Creativity Abound!

We hear about professional sports promotions all the time. From the funky (crazy mascots) to the cost-effective (ticket discounts), professional teams are always looking to draw more fans to the game to increase the bottom line.

However, in the youth market, organizations are forced to be even more creative in soliciting funds. As non-profits, it's always hard to break even on a year-to-year basis with hardly any (if any) full-time staff members supporting the cause.

Working with a diverse group of organizations on a daily basis, I know many have devised creative ways to raise money, whether it's via a creative tournament sponsorship or apparel giveaway.

For example, one group in the Pacific Northwest allows parents to bid on the space in their website header. If Mom and Dad want "Johnny" to appear at the top of the club's homepage, it will cost them. Believe it or not, this raises a few thousand dollars a year for small piece of virtual real estate.

That's just one example. Does your organization do anything unique? Feel free to post it in the comments section. We'll go more in depth on some ideas, then expand from the "what" (the ideas) to the "how" (how you made it work).

I'm sure we'll get some feedback everyone can learn from!