Fundraising is vital for squash teams and clubs to cover costs like equipment, travel, and facilities. The most successful campaigns engage the community and offer fun for all ages.
Below is a list of creative and effective fundraising ideas tailored to squash. These include traditional events such as tournaments and raffles, plus unique squash-themed ideas, spanning in-person, online, and hybrid formats. Each idea comes with suggestions for execution and tips to maximise participation.
Traditional Squash Fundraisers
Charity squash tournament
Organise a tournament for various skill levels or age groups, and charge an entry fee. Ask local businesses to sponsor prizes (for example a new racquet or free court time) for the winners.
You can make it a charity tournament by donating a portion of the proceeds to a good cause, which raises funds and boosts your club's profile in the community.
Tip: Promote divisions for juniors, adults, and beginners to get broad participation, and invite spectators with small ticket fees or donations.
Squash ladder or league challenge
Set up a friendly ladder league or round-robin series where players donate a small fee to join. Run it over several weeks, allowing youth and adults to compete in appropriate brackets.
At the end, hold a finals night to crown the ladder champion, possibly selling tickets or refreshments. This fosters ongoing engagement and can be repeated annually.
Tip: Encourage participants to get sponsors for each match won or each point scored, turning it into a pledge-per-point fundraiser, similar to sponsored matches.
50/50 raffle at matches
A 50/50 raffle is a simple add-on to any squash event or game night. Sell tickets to attendees and club members; the winner gets 50% of the pot and the club keeps the rest.
Sports organisations regularly host 50/50 raffles because they add excitement and encourage people to contribute while giving them a chance to win.
Tip: Combine the raffle drawing with a key moment, such as the finals of a tournament or between exhibition games, to build anticipation.
Prize raffles and auctions
Ask for donations of squash gear, apparel, or local business gift certificates and raffle them off or hold a silent auction. For example, raffle baskets could include a new squash racquet, strings, coaching session vouchers, or squash-themed merchandise.
Run the raffle during a club event or tournament for maximum exposure. A silent auction could feature bigger offerings such as a club membership, private lessons, or autographed memorabilia, allowing attendees to bid over the course of an event.
Tip: Use an emcee to hype up the prizes and close the auction, and consider a sports-fan basket (team apparel, tickets to a pro match, and so on) to entice squash enthusiasts.
Community car wash or bake sale
These classic team fundraisers still work well and can involve players of all ages. Host a car wash in the club car park or a convenient location, and pre-sell time slots online to guarantee traffic. Players, youth and adult, can wash cars in exchange for donations.
Similarly, run a bake sale or snack bar during tournaments and league nights. Homemade goods from player families can be sold to hungry athletes and fans.
Tip: Advertise the car wash to the broader community, not just club members, and offer a small perk such as a discount on a future squash clinic for those who donate at the event.
Squash club open day
Hold an open house at your squash facility for the public. Offer free mini-lessons, let newcomers hit around on the court, or stage fun challenges like hitting targets on the squash wall. Charge a modest entry fee or suggest donations at the door.
You can provide refreshments and have current team members volunteer as hitting partners or tour guides. An open day raises funds and can attract new members to your programme.
Tip: Include all ages by having junior players do a skills demo and adults available to talk about leagues, which shows the community that squash is a lifelong sport. Consider offering a sign-up-today membership discount for any attendees who join the club, which adds long-term support.
Squash clinics or kids' camp
Tap into your team's expertise by hosting a squash clinic or camp. For example, a weekend junior camp run by club or school players can bring in young kids for basic squash drills and games, with an entry fee per child. Adults could run a one-day intensive clinic for amateur players looking to improve.
These events raise money through registration fees and also build community ties.
Tip: Emphasise that it is for a good cause, for example "proceeds help our youth team travel to tournaments," so attendees feel good about paying the fee. Adding a brief exhibition by top players or coaches at the end can be a strong bonus for participants.
Creative Squash-Themed Events
Squashathon (marathon match)
Run an endurance challenge by keeping a squash match going continuously for as long as possible, whether 12 hours, 24 hours, or even overnight. Participants sign up for time slots and collect pledges from friends and family for each hour or each game they play.
For example, Squash WA's 24-hour Junior Squashathon has juniors rotate on court to keep a ball in play for a full day, with friends and family sponsoring participants to raise money for junior squash. These events can turn into fun lock-ins with music, games, and camaraderie.
Tip: Provide participants with snacks, drinks, and even a sleeping area for overnight events. Offer prizes or recognition for those who raise the most funds, and consider live-streaming portions of the marathon so supporters can tune in remotely.
Beat the coach or pro-am challenge
Set up an event where players get to challenge the coach, a local teaching pro, or the top club player. Spectators donate to watch the matches, and challengers can enter by contributing a fee or by winning a raffle for the chance to play.
