Fundraising Plan
There are different possibilities of external fundraising for an athletic team. From these sources, one can note concerts, auctions, sales, and sports events (Mullick, 2018). After considering the key variables, hosting a field day seems to be an appropriate activity to perform and raise the funds needed. To make it more effective, the field day may be combined with a pancake breakfast before the main event. The funds will be raised via participation fees and donations.
Fundraising Plan Outline
The goal is to raise $75,000.00 in external funds for athletic recruiting and equipment for all sports teams in the department. Personnel includes coaches, students, and volunteers, with some of them taking leadership roles while others help with planning activities, designing prizes, and cooking. The field day requires low costs and has a high earning potential. In addition, such events are family-friendly and can offer activities that do not require any gear. The event can consist of running, jumping, throwing competitions, and ball games such as soccer and volleyball. As non-expensive prizes, ribbons, and diplomas can be offered to reward winners. The field day event’s function is to promote athletics, create good community relations, and encourage teamwork. The target audience of the event may consist of people of all ages, including children and students’ friends and families. As essential policies, one should mention equality among participants of any age and gender, the promotion of sports and a healthy lifestyle, and the transparent collection of money with accurate record keeping.
Fundraising Events Analysis
The first event to analyze was organized by Stetson University. It ran from September 24 to October 1, 2019 (“Stetson Athletics,” 2019). The purpose was to raise funds for 18 of the university’s athletic programs. The goal was to collect $65,000, but the final result exceeded it with $120,190.20. Based on this outcome, the event can be called a success and is similar to the aforementioned field day. In addition, teamwork is encouraged, which also brings the athletic program closer to the offered plan. At the same time, Stetson University’s program has distinctive features, such as project duration and the number of athletic events (“Stetson Athletics,” 2019). From the standpoint of efficiency, this plan is more efficient and productive, although the costs of organizing it are high.
Whistler Sea Wolves held a fundraiser in November of 2018 in the form of a Swim-a-thon (“Swim-a-thon,” 2018). It included swimming-based competitions to fund the non-profit club, intending to raise $7,500. Although the event focused on promoting a healthy lifestyle and teamwork, its limited range of sports activities is a disadvantage. Unlike the field day, the swimming competition lasted only two hours. Nevertheless, as advantages, one can note a pancake breakfast and T-shirt distributions, which were both effective ways of raising money.
Another fundraiser was held in 2017 by Kilworth GAA as a dog race (“Get your tickets,” 2017). The goal was to raise money for the new clubhouse. While the report states that the campaign was a success, the format of a dog race has disadvantages, for instance, ethical issues related to such a controversial competition. Moreover, unlike the two previous programs, this plan does not include healthy sports activities that help build team relationships. The fundraiser is not similar to the field day proposed and aimed at a narrow target audience, which is a disadvantage from a profit perspective, although the admission price is loyal, which is a plus.
Conclusion
The analysis of the three examples shows that the most effective fundraising campaigns include sports competitions aimed at teamwork and focus on several types of activities. This knowledge helps me learn more about how a reasonable plan of events can be organized. Nevertheless, based on the aforementioned critique, one cannot learn about preparation procedures and the validity of the events due to ethical issues that are not covered comprehensively or to a narrow focus and time limit. The advantages of the proposed field day are its low cost and high earning potential, as well as an opportunity to promote athletics among people of all ages.
References
Get your tickets for our Night at the Dogs. (2017). Web.
Mullick, V. (2018). Fundraising for athletic departments, part 2: External fundraising [Blog post]. Web.
Stetson Athletics giving campaigns. (2019). Web.
Swim-a-thon. (2018). Web.