Fundraising Ideas for Diving Teams

As any diving team knows, it costs money to make a team work. Coaches, pools, and meets are all costly. Often times, divers and parents are the ones footing the bill. As such, many diving families welcome a team’s plan to fundraise: It helps pay for essentials such as team suits, meet registrations, and travel costs. Below are some fundraising ideas that might help your team make a few extra dollars.

Snack Shack

Food is often one of the greatest ways for a diving team to make money. The hosting team at any diving meet has the opportunity to open a snack shack. Plan to set out a few tables by the side of the pool at your next diving meet. Offer some refreshments and see if you can make some money. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Have parents or siblings of the team members help run the sale.
• Divide up the responsibilities so that some families run the customer end of the sale, while others help with the back-end duties (such as purchasing and food preparation).

Keep in mind the time of year of your meet. If it is in the winter, consider: Hot soups, coffee, and hot chocolate. If your meet is in the heat of summer, try: Cold water, lemonade, and fruit smoothies.

Sell Diving Merchandise

Another great idea at diving meets — even at the snack shack itself — is to sell clothing or swim towels. Between events, divers have some time on their hands. Many divers enjoy the opportunity to browse and look around. Have different items available for purchase, and you may be surprised at the money you can earn. Here are some items all divers can use:

• Shammies
• Swimsuits
• Towels
• T-shirts
• Sweat outfits

If possible, find a swim manufacturer and try to buy the products in bulk to save money. Be creative with your choices, and look to your team members for help in determining the ideal products to sell.

Sell Advertisements

A team may opt to have a program describing the events in a diving meet — especially if this is an invitational with many teams attending. Get local community members and businesses to buy advertising space in the program.

This provides local businesses with an opportunity to get effective advertising at a reasonable rate. Out of town guests will want to find places to dine and be entertained, so why not advertise those options in a diving meet program? Your team will benefit, as well as your community!

Dive-a-thon

Get each of your divers to commit to diving a certain number of dives in a set period of time. Ask your divers to collect money from family, friends, and neighbors for each dive they perform within this window of time. Perhaps some will pay a few cents per dive. Others may pay one dollar or more per dive.

Make it a fun opportunity for the team to practice dives. Coaches can have their diver’s perform a variety of dives: From a front dive in three different positions, to a reverse optional in three different positions. It is a fun way for divers to earn some money and get beneficial practice at the same time.

Clown Show

For divers, a clown show is a fun activity to participate in. Divers get to perform goofy tricks off the boards, show off in front of family and friends, and do high flying acrobatics in the air. Teams can charge guests an admission fee of $10 to $20 a show. Divers can help promote the show and sell tickets in advance. Shows can have an emcee, can be done to music, or geared any way you like. Audiences of all ages enjoy a humorous show that entertains and also teaches about the sport of diving. It is a great way to earn some money for your team and also advertise your team to the community.

Get Creative

Earning money for a diving team can be a fun adventure. It just some takes some planning and creativity. Any creative idea that will earn your diving team money to take trips, pay for nationals, or simply assist a diver who needs a team suit is a beneficial pursuit. Costs will continue to rise. Make the most of it, and have some fun earning money for your team!