How to Organize a Charity Sports Event

A sports event is a fun, upbeat, and lucrative way to raise money for your charity organization. In general, charity sports events are popular and well-attended. People love the opportunity to compete, cheer on friends and family, or just get out and participate for fun.

Hosting a charity sports event can raise awareness and funds for your organization — if you do it right, you can have people returning repeatedly. All you need to get started are some charity sport event ideas, and a step-by-step guide to set yourself up for success.

1. Choose your Sport (or Sports)

The sport you choose for your event will determine how you set up and fundraise. Consider whether you’d like many participants or want to focus more on the spectators. If you’re looking for a more participant-focused option, golf is an excellent example. Alternatively, there are options more spectator friendly than golf, like a football or volleyball day.

Your budget is another important consideration, as some events are more expensive to put together. Bearing the above points in mind, here are some charity sport event ideas:

• Cycling: Cyclists sign up to complete a race in exchange for donations. In many cases, donors pay a rate per mile. You can also raise money for your cause by charging an entry fee — awards for placing in the race or raising the most money help to generate interest and increase donations.
• Golf: Charity golf tournaments are among the most well-supported and lucrative fundraising options. They’re popular with corporate sponsors and individual players. Golf tournaments can be fun or competitive, and you can liven them up with different themes and games at each hole. While players wait to take their shots, you can hold silent auctions where players and spectators can bid via a mobile app.
• Marathon or triathlon: Marathons are competitive and require participants of a certain fitness level. They’re often 26 miles from start to finish, and the high level of athleticism can draw in the crowds. Although they represent an excellent fundraising opportunity, marathons can require a relatively high upfront investment to host. Local businesses often sponsor them and participants pay an entry fee, a portion of which goes toward the hosting organization. Triathlons follow the same principles but include swimming and cycling in addition to running.
• Fun run or walk: Fun runs focus on participation, as they’re non-competitive and open to everyone. Times aren’t recorded, as runners pay an entry fee to complete the distance at their own pace. You can also consider a lap-based fundraiser or walkathon, where donors pledge a predecided amount per completed lap.
• Swimming: Charity swimming events consist of a distance swim or a relay. Swimmers can set a fundraising goal or pay a flat fee to compete, and you can decide whether you want the event to be competitive or more laid back.
• Volleyball: Volleyball is an excellent option to draw participants and spectators. There are two ways to raise money with a volleyball tournament — participating teams pay an entrance fee, and the organization can use the tournament as a platform to sell merchandise. Providing a trophy or prize for the winning team helps to pique people’s interest.

 

2. Choose your Fundraising Method

Consider how you want to raise funds, as you have several options.

Participants and spectators can donate or pay to play. You can also broaden your horizons and involve corporations and local businesses, who may donate for a mention in the program or some branding around the event. Instead of cash donations, you can appeal to them to donate products and set up a silent auction. Set up bidding to be open during the event.

Peer-to-peer fundraising is also an excellent option. It builds on existing relationships and amplifies awareness of your cause. The addition of a mobile app makes it more convenient for people to donate.

3. Set a Date and Pick a Location

Once you’ve chosen a sport and fundraising method, it’s time to select a date and the appropriate location.

Give yourself enough time to plan your event by setting a date at least six months in advance. When you choose a date for a charity sports event, consider the weather and avoid hosting it on the same date as a national holiday or notable event, like the Super Bowl.

For your location, ensure it’s accessible to attendees and has all the facilities you need to host the event successfully. It’s worth approaching different venues in your area to ensure you have plenty of options. Ask the venues for a list of their health and safety regulations and in-house rules to see how they might be able to accommodate your needs.

4. Spread the Word and Find your staff

You can start promoting your event once the date and venue are confirmed. The earlier you send out invitations and start promoting, the more people are likely to be able to attend. Make it clear who the event is suitable for and how many attendees are allowed at your chosen venue.

Social media is an excellent platform for promoting your event, especially because it’s free. Create an event, add a hashtag, and post often to keep the event and the cause at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Ask your volunteers and attendees to do the same.

Any successful event relies on volunteers. You’ll need people to provide beverages, handle the snacks, head up the registration tables, and do many other jobs. Everyone has different skills, so take the time to place your volunteers in suitable roles and ensure you have enough people to run your event smoothly, even if some have to cancel at short notice.

If your event requires a referee or umpire, it’s best to recruit a professional if you can. Consider approaching local schools or athletics departments to find someone willing to donate their time.

