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Building a field

coach2709coach270910,000+ posts
My school does not have a field at our school and have to use a community park. I could go on and on about the problems with using this place but I will save you from that. I have finally convinced our administration to let us build a field at the school (as well as a softball field). We have ample room (which makes me wonder why they never built a field before) to put a baseball field and softball field back to back.

My question to you guys is what kind of fund raisers generate a fairly sizeable amount of money because the baseball and softball teams have to pay for this - the school and board of ed are not helping in any way.

We are going to have brick and net backstops and I think I know how to pay for them - charge businesses and people $100 per brick to have their name put on it forever. My pitching coach owns a concrete business and he can give us a great deal on that and I know a guy who will lay the block free so our biggest expense is the block and net. I think the $100 a brick will pretty much cover that. If others know I am completely wrong please let me know so I can change my thinking.

Other things we are wanting to do is a golf tournament and several things we are going to sell.

Any ideas to help generate money fairly quickly would be huge. Also, the school is going to let us form a booster club to help with the work.

We will need to build dugouts, put up fencing and put up lights. I am figuring all that will be around $35,000 - 45,000.

Obviously I am not crazy enough to think we can have this ready by the 2008 season but I would like to be able to play in the 2009 season.

Any thoughts or ideas?

Thanks

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. Thomas Jefferson

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Rob KremerRob Kremer1,000+ posts
Go to a local used car dealer, and propose that he find the nicest $25,000 used car he can. (A three year old Ford Mustang is about what you can get for this amount, and they are plentiful.)

Have the teams sell raffle tickets for $100 each, limit the total sales to 500 tickets. It will take some time to sell, but if you have 50 people as a sales force between the two programs, each has a quota of 10.

It isn't all that hard to find 10 people willing to spring $100 for a .2% chance to win a $25,000 car. It does take some time and you will have to badger the kids, but it is doable.

That nets you $25K.

Since the dealer knows he can get the car on the market, nobody needs to front any money and take risk. Just get pictures of the car from the internet and make flyers.

Put on the flyer that no drawing will be made unless 350 tickets are sold, and have a box they can check on the raffle form that says "In the event we do not sell the 350 ticket minimum, I agree to donate the $100 to the program outright.

Quite a few people will check this box, and so even if you can't sell the tickets, you can still make some money for the effort.
Ryno23Ryno23100+ posts
Our statewide paper has a list of "charitable foundations" by name and location in our state. In addition to this, they also listed the "interests" of the foundations. Most of these foundations had millions in assets several of them listed interests as "youth", "community", and/or "education". Perhaps you could find a list similar to this in your area. Also, major league baseball has a foundation that gives money to those interested in field building.
L larrythompson500+ posts
One of the local legion programs around here sells 500 $25 raffle tickets. You will profit $6,250, and use the remaining $6,250 for prizes:

1st prize - $5,000
2nd prize - $ 750
3rd prize - $ 500

or something like that. I always buy a couple of chances, and actually won 1st prize the very first year.

Golf tournaments can be good, but the real $$$ is made by sponsorships and contests during the tournament.

Communities are usually really good with respect to rallying around sports programs in need.

And do it right. Make it a place where everyone wants to play and come watch a game. I applaud you for building a baseball and softball field. Softball parents are *AMAZING* fund raisers.

Word of caution though. Don't overspend on the dugouts. I imagine Kentucky gets pretty hot just like MD during the late spring and summer. Keep the dugouts well ventilated, otherwise the players won't want to be in them anyway. When our field was upgraded to include dugouts, moving the backstop back, etc..., they build some beautiful brick dugouts, totally enclosed. The only problem, it is like an oven from middle of April on. Consider keeping the front open, and the sides well ventilated...then put a safety fence in front of the dugouts (just a suggestion).
06catcherdad06catcherdad1,000+ posts
Along the lines of what Rob Kremer suggested, we raffled off a brand new Mercedes C230 and netted over $20,000.00. 500 tickets at $100.00 per for a chance to own a Mercedes. The local dealership sold us a car at their cost, which came in right at $29K, and we sold all 500 tickets. That fundraiser took about 3 months to pull off.

Another good one is a Crab Feed. We do these for about 300 people and net around $10K or better at each one. We sell the tickets for $40.00 each, plus a cash box, a small raffle and the bar income. Depending on the year, we've cleared between $9K and $12K.
WalawalaWalawala100+ posts
Golf Tournament is good.

Pancake breakfast is good.

Baseball camps can be VERY good.
charge kids 150 bucks for a week long camp parents will gladly pay that to get the out of the house for a week its like day care but better.

Bricks are a good idea.

if you work hard enough I'm sure you'll find a family/business who will dontate a large chunk of money.

Sell advertisements on the outfield wall.

It sucks but you might have to charge the players. I know of many colleges that get new locker rooms and stuff ther players have to "buy" their locker for like 500 bucks or something. Its a small price to pay though.

Just charge every kid in the program 100 bucks if you know they can afford it. If you have frosh/jv/varsity that could be 5 grand right there.

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