What if we told you that there’s a way to get your gym, team, or sports club’s budget back on track? And yea, you could do it during the holiday season. What’s more, this sports fundraising idea allows you to raise money for yourself—or another good cause—and do so much for so many! This holiday season, we have two ways for you to give back to your community and the world!
Great Success in Sports Fundraising Done By a CrossFit Gym
One of our recent blog posts is about a CrossFit gym. Like so many other clubs, teams, and gyms this year, they had to close temporarily. But JonesN4 didn’t just remain in place. No. One of the values that people in sports have is overcoming challenges. And that’s what Jones N4 decided to do when they did the Sneakers For Good program. While this sports fundraising idea could get started during the holidays when people are mindful of the spirit of giving, this group didn’t wait.
They decided to do a fundraiser because they understood that the athletic community is incredible. Moreover, by doing an athletic shoe drive fundraiser, they could support a great cause, The Prosthetic Foundation. As they asked members and the community for gently worn, used and new athletic shoes and sneakers, they engaged people in a whole new way. In other words, they had a chance to talk to people at a time of uncertainty about something good—beyond the pandemic.
During their athletic shoe drive fundraiser, as you could see from their Facebook posts, they shared hope. As we know, the world needs a lot of it, and there’s no better time than spreading good cheer than during the holidays. When they did their fundraiser, JonesN4 also raised their brand’s visibility and shared their CrossFit story in their community.
Supporting Female-Led Organizations to Empower Women and Girls
There’s an old expression that women hold up half the sky. But women don’t want to be placed on pedestals. Instead, what they want is full equality and emancipation. Unfortunately, as noted by our partner brand, Funds2Orgs, a lot of work remains in a recent post. According to the UN, in 2021, of the people living in extreme poverty, 47 million will be female. The pandemic and economic stressors caused the slip of women and girls back to poverty. What’s more, it’ll take 10 years for women and girls to get back to where they existed before the pandemic.
What that means is that women need more work opportunities worldwide. And that’s why Funds2Orgs created Funds4Women. The program aims to reach out to female entrepreneurs and leaders across our country. In short, they could raise funds for their nonprofits, school, or groups—especially if they support female programs and empowerment—by collecting shoes. Funds2Orgs is a social enterprise that has women in most of the senior positions of the company. As a result, there’s a belief that women have to support female-led organizations and empowerment groups.
The Funds4Women program now makes a special effort to ensure that the micro-entrepreneurs in developing nations who get the shoes are women. And while women and men make up our micro-enterprise partners, awareness for making sure we give female entrepreneurs a better chance increased.
Why Give Back to Your Community With a Creative Fundraiser?
Sports fundraising is much more exciting when you don’t ask people to buy merchandise and ask for money. Don’t you think? We do, and so do our thousands of partners! When you decide to do something, especially during the holiday season, you demonstrate leadership in your community. Also, you give the world hope and share some light, which we need. When you collect athletic shoes or everyday shoes, you give others the gift of giving, depending on the program. So, what do we mean by that? Essentially, these kinds of fundraisers are the gifts that keep on giving.
1. Give the Gift of Giving
When you participate in the Sneakers For Good or Funds4Women programs, you help get your budget back on track. During the holidays, and especially during a pandemic, lots of people are home. And that means they have more time to do things like, you know, clean out their closets. Most families have 10-15 pairs of shoes they no longer want or need hiding in their closets. That footwear is a sports fundraising currency for your favorite cause!
2. Your Community Learns About Social Responsibility
Millennials and Generation Z are activist generations, and they helped bring social responsibility front and center. In other words, sports teams, clubs, and gyms that show social responsibility will get more community support. For instance, you could serve as a drop-off location for the sneakers in your community. In the process, people clean out their closets, and you help recycle athletic shoes and keep them from the trash. Oh, and you also have a chance to connect with people and engage them in the work you do!
3. Support Your Fundraising Cause and Families in Developing Countries
Finally, when you decide to do something for yourself and others, you do so much for the world! No matter which of the two programs you do, the result’s the same. You raise funds for your favorite cause by repurposing shoes. Once your fundraiser ends, those shoes get shipped to micro-entrepreneurs in developing nations. Our partners overseas have to create their own opportunities because of systemic poverty in their countries. Sales is a great way to do it, and selling shoes and sneakers make it even better!
So this holiday season, think about your sports fundraising. Ask yourself if you want to do something different. Chances are that you do to get your budget back on track. Spread the holiday cheer by doing something good for you, the planet, and families worldwide.
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