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You're stuck.
Your rugby season is coming up, and the team has laid out the costs for jerseys, equipment, tournaments, travel, and other participation fees. To reduce individual out-of-pocket payments, the coach is looking for ways you raise money as a team.
You can't think of anything.
Certainly, you don't want to just ask people for money without providing some value in return. If you are a parent, you also want your child to learn skills and feel invested by doing something to raise money.
What is a good fundraising idea that you can suggest your team use?
Here are some unique and traditional fundraising ideas you can use for your youth and adult rugby team to raise more money.
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*For more tips on how to maximize any fundraiser you do, check out our FREE planning guide here: Max My Fundraiser Plan
Youth Rugby Team Fundraising Ideas
If you have a child who is trying to raise money for their rugby team, or the team has asked you to head their fundraising efforts, check out these ideas below that you could use.
Unique Idea #1 - Milk and Cookies Delivery
Recently, the cookie delivery industry has exploded across America. Running a milk and cookies delivery fundraiser for your rugby team is a unique way to raise money and capitalize on the popular consumer trend.
Like any fundraiser, this idea requires careful planning, organization, and execution. Here are some things to consider to help you run a successful milk and cookie delivery fundraiser for your rugby team.
Creating a Cookie Menu
When creating a menu, you want to make sure you have good products that people will enjoy and spend higher amounts of money on. Picking up the cheapest cookie box at the store will not cut it.
You can get premade high-quality cookie dough that you or your kids can bake, buy ingredients yourself and use a beloved recipe, buy pre-baked cookies to use, or ask for product donations from a local bakery that does not typically deliver in the area. For milk, you can either get gallons from the store and package it in cups with lids or get donations from a local dairy in your area.
Whatever your team decides to do, be sure that your cookies are priced appropriately to cover costs and make a profit. Some customers may even tip you at delivery to donate more funds. As long as you have a good menu that customers like, your rugby team will be successful.
*Interested in some high-quality premade cookie dough you can bake with - fill out this fundraising form for more details: Classic Cookie Fundraising Form
Defining Your Delivery Area
When defining the cookie delivery area, you have to consider factors like safety, time, and distance. Are there areas you do not want your kids delivering to due to safety concerns? How much time would it take to get from one customer to the next? Will the distance traveled require any special equipment, like an iced cooler, to make sure the product does not spoil? These are questions you should consider when defining your area. (For reference, most restaurants will only deliver within a five-mile radius if they have personal delivery drivers instead of third-party app contractors.)
Determining the Delivery Process
The delivery process is crucial to ensure high customer satisfaction during the fundraiser. The process should include some of the team members making the deliveries with parents, setting a time for customers on when they should expect their cookies to be delivered, making sure you have enough vehicles to deliver the products, figuring out how the products will be packaged and presented to the customers, and deciding how much time after baking the cookies, if you are using these instead of buying pre-baked cookies, you will deliver. Once you figure out the logistics, your team will be ready to promote the cookie fundraiser.
Designing the milk and cookie delivery is a simple process. Once you do it, your team is ready to execute and raise money.
Traditional Idea #1 - Selling Cookie Boxes
Selling food products is still a strong fundraiser, especially when your team sells cookie boxes.
When considering this fundraiser, you should think about the following elements.
Type of Cookies to Sell
Before you start selling, your rugby team needs to figure out what cookies you should sell. Many companies have great cookie and cookie dough fundraising products, but you must decide which products will sell the best and cause you the least amount of handling issues.
Typically, you should consider the following when looking at different cookie products:
Shelf-life
Product storage requirements (frozen, room temperature, etc.)
Product quality
Original shipping destination of the product (ex: if you are in the southeastern United States, should you be getting a product that is shipping from the West Coast?)
Product marketability
Pre-Selling or Not?
Before ordering cookie boxes, many organizations will offer pre-sales to friends, family, and community members. They will typically provide order forms that allow people to choose the number of boxes they want to purchase, the type of cookies they prefer, and any special instructions or requests. Pre-selling allows organizations to gauge interest and collect orders in advance which helps to determine how many cookies to order and how much money they can expect to raise.
