The £6,000 Question: How Much Could Your Club Raise in a Year Without Organising a Single Event?

Picture this: you're sitting at a committee meeting, looking at your club's bank balance, and someone says "We need to raise money for new kit." Everyone sighs. Because you know what comes next—weeks of planning another fundraising event, rallying volunteers, promoting it endlessly, and hoping enough people turn up to make it worthwhile.

It's the cycle every grassroots club knows. Need money? Organise an event. Need more money? Organise another event. And another. And another.

But what if there was a completely different equation? What if you could raise £6,000, £8,000, or even £10,000 per year without organising a single bake sale, quiz night, or car wash? It sounds too good to be true, but it's just maths. Let's break it down.

The Traditional Fundraising Calculation

First, let's examine how most clubs currently raise funds. You organise events throughout the year. Each one might raise anywhere from £300 to £1,500, depending on attendance, weather, competition from other local events, and a dozen other variables.

Let's be generous and say your average event raises £800 after costs. If you manage to organise six events per year (which is exhausting), that's £4,800. Eight events get you to £6,400. Not bad, right?

Except here's what that number doesn't show: the dozens of hours spent planning each event, promoting it, recruiting volunteers, running it on the day, and cleaning up afterwards. When you calculate the actual "income per volunteer hour," it's often less than minimum wage.

And that assumes everything goes to plan. In reality, some events flop. The weather ruins your outdoor car wash. Poor turnout kills your quiz night. You put in the same effort but raise half what you hoped.

There has to be a better way to do the maths.

What If Fundraising Was Automatic and Monthly?

Here's a different approach: what if, instead of one-off events, you had supporters contributing small amounts every month, automatically?

This is how recurring revenue works.

Imagine supporters contributing £10 per month through a community lottery model. Part of that—say £6—goes directly to your club. The rest funds prize draws, so supporters feel they're getting something back, not just donating.

Now let's do the maths. If just 25 people from your club community sign up:

• 25 supporters × £10/month × 12 months = £3,000 total annual contributions
• At £6 per ticket going to your club = £1,800 per year
• With zero volunteer hours spent organising events

Double it to 50 supporters? That's £3,600 per year. One hundred supporters? £7,200 per year. All flowing in automatically, month after month, without a single planning meeting or event.

Suddenly, £6,000 per year doesn't seem unrealistic at all. It's just a matter of getting enough people involved.

The Numbers That Actually Matter

Let's get specific about what this looks like for clubs of different sizes:

Small Club (50 active supporters):

• 50 × £10/month × 12 months = £6,000 annually
• With £6 per ticket to club = £3,600 per year
• That's enough for a new kit for multiple teams, or significant equipment upgrades

Medium Club (100 active supporters):

• 100 × £10/month × 12 months = £12,000 annually
• With £6 per ticket to club = £7,200 per year
• That covers kit, equipment, pitch hire contributions, and facility improvements

Growing Club (150 active supporters):

• 150 × £10/month × 12 months = £18,000 annually
• With £6 per ticket to club = £10,800 per year
• That's transformational income—new goalposts, storage facilities, coaching courses, club development

Now compare that to event-based fundraising. To raise £7,200 through traditional events, you'd need to organise roughly 9-10 successful events throughout the year, each raising £800. That's nearly one event every six weeks, with all the planning, volunteer coordination, and uncertainty that entails.

The maths isn't even close. Recurring monthly contributions are vastly more efficient.

Why People Say Yes to Monthly Support

You might be thinking: "But will people actually sign up for monthly payments? That sounds like a big ask."

Here's the thing—it's often easier to get people to commit to £10 per month than to buy a £50 ticket to your quiz night. Here's why:

It's affordable. Ten pounds a month is manageable for most families. It's less than a couple of takeaway coffees. Spread over time, it doesn't feel like a significant expense.

It's convenient. Set it up once via direct debit, and it happens automatically. No need to remember to buy raffle tickets or turn up to events. Perfect for busy families.

They get something back. With a lottery model, supporters are entered into regular prize draws. It's not just giving money away—there's excitement and the chance to win. That feels rewarding.

They can support even when they can't attend. Not everyone can make it to Saturday morning car washes or Friday night quiz nights. Monthly contributions let anyone support the club on their own terms.

It removes the guilt factor. Nobody likes feeling constantly asked for money. With monthly contributions, people support consistently without the pressure of being sold raffle tickets or cake every weekend.

When you frame it right, monthly support is actually an easier ask than traditional fundraising. And crucially, it reaches people who'd love to support your club but can't or won't attend events.

The Compounding Effect

Here's where it gets really interesting. Traditional events have a ceiling—you can only raise so much from one quiz night. But recurring fundraising grows over time.

In month one, you might start with 20 supporters. Month three, you've promoted it better, and you're up to 35. By month six, new families join the club and some sign up to support it. Month twelve, word has spread in the community, and you're at 60 supporters.

Unlike events (which often see declining attendance over time as people get fatigued), this model has momentum. Each new supporter adds to the monthly total, and they tend to stay—people don't cancel £10/month direct debits unless they have to.

You might even attract community members who aren't directly connected to your club. Local residents who want to support grassroots sport. Former players who've moved away but still care. Grandparents who want to help but can't physically volunteer.

The potential grows in ways that event-based fundraising simply can't match. And the stability it provides transforms how your club operates. You can budget properly. You can plan improvements with confidence. You can invest in growth instead of just surviving month to month.

What This Means for Your Club

Let's bring this back to reality. What does £6,000+ per year in automatic, recurring income actually mean for your grassroots club?

Financial predictability. You know what's coming in each month. You can budget properly, plan ahead, and make decisions with confidence rather than constantly hoping the next fundraiser goes well.

Volunteer capacity. Your committee members get their evenings and weekends back. Instead of endless event planning, they can focus on coaching, member experience, club development—the things that actually make your club great.

Better decision-making. When money isn't constantly tight, you can invest in improvements rather than just firefighting. New equipment. Coaching courses. Facility upgrades. Things that genuinely develop your club.

Events become celebrations. You can still run quiz nights and summer barbecues if people enjoy them. But they're no longer fundraising necessities—they're community events for fun. That changes the whole dynamic and makes them more enjoyable for everyone.

The shift from "we need money, what event should we organise?" to "we have stable income, what should we invest in?" is enormous. It's the difference between a club that's constantly struggling and one that's confidently building its future.

It's Just Maths

The £6,000 question isn't really a question at all. It's maths. When enough supporters contribute small amounts monthly, it adds up to transformational income for grassroots clubs.

Fifty people at £10 per month with £6 to your club equals £3,600 per year. One hundred people equals £7,200. No events. No volunteer exhaustion. No unpredictability. Just reliable, recurring income that grows over time.

The question isn't whether it's possible—the maths proves it is. The question is whether your club is ready to make the shift from event-based to sustainable fundraising. Because once you see these numbers, it's hard to go back to organising another bake sale.

Want to see how community lottery fundraising could work for your club? Discover The Fundraising Club and explore sustainable fundraising that actually adds up.