Running a footy club takes more than just talent on the field - it requires solid financial backing to keep everything operating smoothly. From equipment and operations to training facilities, you need a steady stream of revenue to keep everything in check, and clubs around Australia are getting creative in how to keep the funding coming.

With ASF's fundraising ideas for footy clubs, there's a whole playbook of strategies that can help you secure your club's financial future. Even if you're confident in your finances now, diversifying your funding sources isn't just smart, it's becoming essential in today's competitive sporting landscape. After all, the most effective fundraisers only work if they're exciting enough to draw people in!

We've got plenty of other fundraising event inspiration to look through, but here are our top five footy club fundraising ideas to get you started.

1. Footy Trivia Night

Let's start with a classic, but add an on-theme twist. Take your standard trivia night, where attendees form teams to answer rounds of questions, but make the whole thing footy-themed.

Kick off with some general knowledge questions about Aussie rules and football culture, like "where does the Grand Final take place?", and work your way up to questions only the real footy buffs will know the answers to, like "what interrupted a Sydney AFL game in 1993?" (it was a loose pig on the grounds, in case you didn't know!).

You could even try to get a local AFL star to make an appearance and drum up some excitement for this one.

Set your club house as the location or team up with a local venue, encourage attendees to dig deep and donate, and ask community sponsors to contribute prizes for the biggest footy fanatics in the room.

2. Aussie Rules Taster

You don't have to stick with footy fans to fundraise for your club - branching out is a good way to bring more people in, and an Aussie Rules taster is the perfect way to do it. Invite anyone and everyone in your community who wants to give footy a go the chance to try it without the pressure of having to join a club - just don't forget to leave a donation bucket at the door.

Clubs fundraising can open up their facilities to the public, or if you're an individual raising money, get in touch with schools or community centres in your area to secure a space.

From warm-ups and drills to mini-games (or full-length ones if you're feeling brave), you can share your sport with the community. Even if it turns out that footy isn't for them, the passion you show might just be enough to drum up donations towards your cause.

3. Footy League

We can't all be talented enough to play in the big leagues, but that doesn't mean we can't set our own stakes. A footy league fundraiser is a fun, low-maintenance way to raise money for your club throughout the AFL season, no venue or big event required.

Depending on how many people want to get involved, you can have participants play as individuals, or join teams. Either way, each person or group picks a team to represent them throughout the season (noting that each footy team can only be picked once). When the real games begin, so does this one, and the process is pretty simple. Fundraising teams are only as successful as their real-life version, so whichever team wines, wins; at the G and in your fundraiser.

Here’s how it works:
Participants sign up as individuals or in teams, with each person or group choosing an AFL team to represent them for the season (each footy team can only be picked once). When the real AFL season kicks off, so does your fundraiser. Each time your chosen team wins, you raise money for your club.

You can set it up however you like - raise $10 for every win, ask friends and family to chip in each round, or get creative with your own donation goals. It’s a great way to keep your community engaged for the full season, especially if you keep a live leaderboard and offer prizes along the way.

And just like in the big leagues, it’s not all about winning. Award extra prizes for the first team out, most penalties, funniest team name - whatever keeps the momentum going. The more fun people have, the more likely they are to support your cause.

Don’t forget to remind your participants what they’re playing for. Every dollar raised brings your club closer to the gear, travel, or opportunities that help your players get closer to the big screen one day, too.

4. Sweepstakes

Possibly one of the easiest footy club fundraising ideas is a social media sweepstakes. Putting your design skills to the test, mock up some graphics to post on your personal or club social media accounts.

Share what you're raising money for, why it matters to you, and why it should matter to the viewer. Include a link to your fundraising page, where they can easily make donations, and most importantly, tell them what they need to do to win the competition.

The best part of a sweepstakes fundraiser Is that after this, viewers do the work for you! "Tag three friends in the comments", or "share the post to your story to be entered into the draw"; whatever you think will get the most traction is the best way to play this. Don't forget to set a short timeframe before the draw to create a sense of urgency for participants to enter.

Ask club members and local businesses for prize donations before you start sharing so that you can let viewers know what they stand to win, and encourage them to make a tax-deductible donation to your footy fundraiser while they're at it.

5. Match Day Collection

There's nothing wrong with keeping things simple, and an uncomplicated collection on club game days can yield a pretty good result. You'd be surprised what you can achieve by walking around the crowd with a bucket or handing out printed QR codes leading to your fundraising page for anyone who doesn't have cash on them.

Perfect for clubs and individuals fundraising, this fuss-free fundraising idea works a charm.

Engagement

Coming up with fundraising ideas for football teams and clubs is one thing, and getting things in motion is another, but actually generating interest in the community is a whole other ball game.

Promoting your fundraiser online and in person is the key to success because the more people you reach, the more traction you'll get. Share clickable links to your ASF page on social media, and stick up posters with scannable QR codes for potential donors to see when they're in the club rooms, at the canteen, or even in the bathrooms! Remember, engagement is half the battle in any fundraising strategy.

Get Creative

Whatever you're fundraising for, whether it's a footy, rugby, netball club, or any other sport, the more exciting your fundraiser is, the more donations you'll get. There is endless potential for fundraising ideas, so dedicate some time to dreaming up one that you think will work best, and is realistically doable with your resources and team.

When you've settled on an idea, share it on your ASF fundraising page so benefactors can read up on your journey and make hassle-free donations with just a click.