How to choose.
Answer four questions first. How much do you need, and by when? How many parent hours can the team really give? Can you spend money before you earn any? And can you reach people beyond the team's own families? A team that needs a lot quickly leans on sponsors or an event. A team short on volunteers leans on fundraisers that run from a shared link.
15 fundraisers side by side.
| Fundraiser | Money it can raise | Parent work | Upfront cost | Reaches beyond the team | Legal rules | Best timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hosting a tournament | High | High | High | High | Medium | Off-season or holiday breaks |
| Local business sponsorship | High | Medium | Low | Medium | Low | Before the season, when budgets are set |
| Silent auction | High | High | Low | Medium | Low | Around a banquet or tournament |
| Crowdfunding or donation page | Medium | Low | Low | High | Low | Any; best with a specific goal |
| 50/50 draw | Medium | Medium | Low | Medium | High (licence) | Home games and tournaments; needs a licence first |
| Player sponsor letters | Medium | Medium | Low | High | Low | Before the season |
| Community event (BBQ, pancake breakfast) | Medium | High | Medium | High | Medium | Summer and holidays |
| Product sales (chocolate, cookie dough, catalogues) | Medium | High | Medium | Medium | Low | Fall and holiday season |
| Raffle | Medium | High | Low | High | High (licence) | Any; needs a licence first |
| Referral fundraising (Sideline DJ team page) | Low | Low | Low | High | Low | Any; works best when the product fits the audience |
| Restaurant night | Low | Low | Low | High | Low | Any |
| Shopping cashback (FlipGive-style) | Low | Low | Low | Medium | Low | Holiday shopping peaks |
| Skills competition or shootout | Low | Medium | Low | Medium | Low | Any |
| Car wash | Low | High | Low | High | Low | Summer |
| Bottle drive | Low | High | Low | Medium | Low | Spring and fall; weather dependent |
The best fundraisers for your situation.
- Least parent work: Crowdfunding or donation page, Referral fundraising, Restaurant night, Shopping cashback.
- No upfront cost: Local business sponsorship, Crowdfunding or donation page, Player sponsor letters, Bottle drive.
- Biggest earners: Hosting a tournament, Local business sponsorship, Silent auction. Expect more planning and more volunteers.
- Reaching people beyond your families: Car wash, Community event, Crowdfunding or donation page, Hosting a tournament.
Most teams do best with a mix: one bigger earner, such as a sponsor or an event, plus one or two low-effort fundraisers that keep going all season without a meeting.
Raffles and 50/50 draws.
Raffles and 50/50 draws can raise good money at home games and tournaments, but they are lotteries. In most provinces and states they need a gaming licence, with rules on who can run them, how tickets are sold and how the money is used. Check with your provincial or state gaming authority and your association before you sell a ticket.
Local business sponsorship.
A business pays the team in return for recognition: a banner at the rink, a logo on jerseys or a thank-you in team posts. It often raises the most for the least ongoing effort, but it takes asking. Approach businesses before the season, when they set budgets, with a short, specific offer.
Referral fundraising: where it fits.
Referral fundraising pays the team when people it refers buy something. Sideline DJ runs one: any youth team, in any sport, can start a page, and earns $10 for each new family whose first Sideline DJ Pass comes through it. It takes almost no parent time and reaches far beyond the roster. It raises less than a sponsor or an event, though, and only adds up if your community includes families who run music at hockey and ringette games. Treat it as a steady extra, not your main fundraiser. How team fundraising with Sideline DJ works.
Looking after the money.
Keep fundraising money in a team account, not a parent's personal account, with two people able to see it. Record what came in and what it paid for, and share a simple summary with families. How money can be used or split between players often depends on your association's rules and, for registered organizations, on tax rules, so check your association's policy first.
Questions teams ask.
What is the best fundraiser for a youth sports team?
There is no single best one. Match the fundraiser to how much you need, how much parent time you have and whether you can spend money up front. Many teams pair one bigger event or a business sponsor with one or two low-effort fundraisers that run all season.
What fundraisers take the least work from parents?
Online donation pages, restaurant nights, shopping cashback programs and referral fundraising ask the least of parent volunteers: set them up once and share a link. They usually raise less per family than an event or a sponsorship, so they work best alongside one bigger effort.
Do we need a licence to run a raffle or 50/50 draw?
Usually, yes. Raffles and 50/50 draws are lotteries, and in most provinces and states they need a licence from the gaming authority, with rules on who can run them and how the money is used. Check with your provincial or state gaming authority, and your association, before selling a ticket.
What is referral fundraising?
Referral fundraising pays a team when people it refers buy something. With Sideline DJ, a team shares its page and earns $10 for each new family whose first Sideline DJ Pass comes through it. It takes almost no parent time, but it only raises meaningful money if the team knows plenty of people who need the product.
How can a youth team raise money without selling products?
Business sponsorship, donation pages, restaurant nights, community events, cashback programs and referral fundraising all raise money without anyone selling a product door to door. Sponsorship usually raises the most of these; the online options take the least work.
Running game-day music for your team too? See the game-day music guide.