Cheerleading Squads: Put the Fun Back in Fundraising and Earn Big Bucks

Yes, nearly all cheerleading squads have washed cars to raise funds. And cheerleaders will continue washing cars well into the future. Why? Because car washes earn beaucoup bucks. But are they fun? That's debatable. The cash is the real appeal, and the fact that the water and location can usually be sponsored by a local business doesn't hurt either.

Yes, nearly all cheerleading squads have sold overpriced cookie dough, frozen pizzas, wrapping paper, and miscellaneous trinkets to earn cash for new uniforms and to pay competition fees. Why? To earn a profit by playing on the generosity of friends and family, some might say. But is selling overpriced items fun? Hmmm.

Are you hankering to consider some new and unique cheerleading fundraising ideas that provide the fun factor? The fundraisers for cheerleaders mentioned below are gaining popularity, it's true. Nonetheless, these fundraising ideas are less mainstream and are debatably more fun than the previously mentioned ones.

HOST A CHEERLEADING CAMP

One fun, easy and profitable cheerleading fundraiser is for your squad to host a cheer camp for young cheerleaders-to-be. Not only can you earn a sizeable amount of cash in just one day, a fun filled day camp can also be your ticket to a successful annual event.

Before getting started, run your plans by your school administrator. He/she will need to provide permission for this fundraiser, approve your plans and approve your camp registration forms. After receiving the go ahead, choose a Saturday to teach the beginners a chant, cheer, dance and jumps. Place flyers/registration forms in the local elementary schools and ask the administrators there to announce the event.

Offer the young cheerleaders an opportunity to show off their new skills at one of the home games. Provide them with a t-shirt advertising your camp to wear at the game as part of their registration fee. In addition to building business for future camps, these perks will make your first camp more appealing and help you draw better attendance. Also, be sure to keep the attendees happy by providing snacks at break time.

Most importantly, remember that safety should always be your number one priority.

HOST A COMPETITION

To really draw a crowd and earn a big chunk of change, host a cheerleading competition. Like hosting a cheer camp, school teams will need the approval of your school administrator. You will also need a competition mat system and sound system. If these resources are already in your cache, hosting a cheerleading competition might prove a feasible and highly profitable fundraising option.

Is hosting a cheerleading competition fun, though? Hosting a competition will prove a lot of work, undoubtedly, but I have never met any cheerleaders who denied that competitions are fun.

CONTACT LOCAL BUSINESSES

You need funds. Certain local businesses have funds to share with you, but you have to ask for them. Asking in person for a donation may yield better results, but success can be achieved through the postal service. Simply write one solid plea for a donation, mail merge it with business names and addresses, and place the letters in the mail.

Contacting local grocers (one of whom donated bottled water), banks, and big businesses like Wal-Mart has yielded success in my personal experience. Wal-Mart has a grant program, but ask early. The money runs out quickly! Keep in mind that you will likely hear back from only a small percentage of those businesses you contact; however, this cheerleading fundraiser really requires very little effort so any gains are well worth your time. Upon receiving a donation, you will want to thank the businesses for their generosity and hope that they will remember you next year.

Is this fundraiser for cheerleaders fun? It can definitely be fun to receive an unexpected check in the mail.

UTILIZE ADS ON YOUR WEBSITE

Here is a fundraising idea for cheerleaders that truly requires very little time and effort. If you have a website, posting ads on it such as those by Google Adsense can bring in small amounts of cash year round. Keep in mind that the approval of school administrators will be necessary for school websites.

A fun fundraiser, you ask? Effortlessly earning money while tying your shoes, sitting in class, or cheering at a game is always fun.

SAVE PRODUCT LABELS

Save your cereal box top and earn ten cents. Admittedly, ten cents may not seem like much. Now add all of your cereal box tops, labels from your trash bags, soup cans, and frozen chicken bags throughout the year together with those of your friends, neighbors and classmates. Suddenly that ten cents turns into a whole lot more.

Schools (sorry, no All Star teams) are eligible to participate in this type of fundraising program by collecting certain product labels. While elementary schools often make good use of these fundraisers, middle schools and high schools sometimes overlook them. If your school is not already participating in these fundraising programs, talk to your school administrator about coordinating a label drive.

At this time, Tyson Project A+ ^TM offers your school 24 cents per label. Campbell's Labels for Education offers items such as beverage coolers, mini refrigerators and computers in exchange for points earned by collecting labels. General Mills Box Tops for Education offers ten cents per label, and the Box Top labels appear on a seemingly infinite number of products. In addition, registering at the Box Tops for Education website affords each user bonus box tops credits that are applied to your school's account.

Does this cheerleading fundraiser meet the fun criteria? Admittedly, it may not reach the top of the fun meter. Nonetheless, it does deliver the potential for good profitability and does rank as high or higher than selling overpriced food items in terms of fun.

In the end, if all else fails, product sales and car washes can still help the bottom line.