Cheerleading can help team members by improving self esteem, creating bonding experience between likeminded peers, and helping young adults become physically fit.
Unfortunately, uniforms, competition fees, or travel expenses can be a burden on your bank account.
In order to cut down on costs, many teams opt to fundraise.
Fundraising is an excellent way to raise money for team activities and uniforms; however, there are a few rules that each cheerleader should abide by while fundraising.
Follow these great tips to make sure your team fundraiser is safe and successful.
- Use Your Common Sense:One of the most important things you can do when choosing fundraisers for your team is to you common sense.
If one type of fundraising seems less than safe, if it require the girls to do a large majority of door to door sales, or if you don't feel comfortable asking the parents to get involved, chances are it's not a good idea.
Use your intuition and only stick with fundraising ideas that you are confident in or are sure they won't put your cheerleaders in harm's way. - Stay Away from Door to Door:While it may be a money maker, never ask your cheerleaders to take part in door to door fundraising activities.
Even areas you feel are safe can present dangerous situation for young girls going door to door selling candy or other fundraising items.
This doesn't mean you need to say goodbye to door to door fundraising items like candy bars or discount cards, it merely means to keep the sale of those items within limits.
Only allow girls to see to friends, faculty, parents, and well known neighbors.
Never require a girl to go door to door no matter how much money you need to raise. - Get Parents Involved: A great way to ensure the safety of your squad is to get parents involved in fundraising events.
Regardless of what type of fundraiser the members of your team are taking part in, be sure to inform parents.
Not only will this help to keep team members safe, but often time's parents can spread the word to their co-workers, friends, and family increasing your sales base in a safe way. - Set and Review Rules:At the beginning of each fundraising event set a serious of guidelines that each cheerleader must follow in order to participate in team activities.
This should include rules like never fundraising alone or never fundraise in certain areas or during certain times of day.
Ultimately, your list of rules and guidelines should depend on the location of your school district, the maturity of the girls, and the level of parental participation. - Limit Cash Carried:In many cases members of your team will be carrying a large amount of money.
In order to keep count of all the money, credit each cheerleader appropriately, and ensure the safety of your team members, require cheerleaders to turn in large of amounts of money at the beginning of practice or during the school day.
This will cut back on the loss of money when participating in group fundraising events like in school candy bar sells, candy grams, or carwashes.