Gymnastics is a fun sport supporting agility and muscular development while building self-confidence in young athletes. Many children start classes at a young age in schools, community centers, and private training centers.
Gymnasts often need to consider uniforms, equipment, competition travel, and expenses involved with specialized training. Gymnastics clubs need to invest in state-of-the-art equipment and expert coaching. One way teams can offset these mounting costs is by organizing fundraising campaigns.
Gymnastics fundraisers can be a fulfilling experience that can bond team members and acknowledge individual achievement. When working with youth and sports teams, it’s important to remember that they are learning valuable lessons as part of their fundraising efforts. Promoting junk food sales is not the best lesson – but being active and healthy certainly is! Read on for the best gymnastics fundraising ideas.
Crowdfunding Events for Gymnastics Teams
The best fundraisers for gymnastic teams are peer-to-peer fundraising events in which team members generate donations via personal website pages. Gymnasts register, create their custom page, then send it out via email or social media links. Family and friends donate to the gymnastics fundraiser on behalf of their favorite gymnast. The team realizes a collective goal, and adding the element of competition can encourage your event participants to fundraise.
Remember, creativity is the key to fundraising success. If your gymnastics team is interested in hosting a team fundraising event where donations and pledges are collected, consider creating a customized peer-to-peer or “a-thon” fundraising event. Here are a few examples that work well for gymnastics team fundraisers (and these ideas can also be used by cheerleading squads and dance teams):
- Gymnastics Marathon: Take a full day on Saturday and dedicate your space to an Open Gym where gymnasts can practice anything they want. Coaches are there to assist, but this is a free day for the gymnastics to practice routines or get down a specific skill. Donors can pledge per hour, and the gymnasts commit to working out for several hours.
- Flip-a-thons: Gymnasts do as many flips (or back handsprings) as possible within a set time frame. Individuals can set their goals on their personal fundraising page and report their success after the event. It’s a great fundraiser that involves both the coaches and the team.
- Cartwheel-a-thons: Coaches can allow gymnasts to take time out of regular practice to do as many cartwheels (or aerial cartwheels) as they can in a determined amount of minutes. This activity can be done in teams, as well. Once a gymnast is tired or dizzy, they high-five a team member who takes over, and the counting continues from where the first participant left off. The activity not only serves as a creative and fun event, but it is an excellent exercise as well.
Though mission-driven fundraising such as the above ideas are great gymnastics fundraisers, not all crowdfunding events need to be directed toward the team members as the sole participants. Gymnastics teams may want to include friends and families to participate in their fundraising event as well. Walk-a-thons, Fun Runs, hike-a-thons, and bike-a-thon fundraisers are popular events that bond the community to support the team while promoting health and fitness for all.
DoJiggy’s Fundraising Software Makes Gymnastics Fundraising Easy & Effective
Other Gymnastics Fundraising Event Ideas
Gymnastics teams can also look to other special event fundraising ideas:
- Older and more serious students could consider organizing summer gymnastics camps. Week-long or all-day Saturday camps offer young kids a chance to try out the sport and see performances by their teachers.
- School gymnastics teams can promote their abilities by hosting a school fundraising event with ticket and concession sales. Gymnastics team members entertain parents and peers with performances.
- Gourmet breakfast fundraisers are relatively easy to put together and popular, especially as a fundraiser for schools.
- Seasons often provide the motivation for special holiday fundraising events, such as product sales.
- Online fundraising raffle sales can be easy, fun gymnastics fundraisers. Some troops prefer 50/50 cash raffles to up the ante.
- As a stand-alone event or in combination with any of the above events, revenue can be earned by hosting a charity auction online.
Gymnastics Fundraising Product Sales
Product sales work well for sports team fundraisers, and gymnastics teams are no exception. Some ideas for product sales may include:
- Candles
- Natural soaps or lotions
- Gift or discount cards
- Holiday gifts and products
- School spirit wear
Whether a gymnastics team comprises Olympic hopefuls or young students, gymnastics fundraisers can be an integral part of team success and individual possibilities. We can help with free online stores for product sales.
Utilize Fundraising Software for Success
Our fundraising platform allows each team member to create a personal fundraising page to share via email and social media. Individuals can reach out to family and friends to pull in donations far and wide. Donations are tallied on a homepage fundraising thermometer, and using social media tools accelerates and expands fundraising efforts.
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