Cheer Fundraising Ideas That Aren’t Another Bake Sale
Cheer gets expensive quickly. Competition fees, uniforms, travel, hotels, team gear, and other costs can add up throughout the season. Fundraising can help, but teams do not have to keep relying on the same bake sales every year.
There are plenty of practical ways to raise money that parents, athletes, and supporters can actually get behind. Here are a number of cheer fundraising ideas to consider for your next booster meeting.
Sell Something Useful
Selling something people already want or need can make fundraising much easier.
Spirit Wear Preorders
Sell team shirts, sweatshirts, hats, or other spirit wear to athletes, parents, relatives, and supporters.
Using a preorder system means you collect orders before placing the full order with your supplier. This can reduce the amount of money the team has to spend upfront and helps avoid being left with unsold sizes.
Competition-Day Kits
Put together small kits with useful items athletes may need during a competition weekend. Depending on your team, a kit could include things like: hair ties, bobby pins, bandages, tissues, lip balm, makeup wipes, healthy snacks, etc.
Keep the kit simple and focused on things families are likely to use.
Personalized Team Yard Signs
Offer yard signs featuring the athlete's name, team name, or season. Parents and grandparents can display them at home during competition season. They also work well as senior-night or end-of-season items.
Take orders first so you only print the signs that have already been purchased.
Gently Used Cheer Gear Sale
Cheer families often have uniforms, practice wear, bags, bows, or other gear their child has outgrown. Organize a team sale where families donate or contribute gently used items. The team can then sell those items to younger athletes or other families who can use them.
Make sure anything being sold is clean and still in good condition.
Team Bow and Bag Tag Sale
Bows and bag tags are simple products that fit naturally into cheer. Teams can sell items in team colors, personalize them with athlete names, or create special versions for competition season.
Again, taking preorders can help keep upfront costs lower.
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Bonus idea: Raise Money With the ShoeShoe Fundraising Program With the ShoeShoe Fundraising Program, there's no upfront cost and no risk of unsold inventory — the team simply spreads the word to parents, supporters, and the wider cheer community, who order directly from the ShoeShoe website. Every eligible purchase earns the team money, with no inventory to manage or leftover stock to worry about. It's also an easy sell, because parents are already looking for ways to keep white cheer shoes clean — this just gives them a reason to buy it through the team. And unlike a one-day fundraiser, it can be promoted all season long, giving the team an ongoing source of earnings instead of a single event. Learn more about the ShoeShoe Fundraising Program here. |
Host a Team Event
Fundraising does not always have to involve selling a product. A team event can raise money while also bringing athletes, families, and the local community together.
Mini Cheer Clinic
Host a short cheer clinic for younger kids in the community. Current athletes can help teach basic motions, jumps, dances, or simple cheers under the supervision of coaches. Charge a registration fee for the clinic and keep the activities appropriate for the age and skill level of the participants. This can also introduce younger families to your cheer program.
Send-Off Showcase
Before a major competition, invite friends and family to watch the team perform its routine. Teams can charge a small admission fee, accept donations, or sell tickets in advance. A send-off showcase gives athletes another chance to perform in front of an audience while supporters get to see what they have been working on
Cheer-a-Thon
Create a team challenge that lasts for a set amount of time. Athletes could complete cheers, motions, jumps, conditioning activities, or other team-approved challenges while supporters sponsor their participation.
Keep the format easy to understand so relatives and community members know exactly what they are supporting.
Parents' Night Out
If your gym has the staff, space, insurance, and supervision required, consider organizing a parents' night out. Parents pay a fee to leave their children at the gym for a few hours while supervised activities are provided. Activities could include games, crafts, movies, or beginner cheer activities.
The important part is making sure the event follows your gym's safety, staffing, and supervision rules.
Involve the Community
Local businesses and community members may also be willing to support the team, especially when the partnership is mutually beneficial.
Restaurant Give-Back Night
Some restaurants offer fundraising nights where a percentage of qualifying purchases during a specific period is donated to an organization or team. Choose a participating restaurant, promote the date to your families and supporters, and clearly explain any instructions customers need to follow.
Terms vary by restaurant, so check the fundraiser rules before promoting it.
Local Business Sponsorships
Ask local businesses if they would like to sponsor the team. In return, the team might recognize sponsors on approved banners, programs, social posts, event materials, or other places allowed by the gym or organization.
Create a simple sponsorship package so businesses know:
- What they are contributing
- What the money supports
- What recognition they receive
Sponsor-a-Mile Campaign
Traveling to an out-of-town competition can become part of the fundraiser. Families can ask supporters to sponsor a portion of the team's trip. For example, supporters might contribute toward specific travel costs or sponsor a symbolic mile of the journey.
Be clear about where the money is going so donors understand what their contribution helps cover.
Concession Stand Shifts
Local sports venues, schools, or community organizations sometimes allow groups to work concession stands in exchange for fundraising income. Parents and eligible volunteers can sign up for available shifts, depending on the venue's rules.
Availability varies by location, so contact local stadiums, schools, tournament facilities, and event organizers to see whether they offer fundraising opportunities.
Choosing the Right Cheer Fundraiser
You do not need to run every idea on this list.
Start by asking three simple questions:
- How much money does the team need to raise?
- How much work can parents and athletes realistically handle?
- Does the fundraiser offer something people actually want?
A simple fundraiser that fits your team is usually better than a complicated idea that sounds impressive but is difficult to organize.
Product fundraisers such as spirit wear, personalized gear, or the ShoeShoe Fundraising Program can work well because they connect naturally with cheer families.
Events such as clinics and showcases can work well when your team already has a strong local community.
Business partnerships can be useful when parents already have connections with local restaurants or companies.
Pick one or two ideas that make sense for your team!
