Community Fundraising

[AndrewEnt]

Hi,
I've started volunteering with our local village football team and re-established their website, CatonSports.co.uk with a view to expanding the ways people can support the club.

They already have pitch side banners and have a few local businesses sponsoring their kit and training equipment, but they have a huge list of repairs to make and want to start another youth team, so I expanded the site slightly to include:

£250pa for a pitch banner & online profile
£100pa for an online profile
£20 paid backlink - but after asking for some advice in the Backlinks forum, the feedback is, without significant traffic to the site, it wouldn't be a great benefit (outside of a warm fuzzy feeling knowing you're helping a community group) to a small business.

So, I could use your advice on which direction should I take this to help the club raise funds?

There are grants which they are applying for, to help with the large capital projects and pitch improvements, but these aren't guaranteed and don't usually help with the smaller costs, minor repairs, insurance, electricity bills, even fuel for the lawnmower, which is where cash from local sponsors tends to come into its own.

So, I suppose my question is, as a small business owner, what do you look for when you partner or sponsor with community groups?

Is there a cost/benefit analysis here? Are you led by what your employees feel strongly about? is there an element of prestige/pride is seeing your business displayed or is it really down to that warm fuzzy feeling?

I'd really appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks in advance

Andy
Caton United FC
CatonSports.co.uk

 

[Shopclicks]

Do you run any events, throughout the year? Novelty fun days can be a great way to find community support from the residents and businesses. Raise funds through raffles and competition entries, etc.

Do you have a 'Put your business here' pitch banner?

Add a call-out on the home page of the website and offer a premium priced home page sponsorship.

Encourage people to visit the website through Facebook to help build your traffic. Create a newsletter with a sign-up form on the website.

Share local business and community group posts on Facebook alongside your own posts.

 

[AndrewEnt]

Do you run any events, throughout the year? Novelty fun days can be a great way to find community support from the residents and businesses. Raise funds through raffles and competition entries, etc.

Do you have a 'Put your business here' pitch banner?

Add a call-out on the home page of the website and offer a premium priced home page sponsorship.

Encourage people to visit the website through Facebook to help build your traffic. Create a newsletter with a sign-up form on the website.

Share local business and community group posts on Facebook alongside your own posts.

Thanks, the 'your business here's is a good idea, we're looking at more events but it's been run with just a handful of volunteers until very recently, but they've got a few ideas for this year. Another guy is doing the Facebook stuff so I'll speak to him. Thanks again.

 

[WaveJumper]

Have you thought about applying here you can get anything from £300 to 20K for coaching, equipment and venue improvements

https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/funding-support/getting-ready-to-apply/preparing-your-application/who-can-apply-for-funding

 

[fisicx]

@AndrewEnt - you really need to focus on specific targets. Right now you seems to be adopting a scatter gun effect with no real purpose.

Why do you need the money? Is is for new kit, building for a new changing room, pitch maintenance, rent and utilities?

With a clear business plan you can then target specific sponsors.

And don't forget fundraising events - they can be a strong source of income.

And get the site finished! Look at the teams page. And where are all the pictures, the match reports and so on. Lots of highly visual content will help attract sponsors

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Does the club have an indoor venue?