Four Ways to Fundraise for Your School’s Athletic Program

As a school administrator, you know that raising money for your school’s athletic facilities is one of the most crucial aspects of maintaining a thriving program. You put a great deal of effort and planning into coordinating marketing and fundraising campaigns—which makes it sting all the more if they happen to flunk.

Don’t worry, though—the school branding pros are here to make sure this never happens again. Here, our team at SportsGraphics will discuss the best ways to raise money for your athletic program’s goals.

CROWDFUNDING

Crowdfunding, or seeking donations, is a great way to bring your fundraising to a new level. There are a variety of reputable platforms both online and off that are popular ways to raise money. Some of these include:

●        SportsEngine

●        Sportfunder

●        MakeAChamp

●        Sponsor.me

Each of the above platforms works specifically with sports organizations to help them with their causes and fundraising efforts.

Make Crowdfunding Work for You

Simply choosing a fundraising platform is not enough. You need to have a driving force behind your campaign. While fans of your team or organization are likely  to be interested in making a donation to your fundraising campaign, others may not be.

Because of that, it’s crucial to tell the story behind your fundraiser. Why are you raising money? By telling your story and gaining human interest, you can attract people who have never heard of your school and move them emotionally to contribute.

Additionally, there are a variety of other ways that will increase your likelihood of gaining donations for your branding needs. First, you should set a goal. If you don’t have a goal publicly announced, people won’t know how much to donate, and they may not donate at all.

Another way to gain attention is to include eye-catching visuals with your donation; it makes your posting stand out from those similar to it. Finally, you should broadcast your campaign on every single social media platform possible, and consider giving perks to people who donate to sweeten the deal.

FIND SPONSORS

Gaining sponsorships is one of the most important parts of any successful fundraising campaign. Many organizations focus so much on getting the word out for their fundraiser that they ignore the fact that they can ask profitable businesses to back them. More often than not, local businesses are happy to provide you with support.

How to Secure Deals

Though those local businesses may seem aplenty, grabbing their attention and securing a deal is often harder than it looks, especially if you have little experience with etiquette. Ohio University, which features an Online Master of Athletic Administration Program, suggests that you tailor your approach to each potential sponsor.

“Before you approach a business,” it says, “think about the type of business it is and how it runs. Then consider what types of meaningful, helpful benefits you can offer the business in return for its sponsorship money. A personalized pitch shows the business that you’re willing to work out a deal where everyone gets something of value.”

In other words: if you can prove to the potential sponsor that they specifically, have something to gain from this interaction, then they’re more likely to see your proposition as valuable and accept.

HOST EVENTS

Another great avenue for getting new people involved with your fundraiser: host a campaign event. This is a great way to bring the community together, and a sure-fire way to secure donations for your cause. Some common, high-return fundraising events include bake sales, car washes, talent shows, and carnivals.

LEVERAGE THE POWER OF YOUR SCHOOL BRAND

School branding is more than the mascot you put on your wall pads or the font you use for your window graphics. As we covered in our blog on rebranding a school: It’s the collective set of values that unites your student body and district as a whole.

Though this isn’t a tangible tool you can use to actively ask for donation, its power shouldn’t be underestimated; few pulls are stronger to potential donors than asking them to give back to the district that’s made them feel like they belonged. Think about your brand in every step you take to raise money for your athletic program; how can you demonstrate the unifying, heart-tugging principles that foster school pride?

CONTACT SPORTSGRAPHICS TODAY FOR POWERFUL SCHOOL BRANDING SERVICES

Of course, a brand is only as good as the products that reflect it—and if you need anything from window perfs to custom wall pads, SportsGraphics has you covered. To learn more about our services or to speak with an expert, give our Clarion office a call today at 800-257-6405 or message us on our contact page today.