Ready to take on a bold fundraising strategy? Dodgeball tournament fundraisers are a high-energy and exciting way to get your supporters up on their feet for your cause! In this article, we’ll show you exactly how to organize this sporty fundraiser to bring in more money for your mission.
Dodgeball conjures up memories of grade school playgrounds and gym classes for many of us. Your nonprofit can turn these memories into a fun and successful fundraising event with a dodgeball tournament fundraiser. Beyond the adrenaline-fueled matches, dodgeball fundraisers bring together communities, support nonprofits, and create a fun event for participants and spectators.
Dodgeball consists of two teams that throw balls at each other. You win by hitting and removing all the players from the other team from the court, or by catching a ball thrown by the other team. You must accomplish this feat while avoiding being hit by a ball yourself.
Your nonprofit can hold a dodgeball tournament with as few as two teams, but more teams will make for a longer tournament! Split the teams into separate groups and find a space large enough to hold several games at once. The winning teams advance to play each other, ending in an award ceremony for the last-standing competitors.
Players aren’t the only participants in this type of event. Your nonprofit can sell tickets to spectators and build an audience to cheer each team on.
Pro tip: Nonprofits can sell event tickets online with Donorbox Events. Create an Events page with unlimited ticket tiers, showcase the tax-deductible amount of each ticket level, and set sales deadlines to help with your planning. Your players can register and your audience can purchase their tickets on the same page!
FROPRO foundation made it super easy for teams to register for their Pickleball tournament. They added an additional field to collect the information they need from each team, too!
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Before deciding to hold a dodgeball charity tournament, you must see if you have the ideal audience for this type of event. Sports teams and groups, schools, and universities are a safe bet, but other community organizations and corporate sponsors may also enjoy a tournament like this.
Younger athletes will have a blast competing for the best dodgeball team. Other community groups of adults, like men’s ministries or corporate volunteer teams, may look forward to a chance to relive their youth and connect with other active adults in the community.
Determine if your event’s target audience is interested in your charity’s mission, too. For example, a dodgeball tournament may be an excellent option for nonprofits focused on healthcare and fitness!
Dodgeball tournament fundraisers can be a lot of fun, but they also take a considerable amount of time and effort. We’ve laid out steps to help you organize your tournament.
Why do you want to host a dodgeball tournament fundraiser? Are you trying to find more donors interested in sports and healthy living? Are you fundraising for a specific cause or initiative?
Your purpose will help shape your choices for your event – which will determine your fundraiser’s success.
Pro tip: Before you delve into planning for your event, come up with SMART goals to ensure you’re heading in the right direction. Use our SMART Goal Setting Worksheet to help you plan!
A dodgeball tournament involves many steps and details. You can’t host a successful one without some help!
It’s crucial to start an event committee of staff, board members, and volunteers who are willing and able to use their skills and connections to make your event successful. Assign specific roles and responsibilities to each member to help them feel accountable and connected to your event’s success.
Find a date and venue that matches your needs. How many teams do you expect? How large of an audience?
If you need to host your event outside at a park, parking lot, or outdoor field, choose a date that allows for good weather. Indoor spaces like gyms and sports facilities are an excellent choice if weather is an issue. Also, research other community and nonprofit events in your area to ensure you don’t have many date conflicts.
Your nonprofit can choose from round-robin, single-elimination, or double-elimination formats. Choose the one that best fits your participants and audience.
To choose the best format, consider how much time you’ll have, how skilled your players are, and how many teams you expect to have.
Selling tickets will be your primary fundraising method for your dodgeball tournament fundraiser, so it’s important to choose an event ticketing system that can live up to the task.
Donorbox Events makes it easy to create your Events page, share it online and in-person via a free QR code, and sell more tickets for your event. Collect any information you need from your participants – like t-shirt sizes if you’re offering event shirts – with customizable questions. Plus, use promo codes to drive ticket sales momentum by offering discounts and free tickets.