You could structure it like an exhibition where if the challenger scores a certain number of points or wins a game, they earn an additional prize. This is entertaining for the crowd and motivating for participants.
Tip: Have fun with it. For instance, the coach plays with some handicaps, like using a wooden racket or starting at a point deficit, to give amateurs a fighting chance. This levels the field and encourages more people to give it a try.
Glow-in-the-dark squash night
Transform your courts for a night of blacklight squash. Use fluorescent tape to mark court lines and have players wear white or neon clothing that glows under UV light. Glow squash events are a novel twist that can draw curious participants beyond your regular members.
You can run a mini-tournament or free-play session under the blacklights and charge an event fee. The Whangarei Squash Club in New Zealand hosted a SquashTron Festival of Black Light Squash, billed as a world-first black light doubles tournament, with a glow party to finish, drawing players across the generations and raising funds for the club's teams.
Tip: Play upbeat music and turn it into a squash party. Sell glow-stick bracelets or neon headbands at the door for extra fundraising, and consider inviting a local DJ or using a fun playlist to energise the atmosphere.
Retro wooden racket tournament
Go old-school and organise a tournament or fun night where everyone must play with wooden rackets, the kind used in squash decades ago. It levels the playing field and adds a quirky challenge.
Charge entry as usual and maybe have a prize for the best retro outfit. This appeals to long-time players for the nostalgia and to younger ones who get to experience the sport's history.
Tip: See if any local sports shops or older members have wooden rackets to loan for the event, or include a racket-sharing system so that lack of equipment is not a barrier. You could also combine this with a wood-versus-modern exhibition match for added entertainment, with one player using a wood racket and the other a modern graphite, to show the difference.
Squash skills carnival
Especially good for youth fundraising, set up a carnival-style event with various squash skill stations. Examples include:
- A target-hitting challenge: hit a squash ball at targets on the front wall.
- A serve accuracy contest.
- Silly games such as hitting a squash ball into a bucket from a distance.
Charge a ticket or entry fee for participants to play the games, and offer small prizes or raffle tickets for those who complete stations. Parents and kids can take part together.
Tip: Include classic carnival treats such as popcorn and a lemonade stand for sale to boost funds. You could also have a dunk tank or pie-in-the-face attraction with a twist: if the fundraising goal is met, a coach or club president gets dunked or pied, which can spur donations.
Themed exhibition match and social night
Host an exhibition match featuring top players, whether local squash pros, alumni, or even costumed characters for fun. For example, around Halloween, players could dress in costumes for a Monster Smash squash exhibition.
Sell tickets for spectators to watch the match and attend a post-match social. Include food, a bar for adult events, or a meet-the-players session. This works as a hybrid social fundraiser, part sporting event and part party.
Tip: Add a quiz or trivia contest about squash during the intermission. Charge a small fee to enter the quiz and give a fun prize to the winners, which keeps non-players engaged too.
Equipment swap or used gear sale
Gather donated used squash equipment (racquets, shoes, goggles, bags) from your community and host a sale. New players or juniors might find good gear at bargain prices, and all proceeds go to the team.
This recycle-and-raise approach brings in funds and makes squash more accessible by getting affordable gear to beginners. You can run it as a one-day sale at the club or as an online catalogue for a week.
Tip: Incorporate a shoe-drive fundraiser by collecting gently worn athletic shoes, not just squash shoes, and partnering with a recycling programme such as Funds2Orgs that pays the club by the weight of shoes collected. Many teams have raised money this way with no one paying out of pocket. Advertise that people can drop off shoes at the club during the event, so they clean out their closets and you raise money.
Online and Hybrid Fundraising Ideas
Crowdfunding campaign
Launch an online crowdfunding page to tell your team's story and funding needs, for example "Help Our Squash Team Get to the National Championship." Use a platform like GoFundMe, JustGiving, or Crowdfunder, and clearly outline your goal and what the funds will cover (travel costs, a new junior programme, court renovations, and so on).
Crowdfunder in particular offers match funding for UK sports projects through partners including Sport England. Encourage all team members to share the campaign link on social media and via email. Successful sports crowdfunding efforts often feature a team photo or a short video and a clear explanation of why the funds are needed.
Tip: Create a sense of urgency with milestones, for instance "if we hit 50% of our goal, our coach will do 100 squash burpees on video." Publicly thank donors on your team's social media to keep momentum and show appreciation.
Virtual squash challenge (skill-a-thon)
Turn fundraising into an online challenge that anyone can join from home. For example, a squash shots challenge where participants see how many continuous squash ball volleys they can do against a wall, or trick shots performed in their backyard.
Participants upload a video to social media, tag your club, and pledge a donation to enter. You can make it competitive by offering a prize for the most impressive video or the longest rally captured on film. This engages people beyond your immediate area, as friends and alumni can join from anywhere.
