Basketball has many different playing levels and different styles of leagues all around. From the professional competitive leagues to recreational leagues, and even youth, it all comes down to money in the end. You need money to travel, to afford equipment, and to do a wide array of other tasks that aren’t listed here. Most of the time the fundraising efforts depending on the level of play are handled by the team, or specific staff members that work for them team, but often one aspect that is left completely out of the loop are corporations and businesses that make donations.

Donations of any sort are an absolutely essential part of any sports team. You require money to cover your costs, weather you are a professional team paying your players a salary, or a recreational team just looking to cover equipment and other costs. Without a certain amount of money coming into your team, you would quickly find yourself in a hole that could cause your team’s performance to drop, or even cause your team not to exist.

When you approach a business or corporation for money, it is ALWAYS best to have a proper plan laid out for how much money you need to take care of your costs, and show how you would spend any money’s that were given to you. Without the plan, and without a proper presentation, you will likely strike out in your attempts to gain funds. Many teams, charities, and other groups are looking to seize the funding that is out there for grabs, so if you come to the table unprepared, you will be setting yourself up for nothing but rejection and negative images. If it is your first time fundraising for a team, just think of what it is that would have you giving money to an organization if you were approached. Would you give money to someone who walked up simply with their hand held out, or would you give to the people that explained why they need the money, and how they plan on using the money?

With the current costs of operating a team at all levels of sports skyrocketing, you cannot rely on the old fundraising techniques. While you previously may have been able to rely solely on the donations from the private sector, you may now have to seek places willing to sponsor your team to provide you with the money.

While some people will shy away from trying to get corporate dollars, and don’t want to look like they are begging, businesses and corporations are frequently willing to sponsor teams and players of all skill levels and play levels. If you offer them some advertising in return for their investment, you will even be able to form long-term relationships that will go that extra step in ensuring that your team will be financially stable for years to come.

Not every team has to fund raise, some have owners or coaches that can afford the daily fees out of pocket, but for those that need to get outside sources of funding, don’t count businesses and corporations out of your equation, they can play a big role!

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