Why Traditional Grassroots Football Fundraising Needs a Rethink

Raffles, sponsored events and fundraising nights have supported grassroots clubs for generations. But should hardworking volunteers always have to do even more to bring additional money into their club?

Grassroots football is built on generosity.

Not simply financial generosity, but generosity of time.

Coaches give up evenings. Committee members deal with administration. Secretaries organise. Parents drive countless miles. Volunteers quietly take care of jobs most people never see.

Then the club needs additional money.

And very often, those same people are asked to do something else.

Fundraise.

There’s nothing wrong with traditional fundraising. Raffles, sponsored activities and club events can generate valuable income while bringing communities together.

But they also need organising.

Someone has to arrange them, promote them and make them happen.

Perhaps it’s time grassroots football added another question to the fundraising conversation:

Can we generate club revenue without creating another job for our volunteers?

From Fundraising to Creating Value

That’s part of the thinking behind Maranovo.

The Maranovo partnership model centres on professionally produced publications, including Club Annuals, personalised football books and educational resources, creating products families can choose to purchase while providing participating clubs with revenue opportunities. 

It’s a subtle but important difference.

Instead of asking supporters simply to contribute, the starting point becomes:

What can we create that people would actually value?

A Club Annual featuring their child.

A personalised football book documenting their journey.

An educational football book that combines learning with a subject they already love.

The club receives an opportunity to generate income, while the family receives something tangible in return. 

Traditional fundraising doesn’t need to disappear.

But perhaps it no longer needs to carry the entire burden.

Grassroots football has always been inventive on the pitch.

Maybe it’s time to be equally inventive off it.