12 Free and Easy Baseball Fundraiser Ideas

As a baseball coach, fundraising every year comes with the job. In a lot of ways, effective fundraising can make or break your team’s season. There are really effective fundraisers out there, but they require some investment. That investment can make it a challenge to weigh the volunteer time and monetary investment versus the potential payoff. A 5k, color run, spaghetti dinner, golf outing, all of these are great fundraisers. They just require time and or money to make them happen. 

So if you need baseball fundraiser ideas that are risk free and are 100% free to run, that’s where this blog comes in. Running just one of these 12 fundraisers for your baseball team can help you purchase necessary equipment, technology, or have adequate travel funds for tournaments.

With all of that said, here’s 12 creative ways that your team can fundraiser today FOR FREE to raise necessary funds effectively for your baseball program.

Baseball Fundraiser Idea 1 - Hit-a-thon, Pitch-a-thon, or a Home Run Derby

A form of pledge based fundraising, players take a fixed set of swings in a hit-a-thon. Donors pledge per foot of the longest fair hit or give flat amounts. Score on the field, collect online with our digital hit-a-thon software.

Running a hit-a-thon is a great way to layer in performance to your fundraiser and it’s one that you can invite parents and fans to watch, maybe during a practice or scrimmage. 

The hit-a-thon model can also be extended to pitch-a-thons for your pitchers, for example, number of strikes in 50 pitches. Also a home run derby style model can also be utilized by recording the number of home runs hit in a certain number of pitches.

Baseball Fundraiser Idea 2 - Fill My Baseball Printable Template

Use a free printable baseball with dollar amounts to fill. Each amount claimed gets colored in or initials put in until ultimately, your baseball is filled. Simple, parent friendly, and good for younger ages.

Supporters pick an open amount, write their name in the space, and donate that total to the team. When all spaces are filled, the sheet reaches its fundraising goal, and you’ve raised over $400 for your program.

Baseball Fundraiser Idea 3 - Calendar Fundraiser

Pick-a-Date to Donate baseball calendars offer 31 days and 31 ways to fundraise. Each day represents a dollar amount to donate. Such a simple way to think about how calendar fundraisers are so popular. A simple and effective fundraiser with similar themes to fill my baseball with both a digital fundraiser and pen and paper template.

Supporters choose and sponsor their dates using either our online fundraising calendar or a printed template. A full calendar raises up to $496, and participants can start a new one anytime they want to keep going. This format is fast to set up, simple for donors to understand, and visually motivating for teams as they watch their progress grow in real time.

Baseball Fundraiser Idea 4 - Sponsors

Sponsors are as close to a free fundraiser as you can get, and a must for any sports team. 

Sell 3, 6, or 12 month placements on the outfield fence. You do have to pay for the banners, but the cost of the sponsorship covers that. Collect sponsorship money prior to putting up the signs.

A popular choice for fencing signage is mesh vinyl with wind slits, grommets every 2 feet, and some zip ties to secure the signs. 

One way to fundraise using sponsors without ANY investment financially is having sponsorship shoutouts over social media. “Player of the Week” sponsored by Teamfi for example. Having jerseys with sponsor logos on them. There’s a variety of free ways to shoutout sponsors.

Baseball Idea 5 - The Crowdfunding Campaign

One way your team can raise funds effectively this year is using Teamfi’s crowdfunding software, to completely automate the fundraising outreach process. That’s exactly what North Texas (NTX) Tribe 12U Baseball in Parker, Texas did this past year to support their team’s trip to Cooperstown, New York.

As an added twist, in addition to leveraging Teamfi’s out of the box automated text outreach, the NTX Tribe went above and beyond to customize their fundraiser by making a fundraiser specific video to describe why they were fundraising and how the funds would help their team out. (Side note: since this fundraiser was run in Summer of 2024 we’ve actually now made it possible to embed videos directly on your team’s donation with our custom fundraiser descriptions)

The end result for NTX Tribe 12U Baseball? They raised $5,500 with just 11 players on their team! Teamfi crowdfunding can be a super effective way for your team to raise the necessary funds for your team for totally free.

