Fundraiser ideas for local clubs

Running a rugby club costs money, it’s a fact of life. Without it, the team would cease to exist, and the community would lose a valuable asset. Unfortunately, money doesn’t grow on trees, and so it falls on the dedicated club members to raise enough funds to make ends meet. So if fundraising for your club is one of your New Year’s resolutions, then check out some of these great and surprisingly simple ideas below.

Table Quiz

Everyone loves a good old-fashioned table quiz, and it’s a great way to get people into the clubhouse and talking to each other. The key to a successful table quiz though is making sure that there are questions to suit everyone. Don’t focus too much on sports or even rugby because some folks will lose interest very quickly. Make sure there are plenty of general knowledge questions and even a few on pop culture.

Set your entry fee so that it’s affordable as those in attendance won’t mind if the grand prize isn’t too big. You can also offer a few spot prizes just to keep things interesting. These can be anything from a free drink to a prize donated by a club sponsor.

Poker Night

A poker night is great fun and a surefire way to make some funds for the club, but it must be organised properly. Your entrants are playing for money, and so they’ll expect a professionally run night. Ask club members who play poker what they expect from a good poker night and start from there.

Texas Holdem is the most common variation of poker played at poker nights, so it’s probably best to stick to it. And even if you don’t plan to play yourself, each member of the organising committee should make themselves familiar with the rules and the hand rankings in particular. This, along with finding an experienced dealer will help ensure that the night runs without any hiccups.

Golf Classic

Photo by Lotus Head / CC BY-SA 3.0

Now this one sounds like it would take a hell of a lot of effort, but a golf classic is actually pretty simple to set up. Of course, you’ll need to speak to the local golf course and gauge interest in the event, but once you know that people will play, then it’s pretty straightforward. However, it does take time and possibly someone who understands the game of golf itself.

Again, it’s a good idea to talk to club members who have taken part in golf classics before and ask them for advice on the best format to adopt. They will be the ones paying to play, so listen carefully to what they have to say about the day’s schedule and even prizes. As with all other fundraising events, club sponsors and local businesses are usually happy to help out with prizes.

Bag Packing

This is an incredibly simple idea that can generate some quick funds in the space of a couple of days at a few local supermarkets. Bag packing can create an incredible amount of goodwill in the community and gets club members talking to the local community. Any club member can take part but if you really want to get noticed, get the first team players to do the packing.

It’s important though not to be too pushy. Leave a donation box on the checkout packing area and never ask for money outright. Most people will be only too happy to have their bags packed in exchange for a small donation, and you can even go the extra mile by carrying their shopping to the car.

With every event publicity is key. You may have to invest a little money in some advertising, but there are ways to avoid this. Ask the local newspaper to sponsor the event which they can do by offering you free ad space. You can also do the same with the local radio station. Even if ad space isn’t your priority, you should always keep the local media clued-in as to what you have planned at the club. Remember, your club is part of the community, and the local newspapers and radio stations are usually quite happy to help out. Now go out and raise some funds!