Creating A Successful Club Charity Day
Hosting a Club Charity Day is a great way for your sports team to rally players, officials and supporters together in support of a common purpose. Whether your club is raising funds for someone in your local community or for a cause close to the club, Charity Days are a fantastic way to bring your club community together.
Raising Funds
Charity Days are great for raising the profile of the cause you’re supporting, but most of all you are trying to raise money for the charity. Club supporters, players and other local community members are usually more than willing to contribute to these events by purchasing merchandise, buying raffle tickets or bidding in an auction. Running all three campaigns can maximise the funds raised and, with the right planning, won’t have to be complex.
Merchandise Range: Creating a small range of unique merchandise is the best way to encourage sales on a Charity Day or event. We recommend choosing products you can buy in smaller quantities. You don’t want to end up with unsaleable stock! This will defeat the purpose of the day. Go with a small number of easy-to-purchase items that are unique (e.g., an eye-catching shirt or polo, an extra bright pair of socks and beanie).
Raffle: Raffles are a great way of getting everyone involved in fundraising. By setting the raffle ticket price relatively low, you’ll make it easy for more people to donate to your charity. Have at least 3 separate raffle prizes and make your members feel like there’s a reasonable chance of winning. Your local businesses and sponsors are usually more than willing to add a few products to a raffle, so make sure to ask around for donations!
Auction: Are there are a couple of items that might generate a strong emotional connection with your club community and suit an auction? Only a small number of auction items are required and will help keep the excitement high. A jersey from a winning year or a shirt signed by all the senior players is ideal. Make sure you run the auction when you’ve got maximum participation and people are likely to open their wallets.
KPI Sports is here to support your next Charity Day event!
For clubs purchasing Charity Day merchandise from KPI Sports, we will show our support by donating a portion of any purchase to your chosen charity. Contact us to learn more.
Planning your Charity Day
So, you have decided to host a Charity Event. What next?
What is the purpose/charity you are supporting?
Is there someone in your local community that needs assistance or a charity your club is strongly connected to? When deciding which charity your club will support it is important to understand your reasoning and the connection to your club. Make sure this is really clear when you are advertising the event to your community.
When will the event be hosted?
Is this a national charity day (e.g., Pink Day) or something particular for your club? Check what else is happening that weekend; locally and nationally. Can you tie it in with a local organisations or another club? Create something fun to get the entire community involved!
Who is on your invite list?
Most community sports clubs will have three key audiences for their charity day. The first is your “inner-circle”. These are your club members and friends/supporters who will be willing to assist with general operations. Some may not be able to donate, but their commitment to volunteer on the day will be invaluable. The second audience is your sponsors and local businesses with the capacity to offer support to the event or directly to charity. Think about your current sponsors and political members of your local community and how to best approach them about attending the event. Finally, and just as important is the local community. Get the message out to as many people as possible and make it an inclusive event. It should not be just players and their families that are welcome.
Where will the event be advertised?
If you want people to attend, you need to be promoting the event regularly. This includes in-person, social media and community noticeboards. Share your purpose and reasoning on social media. Do you have a committed sponsor willing to advertise the event? Find all possible avenues for maximum exposure and utilise them!
Be sure to take plenty of pictures on the day! Capture the event by sharing on social media and continue to share the success of the event after completion.
How will you collect donations?
Most donations and purchases will be in-person but don’t disregard an online option for those who are unable to attend. Add the merchandise products to your website and make your community aware they can donate and support the charity if attendance is not possible. Make sure you have good processes and accountability for collecting and recording the money donated too.
Need merchandise ideas for your next Charity Day or Charity Event? Contact the KPI Sports team today.TAGS: