Before you start

• Check the rules. Your school, league or club may have policies on fundraising and on who can collect money. Ask before you announce anything.
• Name the goal. “New uniforms” or “tournament travel” is easier to support than “the team fund”. Put the amount and the purpose in writing.
• Decide who is in charge. One coach or parent owns the plan so messages stay consistent.

Pick one fundraiser and do it well

Running several things at once splits attention. Choose one that matches your volunteers and timeline; the fundraiser ideas guide compares common options. An online team apparel store is a good fit when you want something that needs no upfront cost, no inventory and no cash handling.

Involve the players and their families

Fundraisers do best when every athlete has a simple task, such as sending a personal link to ten people. Make sure parents or guardians agree to their child taking part and appearing online, and keep athletes' personal details off public posts.

A simple timeline

1. Two weeks before: confirm the goal, rules and who does what; prepare your designs or materials.
2. Launch: send the link and end date to every family.
3. Middle: send a reminder and a short progress update.
4. Final days: remind everyone of the deadline.
5. After: thank supporters and report what the money bought.

Keep it transparent

Tell supporters where the money goes, and keep records of what came in and what was spent. With Swag31, each team is paid to its own Stripe account and can see a payout breakdown in its dashboard. See pricing for how each sale is split.

Keep reading

Compare options in the fundraiser comparisons or see the Playbook for club and travel team plans.