12 Elite Track and Field Fundraising Ideas to Raise Money

When it comes to a sport like track and field, there’s no shortage of fundraising needs. You have your track of course, long jump pit, uniforms, registration fees, equipment like batons and throwing apparatuses, pole vault mats, significant staffing needs, and even things like track and field lighting which Charlottesville HS in Virginia needed. There’s so much to the sport of track and field.

That’s why coaches turn to us and say things like, “we need to fundraise more than $20,000” this year. The good news is track and field teams are often one of the sports with the most student-athletes participating. The more you have on your team, the higher your fundraiser ceiling.

In this blog we’re going to show you some unique ways to fundraise for your track and field team, highlight some success stories, and most importantly tell you how to make the most of your fundraiser.

Track and Field Crowdfunding

Raise money online fast. That’s it. Crowdfunding is often the most successful fundraiser out there for track and field teams because of what we just discussed; A higher number of student-athletes that leads to a high ceiling for fundraising.

We’ve implemented ways to make high-level fundraising something that takes only a few hours of your time TOTAL. That’s right, TOTAL. 

• 15 minute demo.
• 30 minutes to import all of your student-athletes.
• Monitor your fundraising process.
• Automated close-out process.
• Dedicated customer service support contact.

There are fundraisers out there that take so much effort to pull off; golf outings, car washes, mattress sales. This is one that doesn’t take much of your time and you can raise five figures easily.

Calendar Fundraiser for Track and Field Teams

A track and field calendar fundraiser has similar upside and simplicity as a crowdfunding campaign. Each track and field student-athlete gets their own unique sharable link, you can track everyone’s process on one easy dashboard, and over 96% goes directly back to your team. 

One of our big fundraisers was Sequoyah Track and Field out of Georgia who successfully used the calendars to raise over $23,000. 

The difference is that in a calendar fundraiser, your donors are selecting days on a calendar that correspond to a certain dollar amount. That’s the amount they’re going to donate. They can also donate a custom amount. 

We’ve seen teams raise $50,000 and then some with calendar fundraisers and your team could be next.

Make Your Own Pizza Night

Here is a fundraiser that maybe doesn’t have the five figure potential that a calendar fundraiser might have, but man it’s a fun one. Rent out space in a kitchen or a school cafeteria for a make your own pizza night.

Families can pay a registration fee to cover necessities like dough, sauce, toppings, and of course a little on top for fundraising efforts. From there, just set up a time, lay out ingredients and let families make and take home their custom pizzas, and if you have access to an oven can even make the pizzas and eat them there.

The Mattress Fundraiser

Here’s a fundraiser that could be done yearly to benefit your track and field team. You need a space and then partner with a mattress business to provide kickback to your team.

Everybody needs a mattress, and while mattresses aren’t a yearly purchase for people, there are enough people looking at mattresses each year to provide a steady rotating group of potential buyers.

Pre-marketing the event is key here. Mattresses are high profit items given the nature of their business, so there is a chance for significant business with the amount of people a track and field program can bring in the door.

Host Your Own Meet

Running a track and field meet takes time, effort, your full coaching staff, participation from athletes, and maybe even some volunteers. You also need a stadium to host and upkept facilities. If you can check off those boxes, you need to be hosting your own meet or invitational.

At minimum, it’s an easy way to make your program money. Concessions and ticket prices alone can raise thousands of dollars for your program, especially in track and field where with teams of 50+ athletes, that’s 50+ families from each team walking through the gates.

Track and field student-athletes can assist by moving hurdles, assisting with registration, moving starting blocks, when they’re not competing of course.

Traditional Resale Fundraisers

Cookie dough, popcorn, submarine sandwiches, candy bars, and anybody remember Smencils? Yeah every one of us participated in traditional resale fundraisers. In these types of fundraisers you’re taking a product and going out to friends, family, even door-to-door, and selling them.

Now the biggest kicker with these fundraisers is that:

1. Most of the profits don’t go to you, they’re often going to a national brand with no community connection.
2. Prices are often overinflated, which in a world where everything is already overinflated, that’s a deterrent to fundraising.

So when doing these fundraisers, keep that in mind. With that said, there is a place for them especially when paired with digital fundraisers.

Looking for some seasonal fundraising ideas? Check out our fall fundraising ideas!

The “A-thon” - Walkathons, Color Runs, and 5ks

Did you know that a walkathon is simply a play on the word marathon? A walking marathon. The good news is that in a track and field program there should be no shortage of interest in a-thon events like 5ks. 

Events like color runs and walkathons allow for family style distance events where you can do pledge based fundraising.

A 5k and color run can both be held on 5k course. A walk-a-thon though, because it’s pledge based, has the ability to go on as long as you want. So consider using your local track to see just how many miles your athlete can walk (or run). 

Food Truck Night at a Home Meet

This one is both a community-builder and a fundraiser. Partner with local food trucks and invite them to park outside your stadium during a home meet. Negotiate a percentage of proceeds to come back to your track and field program. Families, fans, and athletes will love the variety, and trucks benefit from the guaranteed traffic. 

It may even draw people in just for the food trucks.

Sponsor a Hurdle or Lane

Sell sponsorships to local businesses for hurdles, starting blocks, or even lanes on your track. A banner with their logo on “Lane 5” or a sign on the back of a hurdle gives lasting visibility. 

Not only does this raise money, but it also builds ongoing partnerships with community businesses that could support future seasons.

You can add sponsorships anywhere as long as it’s safe and authorized to do so. Fences, team trailers, your stadium. Maybe the easiest way to generate funds.

Track and Field Mini-Camp

Run a weekend youth camp for elementary or middle school students, this should be a staple of your program if it isn’t already. Each camper pays a registration fee and learns the basics in sprinting, hurdles, jumping, and throwing from your high school athletes and coaches. 

These types of fundraisers are best run in the summer when kids aren’t in school or competing in other school sports.

Concession Stand Theme Nights

Upgrade your normal concession stand with themed menus. For example, “Pasta Night,” “Breakfast for Dinner,” or “BBQ at the Track.” The key here is to set higher price points since it’s a special occasion. Themed nights give families a reason to eat at the meet instead of grabbing something on the way home.

QR Codes and Donation Pages

Our last idea is possibly the easiest. Setting up Teamfi donation pages with your program is super easy. Everything goes to one page with one simple URL on it.

Take that donation page QR code and put it on programs, tickets, and even in the stands at home games. Raise money without lifting a finger. It acts just like a crowdfunding campaign, but even simpler.

Why is digital fundraising so good? Hear from coaches why they think it’s so easy.

I Hear You, and I’m Ready to Fundraise…

Great, whether you’re going the digital route or something a little more old school, you can have a great fundraising campaign for your track and field program.

Let us know how we can help you by getting started with a calendar fundraiser, crowdfunding campaign, or track and field fundraising through a donation page.