​Any hockey parent will tell you that hockey can be expensive. Equipment is costly, and they grow out of it so fast! Add travel, tournament fees, team jackets, and team-building activities to the list, and you've got a hefty financial commitment.

Some teams have business sponsorships and family contributions to cover these costs, but others earn team money by organizing and executing fundraising campaigns. 

What are the steps for a successful hockey fundraising campaign?

1. Identify how much money you'll need to fundraise.
2. Gather the volunteers to brainstorm ideas for meeting your fundraising target. Collaboration and teamwork will help create excitement about fundraising projects.
3. Make it fun and involve the whole team and its supporters—players, coaches, parents, grandparents, family and community members.

Okay, so you have your fundraising goal, and your team organized. Now it’s time to create your fundraising campaign. Here are creative ideas you can bring to the table.

Hockey fundraising ideas

Family spaghetti night

Making spaghetti is reasonably inexpensive, and most people love it! So plan a fun family spaghetti night and sell tickets to friends, family, neighbours, and co-workers! Add games, entertainment, and a silent auction to make the dinner a fun event. 

Grocery stores might even sponsor your event by donating food. Reach out to your local grocery store, and offer them promotion at the event through signage and acknowledgement of their sponsorship. 

Make a team calendar

Are your hockey parents? Ask them to take and collect photos of the team early in the season during games, events, and tournaments! Compile pictures of your players and their families and choose the best ones for a calendar. Then, format and print them yourself or order from a print shop. Calendars like this make great family presents during the holidays. Plus, everyone enjoys seeing the fun snapshots throughout the year!

Parent pub night

Not every hockey fundraiser has to involve the kids! A pub night is a fun way to get to know the other hockey parents and raise funds for the team. If you recruit enough friends and neighbours, some establishments will donate some of the night's profits to the team. Silent auctions, casino games, or a pool tournament can increase the financial payoff.

Sled-a-Thon

Take advantage of snowy Alberta winters by organizing a Sled-a-Thon! Players can collect pledges for participating in the tobogganing event (like a pledge for each trip down the big hill). Get your entire hockey community involved and at the hill, and cap the day with a hockey family potluck. 

Lottery

A lottery is a lucrative hockey fundraising idea. You can have every family on the team donate an item, or you can buy wholesale. Then, the team sells tickets to family and friends. A winning ticket is drawn in a raffle, and the winner takes all. 

Cookbook campaign

The cookbook fundraiser project gets everyone involved and can be pretty tasty too! Every hockey family contributes one of their family-favourite recipes. Then, you have them compiled and printed into a cookbook. Players can sell the cookbook to their families, friends, and community to raise funds for the team!

Coaches challenge

Kids look up to their coaches and will get a kick out of this fun and creative idea! First, set a fundraising target. Then, choose a challenge the coaches must complete if the players reach the target. For example, you can have them shave their beard, wear a costume or sing a song at practice.

Sponsorship for goals scored

Recruit a local business that will sponsor the team and donate a certain amount per goal scored by the team. The money donated can also be entered in a 50/50 raffle that benefits a charity of choice and the team.

Fundraising initiatives like these are easy to execute, fun, and bring the hockey team’s community together! 

Photo credit: Travel Alberta / @johnpricephotography