If your rugby team decides not to do any pre-selling, you will have to have the product on hand to give to customers when they make an order and provide payment.
Order Fulfillment
Once all pre-sales have been collected, the organization will place an order with the cookie supplier or manufacturer. Depending on the size of the order, the cookies may be shipped directly to the organization or they may be delivered in batches over several weeks. Once you get your shipment, you must determine the easiest and quickest way to get orders to your customers and how your rugby players will be involved.
If you are not pre-selling, you will have to order cookies beforehand. Make sure you have a space to hold inventory while the team is out selling.
Selling cookie boxes can be an effective way to raise money for your rugby team. As you consider what type of cookies the team sells, whether the team will do pre-sales or not, and how the team will fulfill orders, your fundraiser can be very successful.
*If you are interested in selling Classic Cookie's shelf-stable, pre-baked cookie boxes, click here to check out their full catalog of flavors: Soft-Baked Cookies and Crispy Cookies.
Unique Idea #2 - Yard Work
Yardwork is a great way to make money for your rugby team. Kids do this as an easy way to earn money in the summer, so why not do it as a fundraiser?
All you need is some tools, one or a few weekend days set aside to service the yards, and commitments from neighbors, family, and friends for their yards to be worked on.
Some of the services you can consider offering include:
Lawn Mowing
This can include mowing, edging, and trimming the lawn to keep it neat and tidy.
Gardening
Offer to help with gardening tasks such as weeding, planting, and watering. This service is especially in demand during the spring and summer months.
Leaf Removal
During the fall months, offer to rake, bag, and dispose of leaves.
Snow Removal
During the winter months, offer to shovel driveways and sidewalks. You can also use a snowblower to clear larger areas.
Tree Trimming & Pruning
Offer to remove dead branches, shape trees, and prune bushes and shrubs.
Gutter Cleaning
This can be a messy and time-consuming task, so many homeowners are willing to pay for someone else to do it for them. Make sure that the team members who help are safe and will not fall due to an accident.
Power Washing
Offer to clean driveways, sidewalks, and outdoor furniture with a power washer.
By offering these yard work services, you can earn money for your rugby team while also helping people in your community with their outdoor maintenance needs.
Traditional Idea #2 - Restaurant Give-Back Night
Restaurant give-back nights are an easy way to earn money for your rugby team. Most local restaurants are always looking to get new customers in for a meal. If you show them that you are going to promote their restaurant, and they agree to give you a percentage back for every person that you bring in who buys a meal, you have a good fundraiser.
To make this fundraiser work, you need to consider the following elements.
Promoting the Give-Back Night
As you think about the give-back night, you need to decide how to promote the event. Restaurants generally agree to give about 10% per meal on give-back nights and will push to have the fundraiser on a slower night (usually non-weekend days). With that in mind, what do you need to do to ensure that people attend? You can use flyers, social media posts, posters, text message threads, and other means to spread the word. The more people you have come, the higher your chances are in getting a lot of money back.
Getting Fundraising Credit For Your Rugby Team
Restaurants who agree to do a give-back night will need some sort of proof for their cashier or waitress that the meal purchased will count towards your fundraiser. How will you make sure the people who come to support your team will credit the fundraiser at checkout?
Some ways to make sure the restaurant credits meals to your fundraiser include having guests show the fundraiser flyer when they check out, telling the waiting staff their meal is part of the give-back night, or having coupons that guests can give restaurant staff. As long as the process is easy for you, the guests, and the restaurant, you should be good to go.
Choosing the Restaurant
Choosing the restaurant is critical in making sure you maximize your fundraising opportunity. While engaging with local restaurants is good, you may also consider working with chain restaurants that more people may be familiar with. Here is a list of chain restaurants that have a history of doing fundraising nights with local organizations.
Chipotle
Panera Bread
California Pizza Kitchen
Jersey Mike's Subs
Chick-fil-A
Restaurant give-back nights are an easy way to support your rugby team. As you choose the right eatery, determine how your fundraiser gets credit, and promote the night, you will find this idea can bring in some great cash.
Unique Idea #3 - Selling Water
Selling water at strategic locations and events is a great way to raise money for your rugby team. Everyone has to drink water to survive, so your potential customer base is limitless!
Water bottles have a great profit margin of about 70-80% if you sell the bottles for $1.00. They are very inexpensive to buy and only need something to keep them cold.
In order to maximize the money your team raises, you have to sell water when it is hot outside. If you can find places that have limited access to fresh, clean water that will allow you to sell water in warmer weather, your chances of making more money increase. Some of the places to consider selling water include:
Sporting Tournaments/Events
Selling water at local sporting events is a great way to reach a large audience of potential customers. Consider setting up a booth or stand at local youth sports tournaments, high school or college games, or other community sports events. Make sure to check with event organizers beforehand to obtain any necessary permits or permissions.
Community Festivals & Fairs
Community festivals and fairs are another excellent location to sell water at. Look for local events that draw large crowds, such as county fairs, music festivals, or outdoor markets. Consider partnering with other local organizations to share booth space and increase visibility.
Local Parks & Beaches
Selling water at local parks and beaches can also be a profitable opportunity for your rugby team. Look for high-traffic areas where people are likely to be active and in need of hydration. You can either sell water directly from a stand or cooler or consider partnering with local vendors to provide water to their customers.
Outside Graduation Ceremonies
While people wait in line for outdoor graduation ceremonies, you can sell water to them so they stay hydrated. A basketball team in California did this during a high school graduation and made $500-700 in one night from people waiting to be seated at the football stadium for their child's ceremony.
Selling water at strategic locations and events will help raise more money for your rugby team. As you consider selling at sporting events, community festivals, local parks, beaches, and outdoor graduation ceremonies, you can make some good money to cover your team's expenses.
Traditional Idea #3 - Local Business Sponsorship
Business sponsorship has been a tried-and-true method of raising money for rugby teams for years. Even though it is not flashy or unique, the idea will still work for your team.
Businesses will pay your team for the right to have their brand advertised on team assets. These assets can include team jerseys, banners at your rugby field, rugby balls, team backpacks, team social media, or other assets where their brand can be visible.
To get started, all you need to do is have your team talk to various local businesses or people they know who own or work for a local business. This should get your foot in the door to bring in some additional cash.
Business sponsorships are a tested method that can work well in raising money for your youth rugby team.
Adult Rugby Team Fundraising Ideas
If you have been put in charge of fundraising for your rugby club, check out these ideas you could use to quickly raise money.
Unique Idea #1 - Food Truck Party
Having a food truck party is a great way to fundraise for your rugby team. This idea is just like doing a restaurant give-back night except that you are bringing food to the people instead of trying to bring people to the food.
Food trucks are always trying to find great spots where they can maximize their nightly profits. If you can convince them to come to a location where you can guarantee sales for a small percentage back to your club, food truck owners would be very happy to cooperate. All you have to do is make sure you get enough people to come and purchase from the truck during the allotted time to ensure you make a good amount of money.
Here are some things to consider when you are hosting a food truck party fundraiser for your rugby team.
Where Will The Party Be Hosted?
To maximize this fundraiser, you need to decide where you should host the food truck party. You have several options where you can have a truck, but you must make sure it is an easy place for your rugby team and supporters to get a meal.
A few options include the field where your team plays or practices, a neighborhood where a team member lives, or the parking lot of a team sponsor's business. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but no matter the location, you need to make sure you have permission from the property owner to host a food truck.
How Will You Get People to Come Out and Buy Food?
How you will get the most amount of people to come out and get a meal from the truck is crucial to ensure you can get a food truck. No truck will come out if you have 10-20 people show up. For a viable night, most trucks need at least 50 people to make a meal purchase.
Just like the restaurant give-back night fundraiser, you need to encourage your team members to invite their friends, family, and other acquaintances to come get a meal. You can make a physical or digital flyer for team members to hand out. If you are hosting the party in a neighborhood, see if the neighborhood has a community social media page or public announcement board that other residents can see to come and support.
How Many Trucks Will You Have?
