Meet Your Grassroots Football Fundraising Goals on GoFundMe

If you are part of a grassroots football team, you will know that costs can mount up. From new kit to traveling to tournaments, the list of things you need to finance can seem never ending. That is where GoFundMe comes in.

Online fundraising can be a great way to ask your community for help so you can work as a team to meet financial needs. Once you have decided what you want to fundraise for, the next step is to launch your fundraiser. Whatever your cause, it’s crucial to set up a donation page that is compelling and tells your unique story. Read on for our top tips on how to create your page and how to get the most out of your fundraiser.

<< Start a GoFundMe today! >>

How to create your grassroots football fundraiser

Follow the five easy steps in this guide and learn how to start your grassroots football fundraiser today. It’s fast, safe and easy.

Get started Go to gofundme.com and click ‘start a GoFundMe or follow this link. Choose a category and type in where you’re based. Choose the ‘community’ category. When asked to select ‘Who are you fundraising for?’ click ‘yourself’.
Set your target You have the option to edit this at any time, if you’re not sure we recommend starting with a target that can cover your fundraising needs. You do not need to reach your target for GoFundMe to send the funds, and your fundraiser will not automatically end when you reach your target.
Set up an account Type in your email and select a password to continue creating your GoFundMe.
Add a photo, title and tell your story In your story, make sure people can understand the importance of why you’re fundraising, why it matters to the team that you meet your fundraising goal, anything about their background that is relevant, and the urgency of why you need the money.
Let the world know Confirm your fundraiser and when you have finished writing your story, click “Complete fundraiser”. Now your fundraiser is live and open to receive donations.

The first tip is to share privately via email and Whatsapp with your closest friends and family.
Once you’ve got your first donations, it’s time to share widely. From your fundraiser page, click on the button that says share and you can generate a QR code to share offline with local businesses and around your community.
You can also copy and paste the link on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Don’t forget the URL of your fundraiser page—it’s a one-step promotional tool and the only thing people need to share your fundraiser. Add your URL to your email signature. If you have a blog, feature it prominently there.

How to make your fundraiser a success

Once you have created your fundraiser there are a number of steps you can take to encourage people to donate. Follow this checklist to ensure your fundraiser is a success.

Updates – are you using the update tool to keep your donors abreast of what’s going on and building a community?
Spread the word Have you told all your friends and family to donate and share the fundraiser?
Print your QR code – You can print off a QR code which can be used on posters that you can help promote your fundraiser. Why not put posters up in your local area?
Use your contacts – Have you asked your child’s school to share the fundraiser/shared it in parent Whatsapp groups?
Speak to the press – Have you considered alerting the local media to the fundraiser? This can increase donations

Struggling to find the words to ask for help? Use the template below when reaching out to your network.

Dear

I am writing to share my GoFundMe page. We need to raise ____ by ___ in order to raise the funds for X. Even a small donation can help. If you can’t contribute at this time, I completely understand. But you can still help. It would be great if you could share the fundraiser to help spread the word. The more people see this the better! You can share the link on email, Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and Whatsapp. If you have any questions or connections to others who may also want to share my fundraiser please let us know.

Sincerely,

Is crowdfunding right for me or my team?

Crowdfunding can work for anybody, and there is no cause too big or too small. Some people might worry that their grassroots football fundraiser isn’t as worthy as others but Crowdfunding exists to help everyone. This is helping.

Need some inspiration? Here are some previous success stories

Fresh Ego FC raised over £9,000 for their community givesback initiative that provided an essential hamper and gifts to families from low-income, vulnerable, and at-risk families in their area.

When Prestatyn Sports FC player Stephen Ashe was diagnosed with cancer, his team came together to raise funds for his recovery. Club members, current players and old players took part in a ‘Sponsored Walk’ along the North Wales Coast. They walked from their home pitch ‘The Meadows’ in Prestatyn to Holyhead and raised more than £6,000 in total.

Port Talbot Disability FC raised £5,000 to launch a competition for disabled grassroots teams to compete with other teams of a similar level to them.