Baseball Fundraiser Idea 6 - Summer Camps

Private lessons with current coaches, players, and even some more locally famous alumni provide value to your program both financially and help improve your team. Have your program post limited sign up slots for offseason training and lessons. Collect bookings and payment online, then fulfill over one to two weeks. Set clear tiers by age and skill, cap groups at a 1 to 8 coach ratio, and add early bird registration discounts. Build a simple curriculum of 20 minute stations for hitting, fielding, base running, and throwing, plus a short scrimmage to end each day. 

Summer camps are a must for any program and allows your youth players to share the field with varsity players if you’re a high school or college program. Find a few days during the summer to host a summer camp with your players serving as volunteers.

Baseball Fundraiser Idea 7 - Alumni Game

Invite alumni back for a friendly game during the summer when alumni are back from college and the weather is nice.

Set the date early and collect RSVPs with a simple form. Many alums do simple red vs. white or other team color games with players bringing their own shirts. Split squads by graduation year or odd versus even, cap it at seven innings, use wood bats, and allow courtesy runners to keep things safe and fun. 

Make money through concessions and have a recommended donation as your entry to the game. 

Baseball Fundraiser Idea 8 - Discount cards

Local businesses provide offers that are printed onto discount cards. These tearaway discount cards are provided by a variety of businesses both locally and nationally. Keep it to 20 to 25 strong deals that have universal pull. Sell door to door and online.

Pricing cards between $15 to $25 is typically a sweet spot for these fundraisers. This is a free fundraiser because often the discount card companies merely keep a percentage of sales.

Baseball Fundraiser Idea 9 - Wiffle ball tournament

Cornhole tournaments have become popular fundraisers over the years, but one a little more baseball themed with the same vibes is a wiffle ball tournament. Low equipment needs, wide appeal, lots of teams. Bracket it out in one day. Offer a family division and a competitive division.

Pick a venue with enough open space to run multiple small fields at once, and mark boundaries with cones or temporary fencing. Set simple rules to keep games moving, such as pitch speed limits, five inning caps, and mercy rules.

This is a free fundraiser because nearly every baseball family has wiffleball equipment and open spaces like parks can provide a free venue for your tournament.

Baseball Fundraiser Idea 10 - Restaurant giveback night

A restaurant give back is a simple partnership where a local restaurant donates a percentage of sales from a specific day or night to your team. Players and families help promote the event by inviting supporters to dine in or order takeout during the set time. It’s free to organize, builds community connections, and raises funds while everyone enjoys a meal together.

Pick a high-traffic weekday. Promote heavily 48 hours prior. Ask the restaurant for printed handouts you can send home.

Baseball Fundraiser Idea 11 - Collecting Pop Cans

Organize a team-wide can and bottle drive by asking players, families, and neighbors to save their returnables. 

Pick a weekend for collection, assign neighborhoods or streets to each player, and have a central drop-off spot. Since most states with deposit laws offer 5 to 10 cents per container, even a few hundred cans quickly add up. 

Post reminders on social media and in community groups to boost participation, and make one final pickup run before returning everything for cash.

Baseball Fundraiser Idea 12 - Team Yard Sale

Have each player’s family donate unwanted items and combine everything into one big community sale at the field or a volunteer’s driveway. 

Promote it in local Facebook groups, on community boards, and with simple flyers. Price to sell, offer bundle deals, and set up a donation jar for people who want to support without buying. Any leftover items can be donated to a local charity or thrift store.

Wrapping Up - So Which Free Baseball Fundraiser is Best For Me?

Well that’s for you to decide, but when it comes to yields, we’ve seen time after time, digital fundraisers are clearing the most for teams.

Free fundraisers work best when they’re simple to organize, easy for every player to participate in, and low or no cost to run. That’s what our crowdfunding, calendar, and a-thon fundraisers can do for you. We’re proud to run fundraisers that are 100% free.

Whether you collect pop cans, host a team yard sale, calendar fundraiser, or run pledge-based challenges, the key is to use the resources you already have and focus on community involvement. With some planning and consistent promotion, your baseball team can raise the funds it needs without cutting into the budget you’re trying to grow.

If you’re ready to take the next step, reach out to us and let’s start fundraising.