Short on cash? Don't worry, many clubs are in the same boat. As non-profit clubs are often restricted in their commercial activities, creativity is essential to fund ongoing operations and various shared activities.
In this short webinar, we'll show you how to efficiently manage contributions and keep track of your club's finances without stress – from start to finish.
As a thought-starter, we've compiled 99 funding sources for you – from well-known to truly unconventional – as they came to mind or have already proven effective in our clubs. Did we miss anything? Then simply write to us in our Help Center.
The order has nothing to do with the ease of implementation or the likelihood of success; rather, the points are written down as they came to mind. We hope you enjoy the read and wish you great success with the implementation.
Never Lose Track of Your Finances
Vereinsplaner is designed to simplify financial management as much as possible. With a financial tool that covers club accounting, invoicing & donation management, and instant financial reports, administrative tasks and errors are significantly reduced. This allows you to focus your main efforts on the club's purpose and leadership. Learn more about financial management for clubs.
1. Organize a tent festival – the classic (more activities for tent festivals to follow)
2. Bike exchange – fix up old bicycles from friends and acquaintances and sell them
3. Sell small “building blocks” to companies for the club house renovation
4. Organize a sports tournament and offer food and drinks
5. Concert or similar performance that aligns with the club's purpose
6. Offer recreational courses for apprentices to large companies, including food and drinks
7. Charity run: All participants pay an entry fee, and in return, they receive a T-shirt or other merchandise. We know someone who works extensively with clubs – The Merch
8. Flea market: Everyone has some old stuff at home – clothes, old electronics, and so on. Time to get rid of it – and it's even more fun together
9. Rubber duck race in the “village stream” – everyone knows it, and with a couple of beers, it can get really fun
10. Collect membership fees
11. Organize a soapbox derby
12. Collect initial membership fees from new members
13. Lottery or raffle at the club festival – tickets are available here at a good price
14. Cake buffet at local events.
15. Sponsor search – more on that here in our blog post.
16. Establish a club pub.
17. Offer activities for seniors for light physical exercise or similar, to attract more members.
18. Organize a beer marathon.
19. Vendors at the tent festival.
20. Offer a club sticker album together with other local clubs. We also know someone here who works with clubs – StickerStars.
21. Educational events (can your club teach others something?).
22. Organize a cooking competition.
23. Call for donations in local newspapers (but it's always better not just to ask for donations, but to combine it with a service in return from the club).
24. Clubs Recruit Clubs Program by Vereinsplaner.
25. Club pub evenings also for external guests.
26. Sell merchandise – ideally using print-on-demand orders.
27. Events for children with a buffet for parents.
28. Organize a "10-event challenge" between clubs from various sports, with plenty of food and drinks.
29. Sponsored advertising on the website / in social media.
30. Hang a board of honor with signatures for loyal club fans in the club pub (might not bring immediate money – but fans will come more often).
31. Affiliate links (online shops often offer the opportunity to earn a commission when sharing a link) in social media posts.
32. Rent out advertising space on the club building (or at shooting ranges, etc.).
33. Place (Google) ads on the club's homepage, e.g., via Google's AdSense network.
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34. Offer smartphone or PC courses for seniors
35. Organize discussion rounds; Example: Children and smartphones. Sell cake and coffee during the event; A nice side effect: The club can position itself as a meaningful alternative to digital leisure activities
36. Organize taster days at the club with homemade coffee and cake
37. Art exhibition with a preceding workshop for clay processing, metalworking, etc. – tailored to your club's or members' skills
38. Offer a project/product through a fundraising campaign (e.g., Fundmate)
39. Host another club as a subtenant on the club premises, provided their activities do not significantly hinder each other
40. Organize a summer festival and ask for a voluntary donation as an entrance fee
41. Fruit sale – surely, homeowners in the club also complain about rotting fallen fruit in their gardens; you can definitely make use of that! ;D
42. Organize trash collection or similar environmental campaigns. For example, as a fire department, collect trash and scrap metal every two years. Then sell the scrap metal. People are happy not to have it in their garden or garage anymore
43. Used book sale
44. As a music band, go from house to house and give concerts (e.g., on May 1st or during Epiphany)
45. Recommend a partner company for the Vereinskaufhaus and earn 50 Euros for your club's treasury upon a successful sale
