10 lacrosse fundraising ideas for school and club teams

A lacrosse fundraiser should start with the bill it needs to pay. A loaner-stick appeal needs a clear equipment list. A clinic needs coaches, field time and a pickup plan. An alumni exhibition needs enough adults to run an event as well as play in it.

Choose one idea your crew can finish before the payment deadline. Use the free lacrosse fundraising planner to compare quotes, assign jobs and track the money left after costs. No email is needed.

Compare the work before you choose

These lead times are our planning estimates for one team with an adult lead. They cover setup and promotion, not the time a payment service takes to pay out. Your venue or supplier may need longer. Adult hours are the total time worked by everyone, including setup and cleanup.

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If the invoice is due soon, start with an appeal through an approved payment route. Confirm when the money will reach the team. A clinic booked for next month cannot pay this week’s bill.

1. Fund a specific equipment gap

Have the coach list what the team owns and what it still needs. Separate loaner sticks, goalie gear, goals, nets and balls. Check boys’, girls’, age-group and goalie needs before requesting a quote. USA Lacrosse’s equipment guide is a source for those distinctions and equipment standards.

Ask for freight, tax and any setup costs as well as the item price. State who will store shared gear and issue it to players. Show donors the total cost, funds already set aside and the remaining gap.

Keep new paid gifts separate from unpaid promises. If the supplier needs a deposit, check that enough funds will arrive by that date. Explain what happens if gifts exceed the goal or fall short.

2. Teach a beginner stick-skills clinic

Pick one age group and a short lesson plan. Coaches could teach scooping ground balls, passing and catching. Confirm suitable sticks and balls for the group. Count the loaner gear before opening signups.

Name adults for coaching, check-in and pickup. Set the entry limit around the field, equipment and coaches you have. Team athletes can show a skill, but adults should lead. Confirm the exact event rules and coverage with your program and insurer. The USA Lacrosse insurance page is a starting resource, not approval for your clinic.

Here is a made-up budget. Twenty-four paid places at $20 bring in $480. Assume the field costs $100, supplies cost $40 and fees total $15. The clinic keeps $325. This assumes volunteer coaches, gear already on hand and no other costs. Replace each input with your own quote; add staff pay, refunds or other charges if needed.

3. Hold a target-shoot pledge event

Let the coach choose a fixed number of attempts and a target suited to the group. Use a target without a live goalie. Mark a waiting area and keep it clear of shots. Stop all shooting before anyone collects balls.

A supporter can make a flat gift or pledge per successful shot. State the rate and a separate cap for each supporter for each player. For example, ten hits at $2 would be $20, but a $15 cap makes that supporter’s bill $15.

Use coded tally sheets and keep contact details private. Assign someone to confirm counts and send each supporter the amount due. Do not count a pledge as cash until it is paid.

4. Offer an adult-led stick-stringing day

Ask a skilled adult which jobs they can accept and finish. Agree on the service price, material cost and team share. Take a limited number of bookings so unfinished sticks do not pile up before a game.

Label each stick with an owner code, requested work and pickup date. Record its condition at drop-off. Keep personal contact details in a private list. Ask the player and coach to check the finished stick against their game rules.

This idea depends on real skill. If no qualified adult can do the work, ask a local shop about a written service partnership or choose another fundraiser. Do not let a volunteer learn repairs on a player’s game stick.

5. Sell one home-game sponsor package

Get school, club and venue approval before offering field signs or announcements. List each benefit you can deliver. A small package might include an entrance sign and a thank-you in the approved game program.

Keep signs away from playing areas, access routes and score-table sightlines. Put the artwork deadline, size, installation job and removal job in writing. Name a backup benefit if weather cancels the game.

A travel club may have no home venue to offer. In that case, use a team-owned channel only after its owner approves the placement. Do not sell field space you do not control.

6. Take fanwear preorders

Offer one shirt and one warmer layer for sideline use. Show a size chart, full price, closing date and delivery plan. Use original or approved artwork, and have a second adult check names before printing.

Ask the supplier what the team keeps after all charges. Confirm minimum orders, shipping, returns and payout timing. If one bulk order goes to the manager, include sorting and pickup in the work plan.

Collect paid orders before buying stock if the supplier allows it. A promised delivery date needs supplier confirmation, especially when buyers want gear for a tournament.

7. Work a paid shift for a tournament host

Ask an established host whether it pays groups to handle setup, admission or cleanup. Get the tasks, hours and team payment in writing. Confirm who trains the crew and who handles questions during the shift.

Score-table or field roles may need experience. Do not assign someone just because they are free that hour. Ask the host to define the job and required skills first.

Keep player duties separate from volunteer shifts. A parent covering two fields cannot also leave for their child’s warmup. Name a backup and confirm the payment date before filling the roster.

8. Match gifts toward a team travel bill

Separate team costs from family bills. Entry fees and coach rooms may belong in the team budget; private family rooms should not be added unless the team has agreed to pay them.

Ask one donor to match gifts up to a written cap. State the rate, start and end dates, and when the donor will pay. For a dollar-for-dollar match capped at $400, $500 in paid gifts earns at most $400 from the donor. The total is $900 before costs.

Check tournament housing and refund terms before choosing the goal. Report paid gifts and the match payment separately until both reach the account. This is an added part of an appeal, not a second event to staff.

9. Sell clean, outgrown gear

Collect team clothing, bags and clean shoes during one drop-off window. Keep used helmets and protective gear out of this sale. State what you accept so volunteers are not left sorting items they cannot offer.

Decide whether goods are donated to the team or sold for an owner who receives a share. Label sizes and prices before buyers arrive. Use space away from field entrances and team check-in.

Choose where leftovers will go and who will take them. A free-item table can help families if the donors agree. Do not leave unsold goods for the last volunteer to store at home.

10. Bring alumni back for an exhibition

Confirm player interest before booking a field. Choose a format the event owner approves for the players involved. Set the roster limit and end time, then confirm officials, coverage and medical plans.

Give one adult responsibility for the whole event. Name others for admissions, the table, field setup and cleanup. Players in the exhibition should not also be the only people running it.

Work out what each paid ticket leaves after per-guest costs. Subtract costs such as a ticket fee or included food from the ticket price. Divide fixed costs by that amount, then round up to find the paid tickets needed to cover costs. If each ticket leaves nothing, change the budget before selling.

For a made-up example, $300 in fixed costs and a $10 ticket with $2 in per-guest costs means $8 left per ticket. $300 ÷ $8 = 37.5, so you need 38 paid tickets to cover costs. This assumes all event costs are included. Free guests still use space and may add costs.

Check the event’s approved capacity separately from the budget. Set a go/no-go date and written refund terms. Skip this option if it takes every available coach away from current players.