Depending on how many guests are coming, you need to determine how many trucks you want to invite. Most parties can be managed with one food truck, but if you have more than 150 people who are going to show up, you might consider inviting multiple trucks. People want to have a good experience supporting your team. If someone has to stand in line for 30 minutes and then wait another 30 minutes for their food, they might skip out on ordering and just socialize with the people there. More trucks eliminate this issue.
Space is another big factor. If you have a lot of people planning on coming, do you have the space to have multiple trucks at your location?
All-in-all, most fundraising parties like this will be fine with just one food truck.
By considering these options, you can set up a successful food truck party that can attract enough people to raise money for your rugby team.
Traditional Idea #1 - Car Wash
Like local business sponsorships, your rugby team putting together a car wash is a classic fundraising idea that different organizations have used to make money for decades.
This tried-and-true fundraising activity is a cheap way to bring in more money for your rugby team. To maximize your efforts, consider the following elements while planning the event.
Car Wash Location
Location is key for your car wash fundraiser to be successful. If you can find a public place near a busy road, you can attract a lot of general passersby to stop and use your service. If you are not able to do this, your car wash can still be successful, but you will have to sell tickets to many of your family and friends. This can require more work to make sure you get enough money for the fundraiser.
Car Wash Supplies
After choosing a location, you will need to figure out the required supplies for the car wash. Most of your supplies can come from what team members already own, but you may have to go out to get soap, buckets, and other things to effectively wash and dry vehicles.
Organize Your Volunteer Stations
You will need to organize your rugby team members into different stations to get cars in and out of your car wash. You will need to divide up who will be washing, who will be checking in cars, who will be taking cash, and who will be drying vehicles.
Car washes are an easy and classic fundraising activity that will bring your rugby team more money. As you figure out what location, supplies, and stations for the event, your car wash can bring the team a lot of money.
Unique Idea #2 - Holiday Grams
Holiday grams are a fun and unique way to raise money for your rugby club. A holiday gram is a gift someone buys to have delivered to a loved one. Usually, these grams come with a special delivery method that customers pay for. These can be effective during certain holiday seasons (Christmas, Valentine's Day, etc.) when people are looking to give unique gifts to loved ones.
Holiday grams can be done in a few ways that work best for your team. Consider some of the options below that your rugby club could provide. Make sure that whatever option you choose, you are only making deliveries to safe and reliable geographic areas.
Santa Deliveries
This holiday gram includes the legendary Santa Claus. Customers will pay for Santa to deliver a small gift to their loved ones in your area. All you will need is a Santa costume and small gifts to fulfill this holiday gram service. If you get multiple Santa costumes, you can have multiple team members making deliveries on the same night to reach more people.
Singing Telegrams
For this holiday gram, your rugby team will be singing a selection of songs or one song to the gram's recipient. This is a cost-effective option because all you have to do is get your rugby team together to sing songs for people. You need to make sure though that there is some time to practice before you deliver these singing telegrams.
Cupid Valentine's Day Delivery
This holiday gram is sure to bring some humor to recipients. For this option, you can deliver a box of chocolates, a rose, or any kind of Valentine's Day treat while in a Cupid outfit to gram recipients. This can make for a very memorable holiday gram that recipients will love. All you have to do is get your rugby team dressed and ready to make deliveries.
Holiday grams are a fun and cost-effective way to raise more money for your rugby team. As long as you create a safe delivery area and organize your team members, this fundraising event will be very successful.
Traditional Idea #2 - Group Nights at Professional Sporting Events
Hosting a group night at a professional sporting event is a great fundraiser for your rugby team. This type of fundraiser is simple: work with a professional sports team to buy a bulk amount of tickets at a discounted rate and then sell them to your supporters. This allows your club to keep the remaining profit.
Most sports teams have a fundraising option that a ticketing representative can help you explore. Sometimes, ticket reps will just give you a customer discount code instead of buying a bulk pack. At the end of the match, they will look at who has purchased the tickets through the code and give you the profits that were agreed upon.
