Funding sports club

I am looking for new ways to raise about 30K for our local sports club. We have tried the usual, raffles, weekly lotto, sponsorship, golf classic, weekly bingo but we are still running at a loss and need a new idea that has the potential to generate significant money. Anyone come across any successful new fundraising ideas.

Hi,

I imagine it depends on the number of members that you have just how sucessful it may be but I have been to fundraisers at the Races, you can rent a suite / room from the Racecourse and have a meal and sell tickets at a premium to the attendees. It would be a huge base cost though, a lot to pull off.

M

Have you investigated the possbility of grant assistance from perhaps your local county council or lottery funding?

Happy Girl said:

Have you investigated the possbility of grant assistance from perhaps your local county council or lottery funding?

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That's a good one Happy - I presume you're taking the michael or else used to living in a Continental European country where the government actually takes an interest in sport and recreation...eh sorry but this is Ireland!!

Have you investigated the possbility of grant assistance from perhaps your local county council or lottery funding?

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Government money for sports organisations is distributed by the Irish Sports Council to the various National Governing Bodies (NGBs). NGBs would then distribute the money among members i.e. clubs, associations, leagues for expediture in various categories that the NGB received a grant for. Have you tried contacting your NGB? Do they have any assistance schemes for new or developing clubs?

One good idea I've come across is a sponsorship lottery. Here's an example of how one might work:

You need to raise 30k.

Your members sell 300 tickets at €100 a piece to whoever will buy - large companies, small companies, local shops/business, some may even be bought by individuals. As the tickets are only €100, local businesses who have even a passing interest should be tempted to buy tickets.

After all the tickets have been sold, you hold a public event at which a local celeb is asked to pick the winning ticket out of a hat.

The prize - whoever is picked out becomes the sports clubs main sponsor for the year. They get their name on jerseys etc, signs around venue, naming rights e.g. "whatever sports club sponsored by company X".

This is very attractive to businesses as for only €100 they may become a main sponsor and get loads and loads of publicity out of it. Effectively the winner gets €30k worth of sponsorship publicity for €100. Any company that wins the lottery is quids in. For the rest, its only €100, so not really concerned about losing such a small amount & you would probably put the names of all contributors on e.g. website, to give them some sort of recognition.

P.S. The other thing you need to look at is why you are running at a loss. 30k is a huge deficit for any sports club. Are your membership fees structured correctly and do you make an effort to collect the money on time each year? How do they compare with other similar clubs in your sport and in your locality?

How is your money being spent? Is is all going on essentials such as equipment, travelling to away games, league fees, jerseys etc. or is a lot going on paid employees who you may not necessarily need and self styled "consultants" and "marketing managers" or other individuals/companies who claim that by you giving them money they'll make you money?

MMilken said:

That's a good one Happy - I presume you're taking the michael or else used to living in a Continental European country where the government actually takes an interest in sport and recreation...eh sorry but this is Ireland!!

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As I am located in the Meath area I can only vouch for this county however the local Sports Partnership within the Meath County Council DO provide financial assistance to local sports clubs.
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Perhaps you could contact your local county council or go online and see what funding is available.

I have done when we were trying to get a club off the ground here.

The support was appalling.

Our international sports record in almost every sport over the last ten years bears testimony to this.

Thanks everyone for contributing. Its a GAA club I am involved in. Membership is a problem and in reality the fees should be 10 times greater than exists but you cant charge a 14 year old 300 euro when your opposition down the road offer it for 30 euro. Also the local community and businesses are very supportive and we keep going back to the same well all the time for all funding. Main and minor sponsors are in place. Our main finance up to now was raised from our bar but that's running 30K short on previous years and is not likely to improve and hence our problem. We are trying to come up with something new that will generate about 30k per annum to cover this shortfall. Its only when you get involved in a club do you see the real costs of running a club and how difficult it is to get real financial support from parents and members. People expect a warm clubhouse, good dressing rooms with showers on demand, buses to matches, well maintained playing pitches, floodlights etc. Before I got involved I use to think of the GAA as the Grab All Association but I know better now.