Learn more about this tool and how to create your Events page in this blog! Or watch this short video to learn more:
Create a sponsorship package that offers benefits like name and logo placement, speaking opportunities, and naming rights. Ask your event team members to solicit sponsors for your dodgeball tournament from local businesses and individual connections.
Pro tip: Encourage sponsors to form their own team, create t-shirts with their name and logo, and promote their company while having fun!
A dodgeball tournament needs players, so you must find ways to encourage individuals and teams to sign up. Promote your event to potential players months in advance. Entice them with benefits and prizes for all participants, fundraisers, and winners.
A popular prize for tournament winners is a percentage of the event’s entry fees. The winner of your tournament can walk away with half of the entry fees, or you can split that amount between the top two or three teams.
Pro tip: Introduce peer-to-peer fundraising and encourage participants to create an online fundraising page with Donorbox when they sign up to play. This is a great way to raise more while also spreading the word about your event! When you award prizes to the winners of dodgeball, you can also recognize your best fundraisers.
Dodgeball doesn’t take much but there are a few pieces of equipment needed to play. Make sure you have enough dodgeballs, a scoreboard, and first aid supplies. Also, ensure your event facility has enough seating, restrooms, and parking for attendees. Also, be sure to stock plenty of water for your players, especially if your event is outside during hot weather!
You should also plan on offering or selling food and drink for your audience. Sodas, snacks like chips and popcorn, and even alcoholic beverages (if allowed) make for great concessions. Learn more about selling food and products to boost your event revenue in this blog.
Pro tip: Check with your local government for any additional permits or insurance requirements for your tournament.
Once you have the teams ready, you’ll need an audience. Create a marketing plan to share event details with your community and make it easy to sell tickets, support a player, and donate to the organization. Utilize your website, social media, flyers, media contacts, and word-of-mouth to get the word out.
Pro tip: Put flyers up around your community with a QR code that links viewers to your website page and ticket form. Remember, a free QR code is automatically generated for every Donorbox Events page – making it easy to get the word out!
A dodgeball tournament is a fast-paced event, but there is also a lot of downtime for attendees while waiting for the games to start. Your nonprofit can take advantage of this free time and excite attendees with ways to learn more about your charity’s mission and make a donation. You can raise money during your event with product and concessions sales, raffles, text-giving, and a donation kiosk.
Pro tip: Use the Donorbox Live™ Kiosk app to turn your tablet and card reader into a powerful tool to collect in-person, cashless donations. Learn more about how to leverage donation kiosks at your event in this blog.
On the day of your event, make sure you’re ready for a crowd. Ensure attendee ticket sales and player check-in are in place and you have enough volunteers to help it run smoothly.
Donorbox Events also streamlines your workflow on the day of your event. Each ticket has a unique check-in numerical and QR code you can enter on your Donorbox account or scan to check each participant in. This helps you track attendance, maintain event security, and maximize your event manpower.
As teams and attendees arrive, hand out schedules and the rules of the game so everyone stays on the same page throughout the tournament. Place referees and volunteers around the location to monitor and address any issues that may arise.
At the end of your event, hold a closing ceremony where the winning team or teams are awarded and given their prize. Recognize peer-to-peer fundraisers, sponsors, volunteers, and attendees and ask them to join you on stage.
Pro tip: Send personal thank-you letters and acknowledgments to all participants within 48 hours of your event and look for more ways to share your appreciation and strengthen relationships with donors.
A dodgeball tournament fundraiser can be a thrilling and effective way to raise funds for your nonprofit. The success of your tournament relies on careful planning and successful marketing. A dedicated event committee, clear goals, and strategic planning can help your tournament make a positive impact on your community and raise critical funds.
Just don’t forget the 5 D’s of dodgeball: dodge, duck, dip, dive, and donate!
Donorbox helps nonprofits like yours raise event funds with sports tournaments, community activities, galas, and more. Visit our website to learn more about our features and sign up today!
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Kristine Ensor is a freelance writer with over a decade of experience working with local and international nonprofits. As a nonprofit professional she has specialized in fundraising, marketing, event planning, volunteer management, and board development.
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Kristine Ensor