There are countless types of sports teams you can get a group to go and watch. Both major and minor league teams can work with fundraising groups on ticketing. Types of sporting events include football, rugby, basketball, baseball, soccer, and hockey games. You may even find sports like car racing, tennis, volleyball, softball, lacrosse, cricket, and others who would be willing to do a ticket fundraiser with your group.
All-in-all, hosting a group night at a sporting event is a fun way to raise money for your club.
Unique Idea #3 - Talent Show
A talent show can be an exciting fundraiser for your rugby team. While they come together to play rugby, your team's players have other talents and interests outside of the sport. A talent show is a great way to showcase these talents that will engage your supporters and raise money.
While planning for a talent show, you must consider the following elements to ensure that it succeeds.
Talent Show Venue
A venue for your talent show must be figured out first. Depending on your goals and expected crowd, you may be able to host a talent show in someone's backyard, a church stage, a brewery, or a civic amphitheater. As long as you have the proper permits and reservations, you can host a talent show just about anywhere where a crowd can hear and see your performers.
When considering a venue, you need to think about the audio-visual capabilities of each venue. Some venues have great audio-visual equipment that is already set up and can be used. Some may require you to bring your own equipment to set up. Be sure to ask the venue managers about their equipment capabilities, so that your show does not suffer from unnecessary surprises.
Talent Show Acts
After securing a venue, you need to finalize the show's entertainment. Your rugby team's players should be the first source of talent. Even though they are the first people you should sign up, they do not have to be the only ones who participate. Do you have family or friends with unique talents who would be comfortable performing? Are there other members of the community who would be willing to come and share their talents to support the team? Answering these questions can broaden your participant pool.
Talent Show Tickets
Determining your ticketing is a crucial part of making your talent show successful. For instance, you need to determine whether you will have an entry fee to the show or not. This can work for venues where you can control traffic flow (civic center gyms, theaters, etc.), but will not work in more public venues like a brewery or outdoor amphitheater.
Once you determine your entry price, you need to figure out if there is anything else you can add to the tickets that will entice people to come or spend more money. Some of these elements include swag, snacks, dinner, etc. People love food, so including some sort of option with your tickets can entice more people to attend. Food can be included in the ticket or you can have a concessions stand where you sell snacks during the show. Whatever you do, make sure you have the resources to pull it off.
Hosting a talent show is a unique and great fundraiser for your rugby team. As you figure out the show's venue, acts, and ticketing, your event will be successful.
Traditional Idea #3 - Benefit Dinner
Like the other traditional ideas on this list, benefit dinners have been a common fundraising event for many years. People love food and will pay for a meal if it supports your rugby club.
Hosting a fundraising dinner requires a few things to make sure it provides good value to customers.
What Food Will Be Served?
What food will you serve at the fundraising dinner? Your choice of a menu could make or break your event from bringing in good money for your team.
How Will Your Food Be Made?
How will you and your team make the food to be served at the dinner? Your team can either make the food yourselves from purchased ingredients or have the meal donated by a local restaurant. You can even mix these options with an entree being made by the team and a local restaurant donating appetizers and sides.
How Will Your Food Be Served?
How will the dinner be served for the fundraiser? Some fundraising dinners have one night where people gather at a venue and are served a meal while others do multiple nights and deliver dinners to customers. Decide what would be the best for your rugby team based on the resources you have.
Dinners are a simple way to make money for your rugby team as long as you thoughtfully plan the food that will be served, who will make the food, and how the food will be served.
Your Rugby Team Fundraising Can Succeed
Whether a youth or adult rugby team, you can succeed in your fundraising efforts through unique and traditional ideas. Youth rugby teams can set up a milk and cookies delivery service, sell cookie boxes, perform yard work, promote a restaurant give-back night, sell water, and form local business partnerships to raise money. Adult rugby teams can host a food truck party, start a car wash, provide a holiday gram service, coordinate a group night at a professional sporting event, put on a talent show, and make a benefit dinner to raise money.
Whatever your rugby team decides to do, as long as you plan, have fun, and provide value to supporters, your fundraiser will be a success.
Is all this fundraising talk making you hungry? Check out some sweet cookie snacks to curb your hunger: Soft Baked Cookies
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