates, friends, family, and community members would pay to see someone they know get publicly embarrassed? This tactic is called the Coach Punishment Fundraiser. The idea is simple, yet effective. The first step is to set a fundraising goal for your team. Next, you will want to brainstorm with your team what the ‘punishment’ will be. Some tips to remember for a Coach Punishment fundraiser:

• Popular ideas include a dunk tank, a pie in the face, and hair dye.
• Make sure your coach is on board with what’s going on. They need to be well aware of the fundraiser and committed to following through once your goal is met.
• Consider using social media as a way to solicit donations and show the event in real-time.

There are many more creative and innovative ways to raise money for your travel baseball team or softball team. The key is to be creative and think outside-the-box. Whether you are covering or offsetting registration costs, raising money to pay for uniforms, equipment, coaching, or travel expenses, your team can find a way to get it done.

The travel ball season is approaching, and JustBats.com has you covered. Check out the 10 Best 2018 USSSA Baseball Bats for more information about our new releases and take a look at our deals of the day. If you need help selecting a glove, our glove coach feature makes it very to choose the correct size of glove.

If you have any specific baseball bat or softball bat questions, remember our Bat Experts are available via telephone at 866-321-2287, email at  experts@justbats.com, or you can click here to live chat! Don't forget, we'll be here for you from click to hit!