Fundraising Ideas for Sports Teams

Benefits of Sports

Sports are known to have tons of benefits for kids of all ages – from helping kids keep a healthy weight to friendship building – but it comes as no surprise that the cost to participate can add up. In a study conducted by the Aspen Institute, the average amount of spending on sport per year was approximately $692 per child, per sport. Equipment and travel costs can seem daunting, but one way to overcome this as a team is through fundraising. Fundraising is a great way to bring parents, coaches, teammates, and fans together to benefit all those involved and raise money for the team.

Sports Fundraising Ideas

When it comes to the best fundraising ideas for sports teams, there are endless options on how to raise money for the season. Here are some of our favorite sports fundraising ideas.

1. Restaurant fundraiser: A restaurant fundraising night will bring people together and allows the community to participate in a fundraiser for your sports team. If you host a fundraiser with Chipotle, your organization will receive 25% of the event sales during the time/location of your fundraiser, subject to achieving a minimum level of total event sales. With a digital feature, supporters have the option to either order and eat in the restaurant or order online for pickup by using the unique fundraiser code provided. To host a fundraiser with Chipotle, apply here.
2. Host a tournament: Tournaments are a great way to keep the athletes engaged in the fundraiser. Rent out a field, courts or other space for the weekend and invite local teams of all ages to participate and compete against each other. Every team’s entry fee can be put towards your sports team’s fundraiser.
3. Custom team calendar: Custom calendars can be a fun way to raise money for your sports team. Use different individual and team pictures for each month, and get creative as you want. Start planning in the offseason in order to have them made and ready to be promoted by the time the new season approaches. Parents and fans will love purchasing these to support the team!
4. Auction: Plan a night out for parents to dress up and auction off fun prizes for them and their family. Work with local businesses ahead of time to collect items for the auction and make it a big event with food and entertainment. Everybody needs an excuse to dress up and hire a babysitter every now and then!
5. Custom t-shirts: Create a custom t-shirt to raise money for your sports team. Consider using a t-shirt fundraising platform, like Bonfire, to design and sell your custom shirt or hoodie to students and fans. For even more fun, sell the apparel ahead of a big game and have everyone wear it that day to represent your team.
6. Host a kid’s camp: Host a summer camp for kids to be coached by the athletes on your team as a fundraiser, if your sports team is high school or above. This requires planning in advance but is a great way to build community. Parents will love the opportunity to sign their children up for a day camp and kids will enjoy learning from older players.
7. Car wash: In the summer months, car washes are great ways to raise money with little cost to plan and execute. Either set up a car wash on your own or partner with a local car wash business to receive a certain percentage of proceeds for that day, and advertise to family, friends, and the local community. If hosting your own car wash, having the athletes wash the cars is a great team bonding activity! Pro-tip: if you have a Chipotlane location near you, it’s a great way to host both fundraisers in one day.
8. Auction off the best seat in the house: If your team has a home stadium, reserve the best seats and auction them off as a fundraiser. Parents and fans will love the opportunity to have reserved seats every game with the best view. If possible, consider including concession items (or delivery from your favorite burrito place) in this package as well for a great overall experience.
9. Sponsorships: Connect with local businesses to find companies who will sponsor your sports team for the year for a logo placement on a jersey or banner. Multiple sponsorships can lead to a successful fundraiser for your team.

Chipotle Fundraisers

Chipotle team fundraisers have helped thousands of sports teams raise funds for jerseys, equipment, and travel costs – all while providing real food to fuel those athletes and their supporters. One of the best fundraising ideas that many teams have benefitted from is by setting your event up on a night that the whole team can come to the restaurant for a team dinner after practice. By scheduling your Chipotle fundraiser on a night that the team either has practice or a game, this will encourage all athletes, parents, coaches and supporters to carpool and either attend the fundraiser at the same time or order online for pickup. Not only will this event serve as a fundraiser to benefit the team financially, it is a great opportunity for team bonding.

There are endless fundraiser options for sports teams, but we believe that the best team fundraisers take place when food is involved. A study at Cornell University discovered that food is a key element of effective team building. Sharing meals together is an important part of socialization and can help athletes of all ages build friendships and teamwork. These findings are another reason why restaurant fundraisers are a great option for your team!

Fundraiser Tips

As you get ready to set up your fundraiser, here are a few things to keep in mind when hosting a fundraiser night for your sports team after practice:

1. Set up your Chipotle fundraiser at the restaurant location closest to the team’s practice or game. By making sure that your event is close, this will make it easy for everyone to attend and travel to the fundraiser together.
2. Schedule your fundraiser at a time that works best with the team’s practice schedule. Work with the team coach to guarantee the athletes will be out of practice on time and will have enough time to have a meal together at their Chipotle fundraiser or order online for pickup during that time frame. 
3. Promote your event. Promotion is key! Once your fundraiser has been approved, be sure to use all of the resources provided to advertise your event. Remember, the more supporters your fundraiser has, the more your team will receive. Tip: Challenge each player to bring 5 or more supporters – the more, the merrier!
4. Be mindful of our other guests. Our restaurants love to host team fundraisers and support their community, but please be aware of our other guests in the restaurant. Fundraiser partners are not allowed to promote their event on-site to our regular customers.
5. Have fun. We think there’s nothing more enjoyable than a meal shared together. Whether it’s in the restaurant or taking the food to-go for a picnic on the soccer field, we want to make sure the experience is a fun and memorable one. If you have pictures from your fundraiser, we’d love to see them. You can email all photos to fundraisers@chipotle.com. If we choose to use your photos for a story, we’ll send some free burritos your way!

If you’re ready to set up an easy team fundraiser with Chipotle, visit our website here to apply!