Sponsors

Sponsorship is critical to a successful sports charity event and can be easier to find than you might think. The more people and organizations you approach, the higher your chances of success. Some tips and tricks to encourage sponsorship include the following:

• Work together: When approaching potential sponsors, be flexible on what they can offer your event. It can be anything from donating prizes and uniforms to making a charitable contribution. Working with your sponsors and developing ideas that work for them increases your sponsorship chances.
• Create packages: Create packages with multiple levels of support. Potential sponsors can choose the one that fits their goals and budgets best and receive exposure that corresponds with their donations.
• Research wisely: Try to find organizations that have sponsored similar events in the past, as they may be more likely to do so again.
• Play to your strengths: Do your best to pull in as many relevant sponsors as possible. If you’re hosting a golf day, approach golf retailers or country clubs, as they’re more likely to get on board if exposed to an appropriate target audience.

Food and drinks

Refreshments are critical to a successful event. A sports event must have plenty of water available for athletes and spectators alike, and as the host, you must provide it at no charge. You could approach a local business to sponsor bottled water at your event.

Attendees should also have access to other refreshments and food. You have several options for refreshments:

• Cater yourself: You can provide certain snacks for free or set up a concession stand to sell food and drinks to guests.
• Hire a caterer: If you want to offer full meals, elaborate snacks or themed food, consider hiring a professional catering company.
• Allow food trucks: While food trucks cut into your potential profit, they’re an excellent option if your budget and staff are limited. You can charge them a fee for setting up at your event and your attendees will appreciate the variety.

Health and safety

Ensuring the health and safety of attendees is vital for every sports event, no matter how big or competitive. Ensure you have a medical tent at smaller events to attend to falls and minor injuries. Trained medical professionals are a must for more significant, competitive events. They can assist with more severe situations, like dehydration or injuries.

Take preventive measures by creating an emergency plan. Try to predict incidents that could threaten your event and ensure you have a list of materials on hand in emergencies, like medical equipment and plenty of water. Create a document detailing your proposed actions in an emergency and post it where your volunteers can see it.

Ensure you have security on-site to help in the event of an emergency, like a missing person or unruly crowd, and stay ahead of legal liabilities with the inclusion of medical waivers all participants must sign before competing. If the size and scope of your event warrant it, consider public liability insurance.

Attendees need to know where they can get medical attention, so ensure they know where the medics are located with adequate signage and regular announcements. 

 

5. Make it Easy for Participants to Register

Attendees must have a positive association with your event from the outset. First, you must decide on the best method for participants and spectators to register for your event. Depending on the type of event, it might make sense to sell tickets or open registrations for competing teams. Many people prefer an online registration option, as it’s convenient for them and they don’t have to travel to sign up.

Using fundraising software is ideal, as it’s meant to streamline guest registrations and allow you to manage your ticket sales, automatically register your guests for silent auctions, and facilitate sponsorship registrations. Fundraising software automatically records guests upon ticket purchase and allows you to customize ticket types and track sponsorships.

Managing guests is an extensive job, but specialized fundraising software helps. Guests get receipts for purchases and scheduled text messages to foster engagement and highlight premier moments throughout your event.

With access to guest registrations, you can ensure your event runs smoothly. You’ll know how many people to expect, so you can have enough human resources and catering to provide for them. People are more likely to return to future events when you provide them with a seamless experience the first time around.

6. Procure the Necessary Equipment

Depending on your chosen sport and the nature of the event, you’ll likely need to source some equipment. You might need soccer balls, goal posts, or signage specifying a running route. Consult an expert in your chosen sport and determine all the equipment you need well before the event.

Shop around when you’re sourcing equipment. Your local sports store may be happy to donate some or provide it at a reduced price. Buying and storing your equipment may make sense if you’ll need it again for future events. Create a detailed checklist and ensure you have everything you need in plenty of time. 

 

7. Get Swag for Participants

Branding is a phenomenal way to get people excited about your event and incentivize them to join. For sports events, T-shirts for participants are a great option. If you’re running a tournament with teams, consider providing a custom jersey to each group. If you’ve chosen a marathon or cycle race, include shirts for all participants.

Branded items are fantastic for participants and essential in promoting your organization or cause. Ensure your logo or message is visible to gain maximum traction from your branded items. You could also allow supporters to purchase branded items from your event, like hats or tote bags.

8. Host the Event

After much planning and hard work, when the day of your event arrives, you want to host a smooth and professional experience. Remember, the primary purpose of your event is to raise funds and awareness for your organization. Consider reaching out to the local media to amplify your coverage. Speak to local editors before your event and try to secure some pre-event coverage to build hype around your event. 

Have everything organized and pay attention to the small details to ensure your event runs smoothly. Of course, don’t forget to have fun and be enthusiastic. People will believe in your event’s success if you do!

 

Power Your Sports Charity Event with GiveSmart

GiveSmart fundraising software is the perfect way to raise money for your organization. Our user-friendly fundraising software has many features that make fundraising easy to manage and enhance your guests’ experience, including mobile bidding on silent auctions and online ticket sales management.

With our entire host of fundraising solutions, you can be sure you’ll host an event people will remember. If you’d like to learn more about how GiveSmart can help you, request a demo today to get started organizing your sports fundraising event.