Cheerleading is one of the best ways to show school spirit and support your team. It raises the morale of the crowd and gets everyone involved in the game. But being a cheerleader isn’t all fun and games. It can be an expensive activity. It involves the cost of uniforms, pom-poms, travel to competitions, and other miscellaneous expenses.
One way to offset the cost of being a cheerleader is to participate in fundraisers. Fundraisers are also a great way to show your support for your team and build team unity. There are many different types of cheerleading fundraisers that you can do. It can be tricky to come up with new ideas that will be successful. That’s why we’ve put together a list of 25 cheerleading fundraising ideas for your squad.
- Cheer-a-thon
How about a cheer-a-thon to raise funds? Have people sponsor you for every minute that you cheer. The sky’s the limit on how long you can go. 2 hours? 12 hours? 24 hours? It’s up to your squad!
This can be a great option for squads that are competitive and are planning to participate in big competitions. You can do what you love and get money for the same. For carrying out a cheer-a-thon, your cheerleading squad can commit to a certain amount of time to cheer. If you plan for 24 hours even, you can have multiple cheerleading squads.
During this time, you can do various dance routines, stunts, and cheers to keep the energy high. You can also have a live band play music in the background. Keep people engaged by involving them in fun games and activities. Have a raffle and offer prizes for the winners.
The squad can also seek sponsorships from individuals or businesses. These sponsors can pay you for every minute that you cheer.
- Sell candies
Who doesn’t love candies? They are the perfect snack for any time of the day. You can sell different varieties of candies and make a good profit.
There are various ways to do it. You can lay the money out of your pocket by sharing it among the team and get candies in bulk. For this, you can get in touch with local candy stores and ask for their help. They might be willing to sell you candies at a discounted rate which you can then sell at the game or even door to door.
One other option is to partner with local stores to let your team sell for them without paying for the candies upfront. This way, the store will get more customers, and your team will get commissions for the sale.
You can also go one step further and make candies yourselves. This can be a fun team-bonding activity, and you can raise funds by selling the finished product.
- Have a bake sale
This is one of the most popular and classic fundraising ideas for your squad. Who doesn’t love baked goods? And the best part is that anyone can do it. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert baker, there’s a recipe for you.
You can ask each member of the team to bake their favourite goodies and sell them at the game. You can also solicit help from parents, grandparents, or other relatives. This is a great way to get the community involved in your fundraiser.
- Provide gift-wrapping service
This is a great way to raise funds and get people into the holiday spirit. You can set up a gift-wrapping station at your local mall or grocery store. You can charge a nominal fee for each gift that you wrap. You can also ask for donations.
This is a great fundraiser to do during the holiday season. But you can also do it for birthdays, anniversaries, or any other special occasion.
- Have a car wash
This is a tried and tested method of fundraising. It’s a great way to raise funds and keep your team’s vehicles clean at the same time.
You can set up a car wash in your school parking lot or in a local business’s parking lot. You can charge a fee for each car that you wash. You can also ask for donations.
Hang flyers around about your car wash event to spread the word. You can also use social media to promote your event.
Buy some soaps, sponges, and other supplies that you’ll need for the car wash. Make sure to have a plan for how you will do and where the water will go. You don’t want to end up flooding the parking lot!
- Host online fundraising products sales
Today, everything is shifting to the online space. You can take advantage of this by hosting online sales of products related to your squad. This can be anything from t-shirts to water bottles to keychains.
You can set up an online store on a platform like Shopify or Etsy. Or you can sell the items on your squad’s website or social media pages.
The online holiday fundraising sale can be a great option as those are the times when people will be looking for items to buy to gift to others. Online sales can be perfect as it will allow all the members of the cheerleading squad to participate, no matter where they are. You can even see which member sold the most and plan to gift them something to show your appreciation.
- A refreshment bar
Got some school events or game nights coming up? Why not set up a refreshment bar and make some profits out of it. You can sell water, juices, sodas, and snacks like popcorn and chips. This is a great way to raise funds as people are always looking for something to munch on when they’re watching a game.
