Football Fundraising Ideas That Work Before Kickoff

If you’re a football booster club leader or team parent, you need a football fundraiser that you can realistically run and finish before the season starts. The right football fundraising ideas can help your team cover costs without adding extra work for players and families. 

We’ll take a look at common pre-season football fundraiser ideas and highlight which options fit you and your team. We’ll also look at what makes a fundraiser practical for busy teams and families, so you can choose what works.

Key Takeaway: 

• Youth sports keep getting more expensive. Families spent an average of $1,016 on a child's primary sport in 2024, up 46% from 2019, according to the Aspen Institute's Project Play.

• For football teams, many of those costs come due before the first game, so it's best to run your biggest fundraiser during pre-season.

• Sponsorships and donations can raise meaningful funds, but they can take weeks to secure and pay out.

• Look for a fundraiser that runs on a short, fixed timeline and doesn't require buying inventory upfront, so the money arrives before kickoff.

How to plan a fundraiser before the season starts 

Football costs are often due before the season starts, so your timing matters. You need a fundraiser that can bring in money quickly without creating work that spills into the season. It should also fit around practices and season prep instead of competing with them. Look for football fundraising ideas that are quick to set up, simple to manage, easy for everyone to participate in, and that get you your funds in time. 

Start with your goal and deadline

Before you pick a fundraiser, get clear on how much you need and when you need it.

1. Add up your expenses. List everything you need covered this season, like equipment, uniforms, travel, and camp fees.

2. Set a per-family goal. Divide your total by the number of families on the team so you know how much each one needs to raise.

3. Pick your deadline. Decide the date you need the money in hand.

4. Work backward to your start date. Use that deadline to choose when your fundraiser should begin.

What to look for in a pre-season fundraiser 

Look for football team fundraising ideas that:

☐ You can start fast

☐ Don’t cost you money for inventory up front

☐ Reach supporters beyond your local community

☐ Let your team keep more of every sale

☐ Keeps things simple: no sorting, storing, or distributing things yourself

What football fundraising ideas work in the pre-season window?

Catalog or candle sales

Catalog and candle sales are familiar fundraising options, but you may involve collecting orders, but they usually mean chasing down order forms, finding room for boxes in your garage, and spending a weekend handing everything out. That can add work for families during an already busy season.

Car washes

Car washes are pretty easy to organize, but you need a location, volunteers, supplies, and a specific event date. How much you raise can also depend on turnout (and the weather).

Sponsorships and donations

Sponsorships and donations can bring in the money you need, but a lot of the time you'll have to reach out, follow up, and give time for supporters or businesses to make a decision. That makes the payout timeline less predictable when you need funds before the season starts. 

Online product fundraisers

Online product fundraisers let players and families sell products without relying on an in-person event. Look for an option you can launch fast, that doesn’t make you buy inventory upfront, and that ships directly to your supporters so your team doesn’t have to do as much work.

Why a Double Good fundraiser fits before the season starts

Double Good is a fundraising app that lets teams sell gourmet popcorn online. It’s easy to launch, simple to manage, and there are no upfront costs. Everyone on your team creates and personalizes their own Pop-Up Store^® and shares it with friends, family, and supporters nationwide. You can choose a focused 4- or 7-day window to raise funds, which gives you flexibility while keeping the fundraiser short and easy to manage.

How much you raise depends on how many team members participate, and your team keeps 50% of every dollar, with no fees or minimums. Once family and friends place their orders, Double Good ships delicious gourmet popcorn to their doors so you don’t ever have to touch the product. Funds are then directly deposited to your bank account 1 to 2 weeks after the fundraiser ends.

Through Double Good’s partnership with Pop Warner, one of the nation’s largest youth football and cheer organizations, teams raised more than $2 million in 2024. 

How far in advance should you plan your Double Good fundraiser?

Start planning your Double Good fundraiser about a month before you need the funds. That gives your team at least 10 days before launch to join the fundraiser, set up their Pop-Up Stores, and prepare to start sharing. Then plan for 4 or 7 days to run your online football fundraiser and another 1 to 2 weeks for your funds to be deposited. Altogether, allow about 3 to 4½ weeks from planning to payout.

Get the funds your team needs before kickoff.