Did you know funders are 50% more likely to invest in a sport organisation and put in up to 3x more money if they can access data about who your sport organisation is engaging and what impacts it is generating for your community?

Data about what sport activities you are delivering, who your organisation is engaging and what outcomes it is helping generate for your community, can help your organisation create compelling reasons for individuals, sponsors and other organisational funders to fund your sport organisation.

In this guide, we will guide you on best practices to generate more funding for your sport organisation. We’ll cover 3 of our top tips for making a competitive funding application or crowdfunding campaign.

When creating a funding application or fundraising campaign, it is important to clearly articulate your project's goals and objectives, demonstrate its potential impact, and provide a well-researched budget that accurately reflects the costs associated with achieving those goals.

When you are planning to fundraise, the first step is to decide how much money you need and what you need it for. This will help you set clear and achievable goals that you can work towards.

Let's say your sports club needs £5,000 to purchase new equipment for your football team. You might set a goal to raise that amount within three months. This means you need to raise an average of £1,667 per month to reach your goal.

To achieve this, you might consider a combination of fundraising methods. For example, you could create a crowdfunding campaign on a platform like Crowdfunder, where you set a goal of £2,500 and offer rewards like merchandise or experiences in exchange for donations. You could also apply for a grant from Sport England, which offers funding for equipment purchases.

Identify potential donors or funders and tailor you funding message to their needs. For example, if your crowdfunding from parents and relatives of your participants, focus your message to the benefits it would generate for their kids. Or if you aim to apply for a grant, highlight how your organisation is furthering their mission and objectives.

There are many ways to raise money for your sport organisation, including using crowdfunding and applying for grants. However, choosing the right method for your organisation is crucial for success.

Using crowdfunding:

You can use crowdfunding platforms like Crowdfunder, JustGiving or GoFundme to raise money for your sport organisation. When using crowdfunding platforms, it's important to keep in mind that these platforms are most effective for raising smaller amounts of funding.

Additionally, it's best to have a fairly sizable community to engage with in order to increase your chances of success. One effective way to engage your community is to reach out to your participants and their friends and family, as they are likely to be most interested in supporting your cause.

By leveraging the power of your existing network and using crowdfunding platforms strategically, you can successfully raise funds for your sport organisation and build a sense of community around your cause.

Applying for grants:

There are many grants available to sports organisations in the UK. The most common sources of grants are the National Lottery Community Fund, Sport England, and local authorities. Look for grants that fit your club's mission and goals.

Make sure to look up the main objectives of the particular fund you are applying to and try to evidence how your sport organisation might further their objectives. There are helpful resources for this on Sport England's website.

You can also use SportFin's social impact reporting automations to support funding applications with real-time impact reports, or create your own impact reports using rich-text editors and embeddable data visualisations.

To be successful, you need to have a clear understanding of your goals and needs, and promote your fundraising efforts effectively. Creating a compelling social impact story can help you connect with potential supporters and demonstrate the positive impact your sports club has on the community. Your organisation's impact story will be the key driver of your fundraising efforts, whether you are crowdfunding or applying for grants.

Your social impact story should showcase how your sports club has made a difference in the lives of its members and the wider community. This could include sharing stories of individuals who have benefited from your club's activities, such as improved health or social connections. You might also highlight how your club supports local initiatives or contributes to important causes.

SportFin is a free tool that helps community sport organisations fundraise better by automating social impact reporting.

With SportFin, you have the ability to collect the necessary data you will need to create a compelling impact story by simply digitising you day-to-day activities on our free CRM, or by importing data via our importer tool.

SportFin can help you:

Click here find out more about our impact analytics and crowdfunding tools.