Ways to generate money

There are lots of ways to generate money for your grassroots football team. For this guide, we’ve divided them into three categories: sponsorship, fundraising, and day-to-day.

Let’s look at each of them in more detail.

Sponsorship

Often, local brands will sponsor community football teams in exchange for advertising.

Use your purpose and core values to drive your sponsorship efforts. For example, if you’re a team of new mothers whose purpose is to encourage mums to take time for themselves, sponsorship from a local toyshop or children’s play centre could tie in nicely.

Think of sponsorship as a two-way street; what can you give back to local businesses as thanks for their support? Buying and wearing their products, using their services, or visiting their cafes and restaurants are just a few ways to give thanks. You could even use your club's social media channels to post about them.

Fundraising

There are plenty of ways to fundraise, so you won’t get stuck for ideas.

Again, you can use your purpose and values to influence your fundraising approach. For example, if you’re a group of school teachers who play football after school, you could put your subject expertise to good use by hosting a quiz night at a local venue.

Use your surrounding area, local venues and businesses to inspire your fundraising ideas. For example, if your village is popular with dog owners consider offering a dog walking service at the local park.

You could also organise mini-tournaments with other local teams, and make it a discounted ticket event for residents. Traditional events like bingo nights, bake sales, car washes, and raffles also do the trick.

Day to day

You can supplement larger funding activities with small, no-frills ways to generate money. For example, charging for pitch-side teas and coffees, or selling club merchandise for local supporters.

Don’t be afraid to get creative with designing your own merchandise. If you’re a dab hand at using social media, you can reach far wider audiences than just your local community.

You can do these things on an ongoing basis, every time you turn up to play. While this may not generate as much income as a sponsorship or fundraising event, it will help you raise funds regularly.