How to Solicit Donations from Sports Stars for a Nonprofit

Contributor

By 2nephews
eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating: (0 Ratings)

Signed sports memorabilia is very popular and can bring in a lot of money for your nonprofit organization. Merchandise from professional sports players like signed balls, bats, uniforms and hats can be sold at your nonprofit’s fundraiser via live and silent auctions and raffles. Here are several ways of obtaining signed memorabilia.

How to Ask for Silent Auction Donations
A silent auction can be an excellent way to raise money for an organization or an event. In a silent aucti… More
How to Ask for Donations for a Fundraiser
When holding a fundraiser, the way to ask for donations is to make the vision clear so that people underst… More
How to Ask for Donations Online
Asking for donations can be a tricky process. A nonprofit organization depends on donations to keep its bu… More
How to Submit a Request for Charitable Donations
Unless you're a seasoned development professional, the concept of asking for money on behalf of a charitab… More
How to Find Matching Funds for a Grant
Matching funds are an excellent way for business owners to participate in the fundraising efforts of their… More
How to Solicit Donations from Sports Stars for a Nonprofit
Signed sports memorabilia is very popular and can bring in a lot of money for your nonprofit organization.… More
How to Apply for Donations
If you are raising money to help pay for a new roof at the senior citizen center, or to buy dog food for t… More
How to Solicit Charity Auction Items
Silent auctions help raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities each year. Finding unique and in… More
How to Solicit In-Kind Donations for Your Non-Profit
Seeking in-kind donations in addition to monetary ones is another way to fulfill your agency’s needs. Man… More
Getting a Car Donated for Fundraising
… More

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Step 1

Find out where individual players will be signing autographs. During football season, many NFL players will have official eight by ten NFL photographs to sign and give away. Local businesses will sponsor a signing session where fans can bring along memorabilia to be signed or have an official player photograph signed. Online, visit official team website and fan chat rooms to find out times and locations of autograph signings.
Step 2

The Giving Back Fund was established for sports celebrities who wanted to give back to their communities. See if your nonprofit organization’s mission fits their giving guidelines and apply for a grant. Check out their website for more details (see Resources below).
Step 3

Call the headquarters of your local professional sports team. Generally, the community relations department will handle requests for signed memorabilia. Follow their guidelines for obtaining donations, make follow up calls and show your support for the local team.

Tips & Warnings

The community relations department of the professional sports team will inform you of other things the team does to work with local nonprofits. Some sports teams reserve a seating section and give away tickets one game per season to deserving charities.
Do not send unsolicited memorabilia for autographs. It won't be signed or returned to you due to the number of requests. Please follow the guidelines given in this article to obtain authentic signatures and keep your merchandise safe and secure.

Resources