Tip: Use a hashtag for the challenge to boost visibility, and consider partnering with a local sponsor to donate a prize, like new squash shoes to the winner, which can attract more participants.
Online quiz or trivia night
Host a live quiz night over Zoom or a streaming platform, themed around sports, general trivia, or squash knowledge. Charge a registration fee per team or participant.
Include a mix of squash-related questions and general fun trivia so that non-players can enjoy it too. Have a charismatic host, perhaps a coach or club member, and encourage families or friend groups to play together from home.
Tip: Between quiz rounds, show short video highlights of your team or a thank-you message from players, which reminds everyone what cause they are supporting. You can also run a raffle draw during the virtual event, using a random picker for ticket holders, to replicate that in-person excitement online.
Hybrid tournament with live stream
Organise a squash exhibition or mini-tournament at your courts and live-stream it for remote supporters. This hybrid approach means local fans can attend in person by buying tickets while those far away can watch online and donate through a link.
For example, you might stage a Squash Skills Showdown featuring fun match-ups (junior versus coach, alumni grudge match, and so on) and stream it on Facebook or YouTube Live. During the stream, display your fundraising goal progress and encourage viewers to contribute.
Tip: Include interactive elements for viewers, such as live comment shout-outs for donors or a running total update. Share the stream widely by inviting former club members, distant family, and squash enthusiasts everywhere. This way you engage a wider audience beyond those who can physically attend.
Esports or alternate competition
If available, consider a squash video game tournament or an esports night as a quirky alternative; for youth, a general video game competition can work since squash video games are rare.
Another idea is a fitness tracker challenge, for instance a one-week step challenge or a cycling or running mileage challenge where team members and supporters pledge to hit a certain number of steps or miles and raise money through sponsorship. These can be tracked online using apps or simply an honour system with daily updates.
Tip: For a step or fitness challenge, set up a fundraising page where each participant has a subsection to collect pledges. Offer a prize for the person who raises the most or covers the most distance. This is a good way to involve supporters who might not play squash but want to back the team's fitness goals and fundraising.
Tips for Maximising Participation
- Make it inclusive: Plan activities that cater to different age groups and skill levels so everyone can join. For example, pair younger players with adults in mixed doubles, or have a junior division in your tournament. Family-oriented events like carnivals or open days ensure parents, siblings, and even non-players feel welcome.
- Use social media and local media: Promote your fundraisers heavily. Create Facebook events, Instagram posts, and other updates. Encourage team members to share posts widely, as people are more likely to support if they see the enthusiasm. Reach out to local newspapers or community bulletin boards to announce public events, especially a unique theme like a glow-in-the-dark tournament. The more visibility, the more participants and donors you will attract.
- Combine fundraising elements: Increase revenue by mixing multiple ideas in one event. For instance, at a tournament, also run a raffle or merchandise sale. At a social night, include a brief live auction for a few big-ticket items. Having various ways to donate (entry fees, buying food, bidding on an auction) lets attendees contribute at a level they are comfortable with. As Squash Ireland suggests, even a simple club dinner or quiz can raise extra funds by adding a raffle or auction on the side.
- Engage local sponsors: Ask local businesses to support your event through prize donations, sponsorships, or matching funds. A restaurant might sponsor your dinner, a sporting goods store might give a squash racket for a raffle, or a local company could match every pound raised up to a certain amount. In return, offer to feature their logo on event banners or thank them publicly, giving them positive exposure. This partnership can boost your fundraising without increasing costs.
- Set goals and celebrate milestones: Publicise a clear fundraising goal, for example "our target is GBP 5,000 for new junior equipment." Update participants on progress; a thermometer chart displayed at the club or on your website works well. Celebrate when you hit milestones at 25%, 50%, and 75% by doing something fun, like posting a silly team photo or a quick thank-you video from the players. Highlighting progress keeps everyone motivated to push to the next level. Picking fundraisers that fit your team's culture and then repeating what works each season helps build momentum over time.
- Express gratitude and have fun: Thank all volunteers, donors, and participants during and after the event. A little recognition through shout-outs, thank-you notes, and social media mentions goes a long way to ensure support again in the future. Keep the tone fun. Fundraising can be challenging, but when events are enjoyable, whether a goofy squash costume contest or a thrilling final match, people will be excited to take part year after year. The goal is not only to raise money but also to strengthen your squash community through these shared activities.
By mixing traditional fundraising plays with creative squash-themed ideas, your team or club can hit its financial goals while everyone has a great time. Tailor these ideas to your group's size and resources, and choose activities that energise your players and supporters. With enthusiasm and good planning, your squash fundraisers can be both profitable and memorable, building toward a stronger programme.