You can also offer special deals like a combo of a drink and a bag of chips for a discounted price. This will entice people to buy more from you and help you raise more funds.
- Host a dinner event
You can plan for hosting a dinner event by collaborating with local restaurants that are struggling or starting up in your community. This way, you can help out a local business while also raising funds for your squad.
You can sell tickets to the event and ask people to come in themed outfits. Have a party at the restaurant and have photo booths to keep up the cheerleading spirits. This will make the event more special and people will be more inclined to attend it. You can also serve some special food items that are not available at the restaurant on a regular basis. You can either choose to share the profit with the restaurant or get a commission from them for your efforts.
- Have a raffle
People are always looking for a chance to win something. You can ask for donations from businesses or individuals and use those donated items as prizes for the raffle.
You can sell tickets to the raffle and the more tickets people buy, the higher their chances of winning. You can also add a cheerleader twist to the events by involving some fun and games like a dance-off or a cheer-off. This will add to the excitement and people will be more likely to participate.
- Cheerleading camps
How about teaching others what you know and love? You can host cheerleading camps for kids in your community. This is a great way to give back and also raise funds for your squad.
You can charge a fee for attending the camp. You can also ask businesses or individuals to sponsor the camp. This will help you cover the costs and also make some profits. At the cheerleading camp, you can teach various things like how to do cheer kicks, cheer stunts, cheer toe touch, etc…
You can also have a performance at the end of the camp where all the participants can show off what they’ve learned.
- Handmade candles sale
Who doesn’t love a scented candle? You can use this to your advantage and raise funds for your squad. You can make candles with different scents and sell them to people. This is a great cheerleading fundraising idea for your squad as candles are always in demand. People love to use them to relax or set the mood.
You can make different kinds of candles like soy candles, beeswax candles, etc… You can also get creative with the design and decoration of the candles. This will make them more appealing to people and they will be more likely to buy them.
- Personalized keychains sale
People are always looking for unique and personalized gifts for their loved ones. You can take advantage of this and raise funds for your squad. You can make personalized keychains with the names of the people or their initials.
You can also add a message or a design to the keychain. This will make it more special and people will be more likely to buy it. You can sell these keychains at a higher price than the normal ones as they are more unique and personal.
- Sell snacks at events
Is your squad cheering in an event? Why not sell snacks there? This is an awesome way to raise funds as people are always looking for snacks when they’re watching a game.
You can also offer special deals like a combo of a drink and a bag of chips for a discounted price. This will entice people to buy more from you and help you raise more funds.
You can ask parents and family to help make treats at home that you can sell as well.
- Sell merchandise of your school
If your cheerleading squad is a part of a school or a well-known team, then you can raise funds by selling their merchandise. This way, you can show support for your school or team while also raising funds for your squad.
You can sell things like t-shirts, hats, keychains, etc… with the logo of the school or team. People will be happy to buy these items and show their support.
- Host a game day
You can host a game day where people can come and play different games. You can have a variety of games like bowling, video games, board games, etc… Your squad members can act as volunteers and help people with the games.
Rent a space or conduct the event in a community hall. You can also set up different stations where people can play the games and win prizes. Students can come with their parents and have a fun family time while also supporting your squad.
- Karaoke night
Who doesn’t love singing their heart out? You can host a karaoke night and raise funds for your squad. People will love to come and sing their favorite songs.
You can charge a nominal fee or ask people to donate as much as they can. You can also have a contest where people can compete against each other and the winners will get prizes. This will make the event more fun and people will be more likely to participate.
- Colour runs
A color run is a fun event where people get sprayed with colors as they run. You can even have your participants dress up to add to the fun. Plan it to happen on a holiday or weekend so that more people can participate.
You can charge an entry fee for the event. Set up different stations where people can get sprayed with different colors. You can also sell colors at the event so that people can spray each other. This will add to the fun and help you raise more funds.
- A cooking night
You can arrange a cooking night partnering with local chefs or restaurants. In this, you can teach the participant to cook the chef or restaurant’s signature dish.
