Family and friends sponsorship (personal sponsorship letter)

The athlete or performer writes to relatives, family friends and local contacts asking them to sponsor the trip.

Typically raises

$1,500

$300–5,000 per campaignest.

About $150 per organiser hour

Based on one athlete asking 20-40 people

Is it right for us?

Money: $500–2,000
Work: A few evenings
Helpers: 1–2 people
Lead time: 1–2 months
Red tape: None

Common: the standard ask for any rep trip

People: 1-2
Organiser time: 5-15
Lead time: 4-8 weeks
Up-front cost: Nothing up front
Risk: none
Who can use it: Anyone can ask. These are private gifts: no tax credit.

Suits: Team going to a tournament or tour, One person (athlete, performer, student)

Less usual for: Scouts or Guides, Cadets (ATC, Sea Cadets), Kapa haka, choir, theatre or band

When: Summer (Dec–Feb), Autumn (Mar–May), Winter (Jun–Aug), Spring (Sep–Nov)

How big a job: A few evenings, 1–2 people

How it works

The money, as an example sum

Sell at $20 a gift, keep $20, so 75 gifts = $1,500. That’s about the typical result.

Using the figures on this page. Your prices and costs will differ.

Where the money figure comes from

ESTIMATE: e.g. 20-40 people giving $20-$200. Illustrative.

Last checked October 2026. Ran this? Tell us what you raised and we’ll use real results to improve the figures.

Step by step

Write a one-page letter in the athlete's own words: who, what event, selection, total cost, what's already covered.
Include a clear budget and the gap.
List exactly how to give (bank account, Givealittle link).
Send personally (post, email, message), not a mass post.
Follow up once after a week.
Send postcards or updates from the event.
Send a thank-you with a photo afterwards.

Getting the word out

Even a well-run plan fails if nobody hears about it. There are two asks, and the first one goes out first.

Ask for help: Members to pass the ask on to people they know.
Ask people to buy: People and businesses to give.
When to start: Ask for helpers first, as soon as the date is set. Start the public ask about 3–4 weeks out, and book newsletter and paper notices before that: small newsletters close early.

Where to put it

Asking people yourselfMost yeses come from someone asking directly. Give every member a short message they can send to family and workmates.
Email lists and group chatsYour members’ email list and the class, team or church group chats. Short, with one date or one link.
School, club and church newslettersYour own newsletter is free and read by the families most likely to say yes. Check when it closes.
Local Facebook pages and community groupsPost in your town’s community page and local groups (check their rules), and share from your group’s own page.

The full guide to getting the word out: every channel from flyers to the evening news, with lead times and costs.

What you’ll need

Place: Not neededNone needed
Landowner’s permission: Not needed
Council permit: Not needed
Food rules: Not neededNo food sold
Alcohol: Not neededNo alcohol sold
Gambling rules: Not neededNot gambling

Gifts to an individual get no donation tax credit. A business paying for logo or social posts is sponsorship and may be deductible for the business.

Make more from it

Fill My Jersey or pick-a-date calendar
up to $820 (arithmetic)
gives small givers an easy, visible way in
A Givealittle page for the letter's link
lets distant relatives give by card (estimate)
removes friction from the ask

Stack it: on its own, about $1,500. With the add-on above, roughly

$2,300est.

Tips

Two athletes travelling together can share one letter and page but should keep their budgets separate.

Watch out for

Not saying what happens to any surplus (refund, donate to the club, or next trip).