A successful fundraiser can do more than just raise money—it can spark excitement, build awareness, and strengthen connections within your community. Whether you're aiming to fund new equipment or to cover travel costs for your sport, being well-prepared will help you achieve your goals while engaging supporters along the way. 

Ready to get started? Here are our top tips to help you start and run a successful fundraising campaign.

1. START WITH A CLEAR GOAL

Before you can advertise your campaign to potential donors, you need to decide exactly what it is you’re fundraising for. Requesting donations without being able to speak about what they’ll be used for isn’t likely to give people much trust or faith in your purpose. To get ahead of this, set out how the money will be used before sharing your fundraiser. 

The best goals are SMART - this means specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound, which gives donors all the information they need to trust that their money will be put to good use.

An example of this could be “We are aiming to raise $2,000 by June 30th to purchase new netball bibs and balls. This will enable us to expand and include an additional 20 teams in our summer social competition, which starts on November 1st”.

2. TELL YOUR STORY

Let people know why you are fundraising, and what it means to you, your club, or the intended recipient. The more personal and passionate you make your fundraising story, the more likely you will be to receive donations. Using the above example, you might expand by saying that your club’s bibs are old, torn, or have been lost over time, explaining that that’s why you need new ones.

This is also a great time to share the role that the club or individual plays in the community, which can help to tug at the heartstrings of anyone who’s considering donating but hasn’t yet.

Adding pictures and videos of the club, team, or individual in need helps to make the appeal more personal. People want to see who they are donating to, and using good images builds a stronger connection, which can, in turn, lead to more donations or donations of a higher value.

3. BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT THE NUMBERS

Openly sharing the costs associated with your fundraising goal means that those who are interested can gauge the value of their donation. For example, you could motivate people to donate by letting them know that “by donating $50, you will provide a brand new kit to one team member”, for example.

Alongside gauging donation value, sharing this sort of measurement can also give donors a sense of control or accomplishment in knowing that they have funded a specific item.

Sharing these details can be really useful, but you should also promote donations of all sizes, acknowledging that even small amounts from multiple donors can add up quickly! 

Be sure to take a look at various sports grants that you may be eligible for. With options for schools, clubs, and individual athletes, you may just find the right one to help you out.

4. BACK YOURSELF

We’re all our own biggest supporters, so back yourself by being the first person to make a donation to your fundraiser!

Other people are more likely to donate if they see they aren’t the first, so having a couple of donations from yourself, immediate family or close friends is a great way to get the ball rolling.

5. SHARE IT AROUND

Fundraisers who share their campaign page at least 10 times raise significantly more than those who don’t!

Utilise social media, email, and even posters around your club to help get the message across to more people. Even if someone isn’t able to donate themselves, ask them to share your fundraiser with their family, friends, and colleagues, as this will instantly expand your pool of potential donors.

6. THANK YOUR DONORS

Personally reaching out to donors to thank them not only makes them feel appreciated, but research shows it also makes them more likely to donate next time you ask.

Here are some tips for thanking your donors in a meaningful way.

7. KEEP THINGS UP TO DATE

Fundraising requires a certain level of commitment for the duration of the campaign, and keeping your fundraising page up to date is something you need to stay on top of.

This can include changing or realigning goals, adding any relevant updates in the campaign including positive progress, and informing potential donors about the difference that fundraising has made so far. Maintaining the fundraising page gives you another opportunity to thank donors and encourage others to join.

With so much to stay on top of throughout the project, many people find that using a fundraising campaign checklist is a handy way to ensure they’re staying on track.

8. DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK AGAIN

It takes more than just one email or social media post to raise money.

People can often forget to donate, so if you asked them once and they haven’t donated, don’t just assume they’re not going to help. They may have just forgotten and won’t begrudge a friendly reminder, particularly in the final week or two of your campaign, or before the end of the financial year when tax-deductible donations can benefit them, too.

 9. USE A TRUSTED FUNDRAISING PLATFORM

When you fundraise with the ASF, you can let everyone in your community know that their donations are being made through a trusted fundraising platform and are most likely even tax-deductible. 

Teams, clubs, and individuals can all set up their own campaigns with us, which can be accessed by simply clicking a link or snapping a QR code.

Finding creative fundraising ideas for your sports club can take some time, so don’t be afraid to think outside the box to come up with the perfect event for your cause

When you’re ready to start fundraising, sign up to ASF to help get you reach your goals!