From raising money to creating something families genuinely value.

Grassroots football clubs have always been remarkably resourceful when it comes to raising money.

Race nights. Raffles. Sponsored walks. Quiz nights. Fun days. Tombolas. Bonus balls. Bake sales. Presentation evenings.

For generations, volunteers have given their time and energy to organise events like these, often because every extra pound can make a difference to the running of a grassroots club.

And there is absolutely nothing wrong with them.

In fact, many of these traditional fundraising activities are great social occasions that bring players, parents, coaches and communities together.

But perhaps there is now another way to think about fundraising.

Not necessarily replacing what clubs already do, but adding something different.

Something that can generate income for the club while also giving children and their families something meaningful in return.

What if fundraising didn’t feel like fundraising?

Think about the traditional model.

A parent buys a raffle ticket because they want to support the club.

They sponsor a player because they want to help.

They attend the race night, buy the tombola tickets or contribute towards another fundraising appeal because they understand why the club needs the money.

The generosity behind that is wonderful.

But the Maranovo Club Partnership approaches things from a different direction.

Rather than simply asking families to contribute, we want to help clubs create products and experiences that families genuinely want to own.

The club still benefits financially.

But so does the family.

And most importantly, so does the child.

Turning a football season into something worth keeping

A child’s time playing grassroots football is about much more than Saturday or Sunday morning.

There are teammates.

Friendships.

Coaches.

Muddy kits.

Training nights.

Goals scored.

Tournaments.

Team photographs.

Big matches.

Funny moments.

Proud parents standing on touchlines.

These are ordinary moments when they’re happening.

Years later, they can become priceless memories.

That’s why the Maranovo approach is built around creating meaningful football products featuring the club, its teams and, where appropriate and with the necessary permissions, the young players themselves.

A professionally produced club annual isn’t simply another way of raising money.

It’s something a child can appear in.

Something they can show grandparents.

Something that can sit on a bookshelf at home.

Something they might rediscover many years from now and remember the team they played for, the friends they made and what being part of their football club meant to them.

That changes the relationship between the purchase and the fundraising.

The club earns. The family receives value. The child gets the memory.

That’s the principle behind the Maranovo Club Partnership.

We want fundraising to become less about:

“Please help us raise some money.”

And more about:

“Look what we’ve created for our players and families.”

The resulting revenue isn’t the only benefit.

The club has created something.

The parents have bought something meaningful.

And the young player gets the wonderful experience of seeing themselves and their teammates celebrated as part of their football club.

Everybody has a reason to feel good about it.

And it doesn’t have to happen just once

This is another important difference.

Many fundraising events naturally have a beginning and an end.

The race night finishes.

The raffle is drawn.

The sponsored event takes place.

Then, eventually, somebody on the committee has to start thinking about the next fundraiser.

The ambition behind a Maranovo Club Partnership is different.

We’re creating a partnership that can produce recurring revenue opportunities for the club, built around products and ideas connected to the players, families and the wider club community.

Rather than constantly asking:

“What fundraiser can we organise next?”

perhaps clubs can increasingly ask:

“What can we create next that our families would love?”

It’s a small change in thinking.

But potentially a very powerful one.

This isn’t the end of traditional fundraising

We aren’t suggesting clubs should stop holding race nights.

Or raffles.

Or quiz nights.

Far from it.

If they bring people together and raise valuable funds, they absolutely have a place in grassroots football.

We simply believe they shouldn’t be the only options available to clubs.

Grassroots football deserves new ideas.

Ideas capable of supporting clubs financially while giving something meaningful back to the people who make those clubs possible.

The volunteers.

The parents.

And above all, the children.

Because when a club can raise money and create something a child may keep for the rest of their life, fundraising becomes something much bigger.

It becomes part of their football story.

Maranovo Club Partnership

Helping clubs create. Helping clubs earn. Helping families remember.