Scoring Success: Fundraising Tips for Travel Sports
As high school sports become increasingly competitive, many young athletes now begin their journeys at an earlier age than ever before. With earlier starts come higher skill levels, often giving these players a clear edge over peers who begin later. Recognizing their talent early on, many of these young athletes join competitive travel teams to train under experienced coaches and face stronger opponents. However, this elevated level of competition comes with a cost—literally, making Fundraising Tips for Travel Sports more important than ever.
The Rising Costs of Travel Sports
Travel sports, whether it’s baseball, softball, volleyball, or others, have grown more expensive. Talented young athletes often find themselves on travel teams that require significant financial investment. Team fees can include league registration, uniforms, equipment, travel expenses, officials’ pay, and sometimes coaching fees. These rising costs are one of the main reasons why fundraising for travel sports has become not just helpful, but essential.
Scoring Success: Fundraising Tips for Travel Sports
Understanding the Challenge
Although coaches understand the importance of fundraising, organizing one can be overwhelming amidst managing team logistics and player development. That’s why delegating this task to a motivated parent or support group is often a smart move. The key to successful fundraising is choosing something that is both easy to sell and valuable to the buyer.
Traditional Fundraisers
Most teams start with familiar fundraising methods:
- Selling cookie dough
- Pizza kits
- Candles
- Organizing car washes
- Hosting raffles
While these methods can bring in some money, they often depend heavily on participation and may not yield the high profits needed to cover significant expenses. Plus, these products can be overpriced or have limited appeal.
A New Approach: Necessity-Based Fundraising
Recently, a game-changing idea has been gaining traction in the fundraising world: sell what people actually use. Instead of asking supporters to spend money on items they don’t really need, why not offer them something they already buy regularly? This was the simple but powerful idea behind the Laundry Detergent Fundraiser.
The Laundry Detergent Fundraiser: A Winning Solution
Why Laundry Detergent?
After listening to feedback from countless supporters tired of overpriced, unnecessary fundraiser items, uScore Fundraising launched a program focused on selling a household essential: laundry detergent. This product meets all the criteria for a successful fundraiser:
- Everyone uses it
- It’s purchased regularly
- It’s affordable and high quality
- It provides value to the buyer
Product Details
The uScore Laundry Detergent Fundraiser offers 5-gallon buckets of detergent for just $45. Each bucket contains 640 ounces of detergent, enough for approximately 320 loads. That’s nearly 50% less than what you’d pay for similar quality detergents at retail stores.
The detergent is comparable to national brands like Tide, Gain, and Downy, and is manufactured by a private label provider to ensure high quality and affordability.
High Profit Margins
For each bucket sold, teams can earn between $13 to $15 in profit depending on the total volume sold. This is significantly higher than most traditional fundraisers and allows teams to meet their financial goals with fewer sales and less effort.
Repeat Business: The Key to Long-Term Success
One of the standout features of this fundraiser is the potential for repeat customers. When supporters realize they can save money while getting a great product, they’re eager to buy again. Many teams report having customers who contact them when they start running low, asking when the next sale is happening.
This creates a sustainable fundraising cycle, where each year becomes easier as word spreads and demand grows. Unlike selling candy bars or wrapping paper, supporters actually look forward to this fundraiser.
Real Results from Real Teams
Take it from Joe Nowak, head coach of Lake Girls Basketball:
“Personally, I have used uScore’s products in the past, but this was our first year working with them as a fundraiser for our team. They were very easy to work with and Tyler was always easy to contact and quick to respond to questions. The quick delivery was a huge bonus for us on top of the quality of the product. I definitely look forward to continuing our fundraiser in future years with uScore!”
How to Get Started: Effortless Fundraiser Steps
uScore has simplified the entire process to make it as smooth as possible. Here’s how it works:
Step-by-Step Process
1. Schedule Your Kickoff
Begin by setting a kickoff date for your team. This will help build excitement and get everyone prepared.
2. Launch a 2-3 Week Sales Period
Give your team 2 to 3 weeks to take orders. You can sell through order forms, word-of-mouth, or even social media.
3. Submit Group Orders
After the sales window ends, submit your team’s total order.
4. Delivery in 7-10 Days
Your entire order is delivered quickly—typically within 7-10 days after submission.
5. Celebrate Your Success!
Distribute the detergent and celebrate your team’s financial success. It really is that simple.
Why You May Never Need Another Fundraiser Again
Because of the combination of quality, usefulness, high profit margins, and ease of organization, many teams find themselves returning to the laundry detergent fundraiser year after year. In fact, many report they no longer need to run multiple fundraisers throughout the season. Supporters genuinely appreciate not being asked to buy things they don’t want.
Plus, the cost savings and product satisfaction encourage them to participate again and again. For many programs, this fundraiser has become their one and only annual campaign.
Final Thoughts: Fundraising That Works
In conclusion, the Laundry Detergent Fundraiser is a modern, effective, and practical way for travel sports teams to raise the funds they need. By selling a product that households already use, teams can offer real value to supporters while making substantial profits with minimal effort.
This approach not only supports travel expenses but also creates a strong connection between the team and its community. It’s a fundraiser that just makes sense—and dollars.
If you’re looking for proven ways to raise money for your team, follow these Scoring Success: Fundraising Tips for Travel Sports and make your next campaign the best one yet. To learn more or get started with your own campaign, visit uScore Fundraising today and turn everyday necessities into team victories!