The Best Swim Team Fundraising Ideas

Swim Team Fundraising ideasJust like many other sports and team organizations, swim teams often find themselves in need of additional funds to help team members cover expenses for equipment, training tools, and travel expenses for competitions. Hosting a swim-a-thon and exploring fun swim team fundraising ideas can be great ways to bring in extra funding for your swim team.

10+ Great Swim Team Fundraiser Ideas

Our top idea for swim team fundraising is hosting a swim-a-thon. But if a swim-a-thon isn’t the best idea for your group, or you need to do an extra swimming fundraiser, there are still lots of options. Here are ten more winning swim team fundraising ideas to choose from.

Offer Team Sponsorships

One way to efficiently raise funds for a swim team is to recruit sponsorships from local businesses. Businesses are looking for a win-win and are more likely to give when provided with marketing and promotional opportunities. For instance, bringing in $250 could allow the sponsor’s logo to be placed on the team’s banner, while more significant donations of $1,000 and up would have that logo on the team warmup suits. This promotion could also go further by having the businesses featured on the team’s website or social media as direct advertisements.

Get a Walk-A-Thon Going

Get your community walking for their health and your team’s benefit with a walk-a-thon fundraiser. Walk-a-thons are among the best fundraisers, as almost everyone can participate, and your revenue possibilities are quite high. Using peer-to-peer fundraising software is key to success. After-parties allow you to sell food and drinks as well as team merchandise. You could use the sponsors to donate mile markers, food and drinks, plus prizes for those who finish in record time and raise the most money.

And Bring the Dogs!

As an alternative to a regular walk-a-thon, you could also allow participants to bring their well-behaved dogs. Just make sure to set up appropriate courses for the dogs with water stations. Read more dog walk fundraising ideas.

Bring the Dogs to the swimming team walkathon!

Collect Donations for an Auction

Organizing a silent auction online or in conjunction with another fundraiser is a great swim team fundraiser. Players ask parents and local businesses for donations of gift certificates or products. These will then be auctioned off at the fundraiser, with the prizes going to the highest bidder and the proceeds benefiting the team. Read more on procuring great auction items.

Host a Fundraising Raffle

Similarly, you could take those same donations and have them raffled off in a fundraising raffle. Selling raffle tickets at your swim matches is a great way to raise money, so even the kids can take charge of running this portion of the fundraiser.

Run a Team Car Wash for swim team fundraising

Run a Team Car Wash

A classic car wash is a fantastic way to get the swim team involved in raising funds. All you need are sponges, rags, soap, water, good weather, and people who want to get their cars washed. Advertise the car wash on social media or hand out flyers throughout town to get the word out. You can get the team members in on making sandwiches to sell in a mini deli while the rest are washing cars. You can ask a local coffee shop or bakery to set up shop and sell their wares. Have them price their drinks and baked goods a bit higher and donate the extra to the team’s fundraising efforts.

Arrange a Team Picnic

A delicious way of getting more funds for the team is by hosting a community potluck picnic. Have everyone come and bring something yummy to share, then sell drinks and desserts. Have a great time eating and building friendships while raising money for your team. 

Hold a Community Clean-up

If you’re looking to do your community a good turn, consider arranging a community serve-a-thon or clean-up drive. For this type of event, your swimmers will ask community members to pledge money per pound of trash cleaned, driveway swept, or other community service project. Make the community a cleaner and greener place to live while gathering cash for your team.

Sell Custom Merchandise

Why not run an e-commerce store and sell team t-shirts and hoodies? Personalized merchandise is a great way to maximize your outreach and encourage supporters to spread the word about the swim team. But you don’t have to limit it to just t-shirts. Check out our list of best selling custom-printed merchandise for fundraising.

Sell Custom Merchandise for the Swim Team

Utilizing Swim Team Fundraising Software

If your swim team has decided to host a fundraising event, you’ll need the right tools to help you succeed. Utilizing fundraising software will help you extend the reach of your fundraising event and raise more money than you thought possible.

DoJiggy delivers an online registration and donation management system for swim team fundraising initiatives in which individual and team participants collect and track donations and pledges. Allow your swim team to multiply the fundraising dollars raised as each swimmer taps into their group of friends and family to raise funds for your team.

Utilizing Swim Team Fundraising Software

Swim team coaches and parents can easily configure registration fees, a minimum participant fundraising goal, and an event waiver. Teams will have the option of the pledge type they would like to receive – flat-rate donations ($25 or $50) or per unit of effort pledges in which donations are calculated based on the number of laps swam. DoJiggy’s flexible system allows you to take general donations each year and fully manage your swim team’s event according to your needs.

Creating and selling custom products such as team t-shirts and water bottles can also be managed with our platform.

  • Easy Participant registrations for your Swim Team Fundraising Event
  • Personal fundraising pages for each swimmer and team, including pictures, videos, and goal achievement progress
  • secure payment processing for pledge and donation payments
  • Sponsorship sales and sponsor recognition
  • Detailed financial, participant, and donor reporting

swim websites

Planning Tips to Succeed in Swim Team Fundraisers

Plan ahead. The more organization you can bring to the event early, the better your results will be. Start planning six months before charity swimming events gives members plenty of lead time to contact local businesses for pledges, contributions, and prizes. Choosing your crowdfunding software at this early juncture is important, as most of your planning efforts are tracked online. This pre-event groundwork eliminates the frantic rush to get everything done, which can mean the difference between rousing success and dismal failure.

Sell refreshments. Recruit the booster club or some parents to set up shop and sell refreshments on the event day. Ask retail vendors to donate the refreshments or offer them at cost and benefit from being recognized as in-kind sponsors.

Get parental support. Parents can support their swimmers by helping to develop lists of prospective contributors. Parents can also solicit donations at work and even encourage their employers to offer gift matching.

Hire a photographer to take photos of swimmers. Pictures provide a year-round reminder of the fun and good-spirited competition participants enjoyed. Use these next year for your fundraising website and promotional materials.

Thank yous are essential. Always thank contributors and participants and let them know how their contributions will make an impact. Thank you notes can be sent through your swim fundraising website to all donors. Present gifts of acknowledgment to your top donors and supporters at the award ceremony.  

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