Fill My Football Fundraiser FAQs – Coach-Approved Answers

If you’ve ever struggled to find a fundraiser that’s simple, low-cost, and actually works, meet the “Fill My Football” fundraiser. Based on the wildly successful “Fill My Bow” concept used by cheer teams, this football-focused version is fast becoming one of the top fundraising trends of 2026. It's a visual and interactive football fundraiser that can be successful for football teams of all levels.

Below, we answer the most common questions teams ask before launching one:

The Top Questions Asked About Running A Fill My Football Fundraiser

What is a Fill My Football fundraiser?

A Fill My Football fundraiser is a fundraiser that can be done as a digital Fill My Football or on pen and paper version where participants try to collect donations for each space in a football to fill the entire football.

For the digital version, the football graphic has 30 spaces ranging from $5-$100 and raises a total of $740 for each football that is fully filled. When a supporter donates a space on the football, they can leave their name to show their support. Additionally, once a space is already donated it turns green, showing everyone that that spaces is already accounted for.

‍For the pen and paper version, the football graphic contains 20 dollar amounts ranging from $10 to $50. Each time a donor chooses one of the amounts, they fill in their name, and that amount is now “claimed.” The total is what is donated to your organization. Once all the amounts are filled, your team member has raised $430.

In both cases (digital and paper), It’s visual, goal-driven, and motivating for both donors and athletes – making it an great football fundraising option for teams of all sizes.

How do I get the free paper Fill My Football template?

Easy. Just head over to our free Fill My Football fundraiser template, enter your email, and we’ll send you a ready-to-print version instantly. It’s easy to print and ready to distribute to your fundraiser participants.

Looking to explore the digital version? Check out our digital Fill My Football page or book a live demo and we'll walk you through it in 15 minutes or less.

How much can our team expect to raise?

Each completed paper football brings in $430. Multiply that by every athlete on your roster and the potential adds up quickly. A 25-player team could raise over $10,000 with this fundraiser alone, and that’s without any upfront cost.

The digital version brings in $740 per football. With that same math as above, a 25 player team could raise close to $20,000 in a single digital fill my football fundraiser.

What groups is this fundraiser effective for?

It’s not just football teams that can use the “Fill My Football” fundraiser. Maybe you’re just looking for a fun themed fundraiser with a simple task? We’ve got plenty of other “Fill My” options in the works, one of our popular current ones is our cheerleading themed “Fill My Bow”.

It’s good for teams varsity, JV, middle school. We've even seen baseball teams, dance studios, and elementary PTOs customize the idea. If your supporters understand the goal and want to help, the format translates easily.

How is this different from traditional fundraising?

Traditional fundraisers often rely on selling products. Many times these products are things many don’t even need. Overpriced popcorn bundles, candles, and magazines.

Fill My Football (both digital and paper template versions) eliminate all of that. There’s no inventory, no product delivery, and no third-party taking a big cut. Instead, donations go directly to the team.

What makes it stand out is the personal interaction. Athletes either hand out or text their fundraiser depending on whether you’re going pen and paper or digital, explain the cause, and thank supporters.

Research shows that adults overwhelmingly see programs like youth sports as invaluable. People pick what they’re comfortable with. You’d be surprised how many go big just to help a kid hit their goal.

Can this fundraiser be done digitally?

Yes. If paper feels too old-school, Teamfi offers a digital option – the digital Fill My Football fundraiser. It builds on the pen and paper version and layers on all the best parts of digital fundraising: its easily sharable with a link, all donations and spaces are automatically tracked, its both mobile and web friendly, and it's still completely free (no platform fees).

Want to upgrade to digital? Book a 10-minute demo and we’ll walk you through it.

When is the best time to run a Fill My Football fundraiser?

You can launch a Fill My Football fundraiser any time, but the most successful campaigns usually run during:

• Preseason as parents, fans, and student-athletes are eagerly waiting for the season to start.
  Homecoming week, often one of the most attended games of the season.
• Right before the postseason, as fans are most engaged with your season. One of the many fundraising tips coaches gave us in our e-book, which you can read for free.
• The holidays. It may seem counterintuitive. Season over. Starting back up in six months or more. 34% of Americans give back exclusively during the holiday season though, so something to consider!
  

Some programs even have two fundraising time periods, once in the fall and once in the spring. Speaking of fall, here’s 20 fun fall fundraising ideas for you!

How do we track who paid and who didn’t?

For paper-based campaigns, most coaches simply attach a payment checklist to each participant’s form or have athletes collect donations on the spot using Venmo, Cash App, or PayPal. That is then turned in by the player or fundraiser participant.

One downside of pen and paper fundraisers is the work that goes into tracking who has donated, live updates of which one of your fundraiser participants is putting in the work, and having younger people handling large sums of money, it’s a lot to think about.

That’s why the digital Fill My Football where donations are tracked instantaneously are appealing. When your fundraiser is closed, we send you the check or direct deposit for your full amount.

What if someone wants to donate more than $50?

Great! They can always select multiple amounts, or you can hand them a second sheet. We’ve seen donors fill out half a football on their own. It’s rare, but it happens, and you’ll want to make it easy when it does. The fun part of these fundraisers is that often you’ll see family members try to outperform each other, especially with names attached to donations. A little friendly familial rivalry and the beneficiary is your program.

If you choose to go the digital route, there is two $100 donation locations included. Additionally, on the digital version there's always a way to donate a custom amount regardless of what spaces are filled on the football.

How long should my Fill My Football fundraiser usually last?

Most teams run it for 2–3 weeks. That gives players enough time to talk to family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. You don’t want to stretch it too long or it loses urgency. You also want to give it enough time to let Teamfi’s automated messaging help raise you some extra money!

Do donors get a tax write-off?

If your organization is fundraising under a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, yes. Why does that matter? That’s an incentivization to businesses especially who may want to participate. Businesses should be encouraged to donate as when they fill a spot on the football, boom that’s advertising they care about local charitable causes. If you are a non-profit, include that info at the top of the sheet.

What if we want to combine this with other fundraisers?

Combining fundraisers is a great way to double down on the fundraising season your organization is in, here’s 20 great ideas specifically for football teams. Fill My Football is one you should focus solely on because of its unique nature.

In this case, there’s individual responsibility associated with this fundraiser. Make sure your fundraiser participants aren’t overwhelmed.

How do we motivate players to participate?

Some programs offer a small prize to whoever completes their sheet first or raises the most. But usually, the cause itself is enough. Let them know the team needs this, and make sure they see where the money goes. That last part is critical, by being clear cut in what funds are being raised for it helps with both incentivizing players and donors as well.

What’s the best way to distribute the Fill My Football forms?

We suggest printing them in color and handing them out at practice with a quick five-minute talk explaining how it works. Bonus points if you staple on a sheet with sample text or bullet points they can use when asking for donations.

Can we use this year after year?

Yes. That’s the beauty of it. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Update the messaging and print new sheets annually, it becomes a staple in your fundraising playbook.

Ready to run your own Fill My Football fundraiser?

Fill My Football works because it’s simple. No gimmicks, no third parties with exorbitant cuts. Just a team, a goal, and a form that makes it all possible. With our free printable Fill My Football template and digital Fill My Football your next winning fundraiser might start with just one football.