Sports fundraisers can be a great way to raise money for a charity or personal cause and connect with supporters. From social golf tournaments to gritty cross-country races, athletic events can draw crowds of new and loyal supporters. If you want to give back while enjoying a sport you love, a sports fundraiser is a fun way to combine your passions, test your boundaries and have fun.
Get your fundraiser moving
Whether you’re planning an extreme challenge to raise awareness of your cause or holding a more laid-back event, sports fundraising can help you access the funds you need to improve your life or someone else’s. Here are some popular ways sports clubs and individuals can raise money via sports in the UK.
Six sports fundraising ideas for UK clubs and teams
- Sponsored challenge: Ask supporters to sponsor a player, team or staff member to complete a physical challenge, such as a 5K run, cycle ride, swimming distance or charity walk. Individual sponsorship pages linked to the main fundraiser make it easy for participants to share and collect donations.
- Five-a-side or charity tournament: Organise a local tournament, charge participating teams an entry fee, and invite the wider community to watch. This works particularly well for football, netball, basketball and other team sports.
- Match-day bucket collection: Arrange a collection at the entrance or around the venue on a home game day. Involving players in encouraging supporters to donate before or after the match can help increase contributions.
- Quiz night or social event: Host a sports-themed quiz, player auction or end-of-season dinner, charging an entry fee for attendance. Boost fundraising further with an auction or other activities during the event.
- Kit or merchandise sale: Design and sell limited-edition kits, scarves or other club-branded merchandise. This can work especially well alongside a crowdfunding fundraiser for a specific club goal.
- Business and community sponsorship: Approach local businesses to sponsor a kit, match or facility upgrade. In return, offer promotional opportunities such as social media mentions, kit branding or signage at the venue.
For football-specific ideas, visit our guide to football fundraising ideas.
Fundraising ideas for golf tournaments
Golf fundraising tournaments have become extremely popular, especially with celebrities looking to hit a few bogeys and birdies for a deserving cause. The Golf Tournament Association of America reports that there are more than 800,000 golf tournaments dedicated to raising money for charity each year.
Whether or not you get celebrities to attend, you can pull off a successful fairway fundraising event for the charity of your choice. And if you’re already planning on running an online fundraiser, supplementing your fundraiser with a golf event can be the perfect way to increase donations and raise awareness in your community.
Small-scale golf fundraisers can be used to drum up support for other causes, too: memorials, medical bills, adoption fees and even community scholarships, to name a few.
Golf tournament fundraising ideas
- Nearest the pin and longest drive: Charge players a small fee for each attempt and offer a prize to the winner, creating a fun way to raise extra money during the tournament.
- Hole sponsorships: Invite local businesses to sponsor individual holes in return for signage at the course and a mention on the tournament’s social media.
- Auction of promises: Ask supporters to donate experiences or services, such as a round with a club professional, a golf lesson or a weekend golf break, then run a live or silent auction.
- Online fundraiser: Run a GoFundMe alongside the tournament so friends, family and supporters who cannot attend can still donate.
Be a caddie for change
No matter what the official score, a golf tournament is a win-win for everyone involved. It rallies communities together, gives people a chance to play on a course they might not have had access to otherwise, and raises money for a worthy cause. Start your sports fundraiser and supplement your online fundraiser with a rewarding golf tournament fundraiser. For more sports fundraising inspiration, explore our team fundraising ideas.
On your mark, get set, go with sports fundraising
Sports fundraisers can bring communities together and raise real money for clubs, causes and individuals who need support, demonstrating the power of sports fundraising to improve the lives of real people. Crowdfunding also simplifies sports fundraising, giving you more time to focus on your fundraising event. Use the ideas above to put your sports fundraiser in motion. Start a GoFundMe fundraiser and put your community to work for your cause.