12 Simple Tennis Fundraising Ideas For Your Program

The world of tennis expands from the clay courts of eastern Europe to the hard courts found in American municipal parks and outside of high school. No matter where you are in the world, no matter your skill level, tennis is an expensive sport to play. 

Tennis athletes face costs of over $1,000 a year on average to participate. When you take an entire team of tennis players, all of a sudden, that number skyrockets.

Everything from tennis rackets to travelling for tournaments, snacks, a tent for your team, entry fees. These add up quickly.

So you need a fundraiser idea. That’s why you’re here! We’re here to help. Everything from calendar fundraisers which are some of the most efficient fundraisers out there, to program must haves like tennis skills clinics.

Tennis Fundraising Idea No. 1 - Tennis Calendar Fundraiser

A calendar fundraiser is one of the easiest ways to raise money quickly. You’ve got a calendar in front of you with different days to choose from, and supporters claim their spots by paying the amount shown on the calendar. For example, day 18 equals a $18 donation, day 21 is a $21 donation, and so on.

It’s how Vicksburg Girls Tennis raised over $5,500! Yes, a tennis team can pull in thousands thanks to the power of digital fundraising.

What Vicksburg did was take the pen and paper style fundraiser they’ve done in the past and brought it online. From there, they added a logo, team photo, and then each player would blog in pictures of them playing tennis. Small adjustments like that are what it takes to turn an average fundraiser into one that’s raising thousands of dollars.

Tennis Fundraising Idea No. 2. Serve-a-Thon

An A-thon fundraiser is an increasingly popular form of fundraising. Participants complete a specific activity like walking, hitting a baseball or softball, running, or even reading.

Similar to a walk-a-thon, players rally for pledges on the tennis court. How many straight rallies can you do? How many straight volleys can you do? Grab a radar gun and see how fast you can serve the ball. Families, friends, and alumni pledge per rally or make flat donations, and they can come out to watch.

Charge $5 to attend! People will pay for it because it’s unique. It’s different. Most importantly, they want to support your program.

Tennis Fundraising Idea No. 3. Tennis Skills Clinic

This idea is essentially the same as hosting a summer camp, which if you’re a tennis program, you should definitely do! Collaborate with members of your team to see who is available and wants to help teach local kids some tennis skills. 

Charge a registration fee that goes to the program and include snacks, drinks, and a t-shirt. The apparel part is important to spread the word about your program to others potentially interested in tennis.

Summer camps help keep kids active during the summer months, yes. Let’s just call it what it is too, it’s a fundraiser. There’s nothing wrong with raising money for your program while giving parents the opportunity to get their kids involved. That’s what active fundraising is all about.

Tennis Fundraising Idea No. 4. Color Run

A color run is one of the most popular and family-friendly ways to raise money for a tennis program. It’s like a 5k run or walk, but with a colorful twist.

Participants sign up for a short fun run or walk, and throughout the course volunteers toss safe, brightly colored powder on them. It’s not about running fast, it’s a family event 100%. 

A color run is an event that appeals to all ages. Interested? Get answers to all your questions about color runs and how to run them.

Tennis Fundraising Idea No. 5. Hit-a-Target Challenge

In basketball, there’s a fun halftime game called pop-a-shot. There, kids pay something small like a dollar to shoot a basketball from the three point line and try to make it. If they win, they get a two-liter of pop. You can do this with things like bags of chips too. 

Now a two-liter of pop can cost just over a dollar with bulk purchasing, and if on average one in five participants makes a three pointer, you’re averaging around two dollars profit every five shots taken.

Now imagine something similar in tennis.

Set up targets on the court and charge participants to try hitting them with a serve or forehand. Offer small prizes like a two-liter of pop or snacks. 

This can be added to any team event or another community gathering. It’s fun for players and non-players alike, making it an easy add-on fundraiser.

Tennis Fundraising Idea No. 6. Sponsorship Banners

A must do for any program, but tennis is a sport where your fences around the courts provide a perfect space to hang up banners. 

We’ve seen teams here in Michigan where we’re located do this to great success. For example, Forest Hills Northern has their sponsors up on the fenceline. There’s a reason they’re one of the most successful programs in the state, and fundraising and facilities are a big part of that.

Sponsorships give your program the look and feel of a high powered program and help you secure recurring support each season. Most sponsors will come back year after year. It’s especially valuable if your courts see a lot of traffic both during the season and after.

