How to Get 50 Families Supporting Your Club Every Month Without Asking for Donations

Let's be honest: most people running grassroots clubs hate asking for money. It feels awkward. It feels pushy. It feels like begging. And even when you do ask, you worry you're guilt-tripping people who are already giving their time, paying subs, and supporting the club in other ways.

But here's the thing—you don't have to ask for donations at all. What if, instead of asking people to give you money, you offered them something they actually wanted to be part of? Something where supporting the club felt like a choice they were excited about, not an obligation they felt guilty about?

Getting 50 families supporting your club every month isn't about perfecting your donation pitch. It's about framing, positioning, and making participation easy and rewarding. Here's how to do it.

Stop Asking for Donations—Offer Something Instead

The fundamental problem with donations is that they feel one-sided. You're asking people to give you money and get nothing tangible back.

So change the equation. Instead of asking for donations, offer people something they can participate in. A club lottery is perfect for this. People pay a small monthly amount—say £10. They're entered into regular prize draws where they could win cash. And a portion of their contribution goes directly to the club.

Suddenly, it's not a donation anymore. It's participation. People aren't "giving money to the club"—they're "joining the club lottery." That subtle shift in language makes an enormous psychological difference.

It removes the guilt. It adds excitement (everyone loves the chance to win something). And it makes supporting the club feel fun rather than obligatory. When you offer something instead of asking for donations, people are far more willing to say yes.

Start With Your Existing Community

Your first 20 to 30 supporters aren't strangers you need to convince—they're already in your club. Current parents, committee members, coaches, and volunteers. These are people who already care deeply about what you're doing.

This is where you start, with personal conversations. Talk to people at training, after matches, and at the next committee meeting. Explain what you're doing and why: "We're launching a club lottery to help fund improvements. It's £10 a month, you could win prizes, and it directly supports the club."

Personal asks work far better than impersonal announcements. When someone you know and trust explains something directly, you're more likely to engage. Plus, these early adopters create crucial momentum.

Once you've got your first 20 supporters, you've got social proof. You can start saying "we've already got 20 families signed up" when talking to others. People are far more likely to join something others have already validated.

Your existing community is your foundation. Get them on board first, and everything else becomes easier.

Make Joining Ridiculously Easy

Here's a brutal truth: friction kills participation. Every extra step, every bit of confusion, every moment of "I'll do it later" means people who intended to sign up never actually do.

So remove every possible barrier. Make joining so easy that people can do it in two minutes on their phone while waiting for training to start.

That means: simple online sign-up. No paper forms to print, fill in, and return. No bank transfers where people have to remember to log in and send money. No complicated instructions. Just a straightforward webpage where people enter their details and they're done.

Direct debit is essential, monthly contributions need to be automatic. If people have to remember to pay manually every month, most will forget eventually and drop off.

Your messaging needs to be crystal clear too. What does it cost? What does the club get? What could they win? How do they sign up? Answer these questions upfront, in simple language, and remove any confusion.

The easier you make it, the more people will actually follow through. Intention doesn't equal action unless the path from one to the other is completely smooth.

Communicate the Impact, Not Just the Need

Nobody gets excited about helping with vague "club running costs." But they do get excited about specific, tangible improvements that their support will enable.

So don't just say "we need to raise money." Show people exactly what you're funding. "With 50 supporters, we can buy new training equipment for all age groups." "Lottery income will fund pitch improvements and better facilities." "Your support helps keep subs affordable for every family."

Make it visual if possible. Create a progress tracker: "We're at 32 supporters out of our target of 50." People love seeing progress towards a goal—it creates urgency and momentum.

Share success stories regularly. "Thanks to lottery funding, we were able to purchase new goalposts this month." Post photos of the equipment being used. Show the direct connection between supporter contributions and real improvements.

When people can see that their £10 per month is genuinely making a difference—and not just disappearing into a black hole of "general club costs"—they're far more likely to participate and stay involved.

The impact needs to be visible, specific, and celebrated. That's what turns casual supporters into committed ones.

Expand Beyond Parents

Here's where many clubs limit themselves: they only promote their fundraising to current parents. But your potential supporter base is much wider than that.

Think about grandparents. They're often deeply invested in their grandchildren's activities and have more disposable income than young parents. They might not come to every match, but they'd love an easy way to support the club.

Former players and members. People who played for your club years ago often retain real affection for it. They've moved on, maybe even moved away, but they still care. A monthly lottery is perfect for them—they can support from a distance.

Local community members who aren't directly connected to your club but care about grassroots sport. Residents, people who attend social events and spend time in the clubhouse. They exist in every area.

Even local businesses. Not as corporate sponsors, but as individuals participating in the lottery. They get to support community sport and potentially win prizes, which feels very different from being asked for sponsorship money.

Use social media to reach beyond your club WhatsApp groups. Post on community Facebook pages. Share on local community forums. Tell your story publicly, and you'll be surprised who responds.

Your club touches more people than you realise. Don't limit your potential by only asking the obvious people.

Keep the Momentum Going

Getting to 50 supporters is brilliant. But that's not the finish line—it's the foundation. The clubs that succeed with recurring fundraising are those that maintain momentum and keep people engaged.

Regular communication is key. Monthly updates about lottery winners (people love seeing real people win prizes—it reinforces that winning is possible). Club achievements and what's coming next. Photos of new equipment or improvements funded by lottery income.

Welcome new families who join your club and invite them to participate. Make it part of your onboarding: "We also run a club lottery—it's a great way to support the club's development and you could win cash prizes each month."

Thank and recognise your supporters publicly with genuine appreciation. "Huge thanks to all our lottery supporters who make these improvements possible." People like feeling valued for their contribution.

Build a culture where participation is normal and celebrated. When it becomes "what people do" rather than "an extra thing some people might do," you'll find new members naturally join without much prompting.

And remember: supporters who feel connected and appreciated stick around. They renew automatically because they're not just contributing money—they're part of something they care about.

Participation, Not Donations

Getting 50 families to support your club every month isn't about crafting the perfect donation appeal or guilt-tripping people into giving. It's about offering something people genuinely want to be part of.

When you make participation easy, communicate tangible impact, give people something back through prizes, and expand beyond your obvious audience, you'll be surprised how quickly those numbers grow.

The clubs that succeed are those that stop asking for help and start inviting people to join something. They frame it as an opportunity rather than an obligation. They remove friction and make everything simple. They celebrate supporters and show a clear impact.

Fifty families isn't an unrealistic target. It's just a matter of approach. And once you've built that foundation, the financial stability it provides transforms what your club can achieve.

Ready to see how easy club lottery fundraising can be? Discover The Fundraising Club and start building your supporter base today.