46. Organize a swap meet or collect old cell phones and sell them to a collection point
47. Organize your own club ball
48. Organize a cabaret in cooperation with a theater group
49. Offer help with gardening or household tasks
50. Organize a clothing flea market
51. Children's afternoon including supervision and face painting, etc.
52. FIFA or Mario Kart tournament in the club house
53. Organize a community hiking day with refreshments
54. Organize a camp in the district for a fee
55. Offer a mountain hike as a leisure activity for people in the community
56. Organize speed dating in the club building
57. Offer a cooking class in the club building, if possible, otherwise rent a school kitchen
58. Organize village championships (e.g., skiing, Bavarian curling, ...)
59. Set up a punch stand at the Christmas market (Raclette bread, punch, mulled wine)
60. Organize an inline skating tournament with an obstacle course
61. Organize a Maypole festival. You can find out what that is here
62. A stand with homemade Advent wreaths, Christmas tree ornaments, cookies, and candles at the Christmas market
63. Sell St. Nicholas bags
64. Easter egg hunt – everyone can participate and search for eggs for a starting fee
65. Summer BBQ parties with an entry fee
66. Birthday activities (e.g., birthday shooting event)
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67. Organize public Bavarian curling or other "rare" sports in the village square.
68. Flea market for exchanged club inventory.
69. Offer art courses.
70. Position the club as one of the central organizations in your community and thereby receive "more" support ;D
71. Lend out club inventory – for a usage fee.
72. Organize a street festival.
73. Game nights at the club house.
74. Offer sewing or tailoring courses.
75. Organize a solstice bonfire.
76. Host a girls' day with coffee and cake.
77. Offer your services at events hosted by other clubs (e.g., a musical performance).
78. Sell/give away club stickers and similar items for cars or company offices to "VIP sponsors".
79. Organize a neighborhood zoo – many people have great or even rare pets. You're essentially creating a "petting zoo".
80. Offer a dance course for children with a final performance.
81. Offer taster courses for interested young people.
82. Offer cooking dating, where a group of equal parts male and female singles cook together and get to know each other.
83. Organize a boys' day with coffee and cake.
84. Participate in the carnival parade and receive financial support.
85. Offer an evening cultural event with music and entertainment.
86. Offer a holiday program for children (several events during the summer holidays).
87. Host Tupperware and tool parties.
88. Technical household workshop, explaining everyday DIY tasks like changing a faucet, connecting a washing machine, etc.
89. Organize an advisory workshop on finances – how to manage money best (invite other clubs if such an expert is available).
90. Open an online flea market on the website; the club receives a small donation for each sale.
91. Set up a bulletin board on the website and generate advertising revenue from visitors/Google.
92. Offer excursions into nature or to old buildings in the area.
93. Start a reading circle, offering coffee and cake at every meeting.
94. Offer knitting or simple craft courses for a fee.
95. Organize special holiday activities (e.g., going to a climbing park).
96. "Club Days" with club activities in the marketplace (e.g., fire department turntable ladder).
97. Public viewing for major sporting events.
98. Broadcast live events in the club pub/clubhouse.
99. Position advertising partners for a fee on the website and social networks.
Here you'll find answers to frequently asked questions about boosting your club's funds.
Since non-profit organizations are only permitted limited economic activity, membership fees rarely cover all costs. Creative additional income is therefore essential to fund ongoing operations and shared activities.
Tent festivals, sports tournaments with catering, flea markets, or concerts are proven events for generating additional income. They combine the club's purpose with social gatherings and culinary offerings.
Clubs can rent out advertising space on their club building, display sponsored ads on their website, or operate their own club pub for evenings with external guests.
Selling club apparel or fan merchandise not only strengthens community spirit but also generates profit. To minimize financial risks, practical buy-on-demand orders are a good option.
The software offers professional financial management with digital invoicing and donation tracking, as well as automated financial reports. This gives the team a complete overview and minimizes administrative effort.
Naturally, newly acquired funds also need to be managed. To give your club more oversight of its finances and perhaps discover unexpected savings potential, you can use the new financial module in the Vereinsplaner. Of course, there are no additional costs.
The tool makes it easy for you to set budgets for different areas of your club and then clearly manage expenses and income – similar to online banking. Note: The financial tool is designed to display your income and expenses; actual transfers cannot be made with it.