Tennis Fundraising Idea No. 7. Tennis Program Fun Night

Organize a program fun night! You can host at a local sports bar and could even schedule around one of the major tournaments like the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, or a college football game with your local college playing on the big screens. 

To make the evening engaging, add extra activities like a trivia contest based on tennis history, famous players, and even fun facts about your own program. Trivia works well because it keeps guests entertained and builds friendly competition among tables. Admission tickets can be priced to cover the basic costs of food and the venue so that all other money raised goes directly to your program.

The highlight of the night should be a silent auction with donated items from local businesses, tennis gear, or even experiences such as private lessons from your coaches or players. Silent auctions often generate the largest share of revenue at these types of events since supporters are motivated to bid generously knowing it benefits the team. 

Our donation pages are a way to collect payment after the event if you need an app that takes credit card payments for example.

Tennis Fundraising Idea No. 8. Team Merchandise Sales

In a sport that doesn’t always get the love it deserves, help change that with tennis themed apparel and merchandise. Items like T-shirts, hoodies, hats, and water bottles with your logo give fans and families a chance to show their support both on and off the court. The key is to select products people will actually use and wear. Comfortable apparel and everyday items also serve as walking billboards for your tennis team.

To make your merchandise fundraiser successful, think beyond just selling at matches. Online stores are a smart way to avoid holding extra inventory and ensure every order is profitable. Many apparel companies are willing to provide this.

Finally, make the purchasing process easy. Whether you set up an online store or use a digital fundraising platform, families and alumni should be able to order in just a few clicks. This expands your reach far beyond the stands and ensures grandparents, relatives, and former players across the country can support your program. 

Tennis Fundraising Idea No. 9. Community Cleanup Day

Partner with your school or local parks department to host a tennis team cleanup day. 

In exchange, ask for donations from families, alumni, or community sponsors.

• Research. Find areas in your community that could benefit from landscaping, cleanup, or cosmetic improvements like a fresh coat of paint. 
• Preparation. Your athletes volunteer to take on these tasks with the idea that with big numbers, like 12 kids, tasks can get done rather quickly and efficiently.
• Action. Approach the businesses and locations and offer to take on these tasks for a specific donation. When the business or organization says yes and donates, then you knock it out.

Not only does this raise money, but it shows your program’s commitment to giving back, which inspires more donor support.

Tennis Fundraising Idea No. 10. Alumni or Exhibition Tennis Match

Put on a showcase match featuring your top players, alumni, or even coaches. Admission costs for a tennis match aren’t usually the norm, and it’s part of why fundraising is so essential for a tennis program. 

Most state guidelines prohibit charging admission for an exhibition match, but what you can do is do a “recommended donation” to your tennis program as a form of entry. Not required, but most people are willing to donate and then some.

Again, like a serve-a-thon, people are willing to pay money for something unique. In this case, maybe you have a coach play a player, or an alumni who played at college compete against your number one singles. Just have fun with it!

Tennis Fundraising Idea No. 11. Digital Crowdfunding Campaign

Digital crowdfunding lets you reach donors far beyond your immediate community. Using Teamfi’s state of the art software, players can share their campaign through text, email, and social media. Each link provides player information and your tennis team’s logo. 

We’ve put those tools in for a reason. It increases fundraising plain and simple. It’s a free feature and easy to use.

Families, particularly sports families, often have connections spread out across the country. Crowdfunding captures that support and can raise thousands in a matter of weeks.

Tennis Fundraising Idea No. 12. Concession Stand at Matches

A concession stand at a tennis match? Not something you typically see, but that’s simply because a lot of programs don’t have a facility for concessions. There are ways to make it happen though.

First, make sure people know about it! Even if they aren’t big tennis people, the draw of 3-4 food trucks that aren’t usually there is enough to bring a lot of people out on their own.

Whether the food truck pays a certain amount to set up shop next to the courts or offers some sort of profit split, either way there’s a way to both benefit the food trucks and your program.

Additionally you can run a small concession table with simple pre-packaged snacks like granola bars, trail mix, cookies, chips, as well as drinks like water and sports drinks.

So You’re Ready to Start Fundraising?

You’ve seen our tennis fundraising ideas and now you’re ready to get the ball rolling. Only you can decide what’s best for your program, but we’re here to help if we can. 

If an a-thon, digital fundraiser, or calendar is something intriguing to you, reach out and we can get started!