Fund raiser ideas for high school football teams

A list of basic, low-impact ways to raise money for your high school or high youth level football program.

By Edward Bauer Football is the most expensive of the three major sports participated in by American youth. While basketball shoes can exceed $200, the majority of equipment necessary for that sport is well within a reasonable price range; baseball bats and gloves can each exceed $50, with spikes running into triple digits, but the entire package still remains cheaper for a school or club to institute than a football program.

Because a football program can be so costly to run, fundraising is a necessity. But how can it be effective?

The Internet: There's an answer to most modern-day problems on the Internet, and effective football fundraisers is no exception. Visit this site http://www.stepbystepfundraising.com/fundraising/high-school-football-fundraisers.htm or simply type in the term "High School Football Fundraising" on any notable search engine.

Date Auction: One of the perceived draws of high school football for boys is that it makes them more attractive to girls, both by placing them in a socially recognized sport (football games usually center a high school's social life for the first half of the year) and helping them become physically fit. An effective fundraiser, then, is a Date Auction. Use the high school cafeteria or gym on a Thursday or Friday night and "auction" off dates with the players. You need a comical MC, who introduces players one at a time as they come out to pre-selected music. Participants in the audience are given placards that they raise as the MC calls out bids; once the bidding is closed on a particular player, the winner must pay immediately at a station to the side of the stage. The logistics of the date are then ironed out.

Kickball / Dodgeball: Pit the football team against another popular team (basketball / baseball / soccer) in a kickball or dodgeball contest, and charge $1 per student to view the game. A successful approach at some schools is to have the cheerleading squad challenge the football team to a dodgeball game, with an entrance fee of $1 to $2. The lower admission fee and novelty of the concept will increase attendance.

Car Wash: Combine the football team and cheerleaders, and you've cornered the market. Saturday afternoons are a popular time for errands, and cars are frequently dirty, especially early into a weekend. Spontaneous, cheap car washes tend to be a good fundraiser because it's a service people realize they need, but haven't budgeted the time or money to actually get. When they see attractive young people willing to scrub their car for a minimal price, lines will begin to snake around the block.

Weigh Off: Challenge classes to bring in pennies and other loose change. Pick your heftiest football player. If the total weight of the change brought in by the school exceeds the heaviest player, there's a school-wide reward (universal free period, concert on the lawn, etc). Either way, the football team keeps all the money.

Dance Marathon: Very few concepts are as appealing to high school students as being able to stay out all night without your parents once questioning where you are. Hence, a Dance Marathon is a sellable idea. It occurs overnight in the gym or cafeteria, and features various shifts of theme music --- for example, 1 hour of rap followed by 1 hour of alternative and 1 hour of country. Participants earn pledges per hour that they dance, and collect the total amount of money following the Marathon. Since all you need is the space, some extra security, and music, this is a low-cost, potentially high-reward option.

Alternative Dinners: Most high school football programs have a traditional team dinner which doubles as a fundraising event, but the overall idea can become bland. Try changing the approach to draw more people. One example is an "Around the World" dinner, where team members from different cultural backgrounds prepare meals unique to their heritage. Massive potluck dinners also reduce the cost linked with the team, allowing the amount gained to be higher.

Disgusting Challenges: Even prior to the inception of NBC's "Fear Factor," people of all ages have been fascinated by gross-out challenges. If you have an easy-going faculty, one potential idea is this: charge students $1 to vote for specified faculty members to perform a nasty task, such as "Kiss a Pig" or "Eat a Worm." Once the two-week voting period is over, the winning teacher must perform the objective in a school-wide setting. It's alright, though --- the football team will probably have raised close to $1,000, if that helps the worm go down any easier.