You can rent a hall in the restaurant or some community space where you can host the event. You can provide the needed items and ingredients and let the participants cook their meals.
After they’re done, they can enjoy the meal and take it home with them. This is a great way to raise funds as people will be happy to pay for such an experience and learn how to cook a new dish and also support your squad.
One more interesting way to do this is by conducting such cooking events virtually. You can either deliver all the ingredients to the team on their doorstep or let them know beforehand what they need and where they can buy it. Then the cooking sessions can happen over a video call where everyone can cook together and learn from each other.
- Throw a fashion show
Fun-filled fashion shows are a great way to raise funds. You can partner with local boutiques and designers who can donate their clothes for the show which will also benefit them as a way of marketing their brand. You can also use your cheerleading costumes and theme the event on cheerleading.
Showcase your cheerleading skills and put up a great performance to go with the fabulous clothes. If you feel your squad cannot get on the red carpet, then try bringing aspiring models to your locality and have them showcase the clothes. You can also charge an entry fee and have some snacks and drinks at the event.
- Sell popcorns with a twist
Who doesn’t love popcorns? You can sell popcorn with a twist to raise funds for your squad. You can add different flavors to the popcorns to make them more interesting and tasty.
You can even have a popcorn bar where people can choose their own flavors and toppings. You can either buy a second-hand popcorn-making machine or rent one to make the event more fun. This is a great way to raise funds and also have some delicious snacks.
- Raise funds with letters
Let’s go a bit old-school and raise funds with letters. You can write letters and send them to people in a contact-free way through usual mails.
You can increase the chances of getting a response to your efforts by personalising your letters. You can mention how their donation will help your squad and how much it means to you. Make it more meaningful and connecting by knowing who you writing it to. Add quotes or anecdotes to make it more interesting to read.
Don’t let the letter go beyond a page. No one will like to read a letter from a random person especially if it is too long.
💡 You can reach out to people in your locality as well as businesses. Be honest and politely ask for a small donation. Mention how their donation will help in the growth and development of your squad.
- Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is gaining popularity among new-age people. Crowdfunding is a way of raising funds from a large number of people where many people contribute small amounts each which collectively adds up to a large amount.
This is a great way to raise funds as you can reach out to many people with your cause and also get the support of people who might not be able to donate a large sum of money.
There are many crowdfunding platforms available that you can use to raise funds for your squad. You can create a campaign on any of these platforms with a target amount set. People can donate to your cause and help you reach your goal. You can share your campaign on social media to reach a larger audience.
- Celebrity connect
If you or your squad members know a celebrity, you can ask them to support your fundraising efforts. Be it a community leader, a famous author or an artist – you can arrange a meet and greet event with them in your area.
Interested people can participate in the event and get a chance to meet their favorite celebrity. You can also have a small session with the celebrity where they can talk about their work or share some tips with aspiring artists. This will be a great way to raise funds as people will be interested in attending such an event.
- BBQ stand
Got a BBQ grill? You can put it to good use and raise funds for your squad. Set up a BBQ stand in your neighborhood and grill foods live to sell. This is a great way to raise funds as people love to eat grilled food.
Also, there are many who loves to have a homemade barbeque but are not able to make it at home just because they do not have a grill. To get the attention of such people, you can let people use your stand to just grill their home marinated and prepared items.
You can charge a price for this service and also give them the option to donate more if they want to. This will be a great way to raise funds as you will not only get the donations but also the money from the use of your grill.
- Craft fair
Handmade crafts are increasingly becoming popular. People love to buy handmade and unique items as they are not easily available in the market. If you or your squad members are good at crafting, you can utilise this skill to raise funds.
You can arrange a small craft fair in your locality and sell the handmade crafts made by you or your squad members. From paintings to jewelry to clothes – there can be a lot of things that people would love to buy.
You can also sell baked goods at the craft fair. This is a great way to raise funds as people will be happy to buy handmade and unique products. This can also be done online by setting up an online store. This is just the beginning, there are many more cheerleading fundraising ideas that your squad can use to raise funds. Be creative and have fun while raising funds for your squad.
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