I'm thinking about doing a program/poster fundraiser where my players so seek sponsors to put in the program/poster. Has anyone done this before?
My concerns are few: how do I get basketball players to get "into" it when they'll still be in season?; will seniors be motivated when I want to use money raised for a dug-out they'll not see before they complete the season?; and how do I know that this will be a success, but in turn be a failure?

Squeeze, A Program/Yearbook was the biggest fundraiser for my son's HS team. On our team each player had an amount they were responsible to pay or to work Bingo. Then they had a separate amount that they were required to either pay out of pocket or sell that amount in adds (of course they could do a combo of funds as well). The fundraising responsibilities were explained and info given out when your son made the team in the middle of February.

We had different size ads that we sold from business card size to full page. Myself and another mom did the book for several years. We required all ads to be "camera ready". We (she really) would scan everything and then used Pagemaker. I took photos during the season and we also had a real photographer contact that always gave us some as well. Our standard traditions were each senior had a page. The seniors also were on the outside cover. Inside we would have rosters (last couple of years we didn't distinguish between Var and JV) as well as a "team" picture including JV and Varsity. The ads would be laid out throughout the book with pictures filling spots. We tried to incorporate as many pictures as we could justify. Remember each page that you print will obviously increase your cost. Because we gave the book to the printer on a disk ready to go, the printing costs were decreased. We also had a printer that gave us a very good rate. The book would be done shortly after season, with the exception of one year when we were state runner up - we waited to include everything from that special season and didn't have the books completed (printed) until about six weeks after the end of the season. Then each player gets a book as well as each advertiser.

Hopefully, your seniors will see it as a part of their legacy just like a winning season or mentoring their younger teammates.

Feel free to ask me or PM if you have any specific questions. Like I said, the books were always a great fundraiser, but also provide a very special memory for the kids for each year.

If anyone can't tell from the effort placed in the above post, nobody shares better than lafmom! She is simply the best

My only contribution to this topic is to suggest an alternative or in conjunction with your idea. The chief money making venture in our parts is a reverse raffel. These typically raise several thousand dollars or more and are fairly easy to sell tickets for. I am available for PM if you need more information.

Cleveland Dad,
Yeah, I'd like to discuss that w/you. How do I get a hold of you?

Just one piece of advice on some of the fundraising things, make sure that none of your plans run afoul of your states charitable gaming laws (if you have them). Some places make you have a license to conduct certain types of raffles and such. There is usually a state agency that runs charitable gaming, you can probably get the info on the web. The last thing you want is to lose your profits from something because you get fined by the state!

lafmom,
Were your pictures color or B&W?

Squeeze, The outside of the cover was done in color (color stock with colored printing usually). We had a different design every year, but like I said, we always incorporated the seniors pictures on the outside cover. Inside we would do one side of one page (printing page - so in the book, you're actually talking about two of the pages) in color and that would include the group picture of both JV and Varsity teams and then a picture of just the seniors. Other than that it was only black and white. Our team budget was very large (maybe JohnLex has an old one and can find the numbers of the budget as well as how much the programs made for us)and again the program was the biggest fundraiser.

If you have serious interest in doing it, let me know and I'll try to round up an old program and mail it to you. PM me with your address. The biggest ingredients for this project are having coaches and AD that support and recognize your fundraising efforts and will requirethe players to participate. In our program it was understood that you have a certain amount to fundraise or buy out if you're going to be on the team. Without everyone "bellying up" fundraisers can end up a bust. It would also be advisable to talk with 2-3 printers in your area now for prices and ask what they would need. Then if you can find a parent volunteer that's computer savy and use the software compatible with that printer - you're way ahead.

Hi squeeze,

I just saw this note. Call me at home if you like at 440-975-0837 and my name is Dan. Otherwise, send me your number and I'll call you.

Squeeze, I couldn't find an old budget, but our team typically had 36 players and each were responsible for $600 in program ads or buy out. If I have calculated correctly, that is $21,600. Again, it has to be made clear to each family, that is their responsbility and they are required to participate fully. We paid just under $3,000 to have the program printed. Gives you some numbers to consider.

lafmom, first - thanks for the #'s. Next, does your school have pay-to-play? If not, I don't know how any coach could say "your responsible for such-n-such amount or buy it." That's great if it works for you, but we're not a play-to-pay school, so I don't know if I can mandate something like that.

Squeeze, We don't have that term here, but basically all of our athletic programs are pay to play. The school system gives a tiny bit of money to athletics (I think the head coaches TINY salary). However, the reason I pointed out how important to have the involvement of the entire team is that some coaches and booster club presidents oversee that process better than others. It's just understood in our baseball program what the expectation is. I think it's a fair one BECAUSE everyone is given the option of paying or do the fundraising, so technically there can be no money out of pocket. In addition to the program, our boys have had to either pay $600-$800 or work the bingo equivalent for the year. Not all programs at my son's school have the cooperation of parents like the baseball program does. Parents and players can be given the choice too - do you want to play such and such number of games, do you want to travel to Florida on spring break, do you want to replace pants that have no bottom to them anymore, etc. If so, then this is what will be required.

Please don't hesitate to let me know if I can do anything further to assist. You can always do a program on a smaller scale also.

lafmom,
you're simply awesome! I wish I had moms like you in my program. But back to the issue; see, I sord of knew that you guys were in the "pay-to-play" program, because around here it's just getting started. We're given around $1,000 to opperate the baseball program (doesn't include umps or coaches "big" salaries -lol). So, to mandate that kids have to raise the enormous tag you guys have would be shot down like a duck in hunting season.

I guess that some of it depends on what you are used to. Parents in our town are used to significant fundraising for the little kids leagues. The league that my son played in had hundreds of kids from 5-12 and three lighted fields and two non-lighted fields, so maintenance of those is a bit expensive. On the high school side, there isn't a sport here at any of the public high schools that I know of that doesn't have some sort of fundraising requirement or some amount to pay to play. It may vary per sport, but I think everyone here just expects it. It's very different from when I was growing up, that's for sure.

JohnLex7,
Around here, most athletic systems only allow 2, maybe lucky if 3, fund raisers a year. Since Football is king in Ohio, a lot of people don't feel it's a necessity to ask for money in the little sports. Now, for summer ball people realize money is "needed" because tax $$$ isn't being put into it, therefore it's alright to solicit for summer ball.