How to Raise $30k For Your Team in One Year

One thing that is certainly becoming essential is the importance of youth sports to help kids stay in a positive mental space that also creates healthy habits and direction during times of struggle. 

Our #1 mission at Sudz Fundraising is to never have affordability be a reason a kid cannot compete at the highest skill level they are capable of. We want to keep kids that want to compete, competing. 

As I’m sure you are aware, the costs of travel and club organizations are going through the roof, the needed bucks for travelling to these tournaments are higher than ever, but this remains a very important vehicle for kids to channel energy, and learn teamwork, and other life enhancing skills taught on playing fields, gyms, and courts all across the country. 

There is a side of fundraising that isn’t all that pleasant. 

Let’s get it out in the open, and expose the white elephant in the room. 

Ssshhhh…

“NO ONE LIKES TO FUNDRAISE!”

When fundraising, you are always up against 3 main obstacles. 

1. The increasing costs around participation
2. Finding the time in our personal schedules, to get out and promote and “sell”
3. Picking a fundraiser that raises the needed funds, parents will get engaged with, and the right product for everyone. 

Can we agree on one thing? 

Fundraising is a necessary evil of most youth sports organizations and school related organizations. 

Ok, Now that we are all on the same page, let’s go solve this riddle.

Raising enough money for your team so that you and your parents can…

• Travel and participate in every tournament you want
• Buy all of the equipment needed
• Order the coolest new sublimated uniforms
• Realistically PLAY FOR FREE this next season. 

I am going to show you a blueprint that will make your team $30,000+ in the next 12 months if you follow it to a T. I am going to let you in on a little secret to doing this. 

Run your team fundraising like it’s a business!

That’s right, just like the little business that it is. Think about it. 

What does it take to run a successful business?

• A product or a service
• A customer or for that product or service
• An exchange of money for a profit
• People and systems to deliver product or service to customer

You have all of these within your team’s fundraising now! 

Running it Like a Business

We are going to make this little business model super simple and only focus on the major parts of business (that is all you need).

**WARNING**
This business is not seasonal.

There will be something going on nearly every month for this to work. We are going to do this in the most efficient way possible, so no one in the organization is spending more than a couple of hours a month. 

Let’s start by breaking the business model down into 3 parts:

• 1: Attract

Who are we targeting for potential supporters(purchasers) of this product or service we are selling?

• 2: Convert

Supporter who Purchases product or service

• 3: Service Repeat & Refer

Deliver on expectations and promises made when selling a product or service. Then repeat and ask them for others who would be interested. 

Before we get into the tactical game plan here, we need to laser in on WHO we are looking to purchase. We will use the laundry detergent fundraiser as our example, but the steps are the same for any fundraiser you are doing. 

Step 1: Choosing the Right Fundraisers

When choosing the right fundraisers for your organization it is best to find out these 3 things first. 

1. What does the community want to purchase? Poll your community on Facebook or through an email. Give them examples of ones you are considering.
2. Pick products that are needed not wanted, and evergreen (purchased over and over) 
3. Ask the parents what they like selling better than others? 
4. Choose fundraising programs that allow the largest profit $ with the least amount of work.
5. Set goals for each fundraiser that gets you to the $30/k goal. 

Step 2: Planning the Year

Set the fundraising dates for each season

EXAMPLE:

Fundraiser	Month/Dates	Goal	$ Raised
Laundry Detergent-Sudz	July 15th-30th	Each Kid- 15  supporters	$3500
Mums Sale	September 1-15th	10 each kid	$1250
Laundry Detergent-Sudz	November 15th-30th	Each Kid- 15 new  supporters 10 reorders	$8500
Raffle	February	$250 each kid	$1500
Laundry Detergent-Sudz	March 15th-30th	Each Kid- 15 new  supporters 20 reorders	$10,000
Cookie Dough	April	Each Kid 20 tubs	$3500
Car Wash	May	Use list you have built to announce	$1750
		TOTAL RAISED	$30,000

Step 3: Outreach

1. Who is the target audience? In this case of laundry detergent fundraising, we would target people who wash a lot of clothes.
   1. Who has large families buying in bulk? Sam’s Club people
   2. What businesses or organizations do a lot of laundry?
      1. Motels 
      2. Salons
      3. Massage Therapists
      4. Pools
      5. Gyms
   3. Your Core
      1. Friends
      2. Family
      3. People that know your kid
2. Where is this audience hanging out, and how can I get in front of them? 

TIP: Make sure you are talking about how the product helps them, and how it helps your organization when reaching out. Write out appropriate blurbs for each channel you are using to spread the word. 

1. Social Media
2. Email
3. Direct Chat Messages
4. Phone Call
5. School 
6. Work
7. Church

Step 4: Convert (Sell)

1. Repeat the benefits to the supporter and team- “When purchasing one of these products from us, You get a great product, very comparable to what you are currently purchasing, and instead of helping large corporate chains, you help US the Ohio Ravens 12U softball team. “With the money we raise, we are going to travel to nationals this year to compete against the country’s best softball teams.”
2. Ask for the Sale- Would you like to help my team’s mission to play in the nationals this year, by supporting us instead of Wall Street for your laundry and household cleaning needs?“ “Here is a list and description of the products, let me know which ones you would like to purchase from me.”
3. Exchange money for order
4. Collect Name address, email, cell phone and get ok for communication via cell phone? 
5. Thank them, and tell them when they should hear from you next. 

Step 5: Supporter Experience (Service)

1. Communicate updates or changes from the expectations left at the sale. Make sure you stay in touch with them 
2. Deliver product when it comes in or arrange for pickup. 
3. Follow Up Survey via automated email (Mailchimp) link- Make sure they are happy with their purchase, ask if they have any suggestions or questions, and ask them if they would recommend this product to friends and family) You can create this in (mailchimp)
4. Ask them for the referrals if they say yes.
5. Communicate Schedule of next fundraiser a couple of weeks later.
6. Set up Automated Emails to show how the raised funds were spent. Share Action pictures of the kids competing. Remind them of the fundraising schedule, and how they can follow the team they are supporting. 

The most important part of this is in Steps 1, 2, and 5.

This is where all of the re-orders, referrals, and community support goes into overdrive. 

I know it is tough to try to do any of this when life is already smacking you with pressing things. If you just dedicate a little bit of time to getting this rolling for your team and parents, and break this down into small bite size pieces it will all work out great for your group. 

The big key is to get started, stay active and engaged, and be as organized and efficient as possible.

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to raise a ton of money for your organization. 

To get started with Sudz and knock out half of your calendar, CLICK HERE.