Sponsor-a-player or sponsor-a-place
Donors or businesses cover one participant's fees, kit or trip place, often for families who can't afford it.
Typically raises
$300
$50–2,000 per sponsorest.
About $55 per organiser hour
Based on one participant's place
Is it right for us?
- Money
- Under $500
- Work
- A few evenings
- Helpers
- 1–2 people
- Lead time
- 2–3 weeks
- Red tape
- None
Fairly common: common for trips, less as a standing scheme
- People
- 1
- Organiser time
- 3-8
- Lead time
- 2-4 weeks
- Up-front cost
- Nothing up front
- Risk
- none
- Who can use it
- Any group can run it. Tax: see flags.
How it works
The money, as an example sum
Nothing to pay up front, and the typical result for one participant's place is about $300 per sponsor.
From the typical figure on this page. Your result will differ.
Where the money figure comes from
ESTIMATE: the cost of one place (fees to a trip contribution).
Last checked October 2026. Ran this? Tell us what you raised and we’ll use real results to improve the figures.
Step by step
- Work out the cost of one place.
- Decide whether places are allocated by the organisation (confidentially) or named.
- Offer it to local businesses and better-off supporters.
- Keep recipients' identities private unless the families agree.
- Report back on how many places were funded.
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
- A member who knows the business owner to make the ask.
- Ask people to buy
- Local businesses to sign up as sponsors.
- 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
A donor paying for their own child or relative gets no donation tax credit. A hardship fund allocated by the group is more likely to count as a gift to a donee organisation; get advice before receipting.
Make more from it
Add 'sponsor a place' to the business sponsorship menu
$250-1,000 per business (estimate)
a concrete, feel-good line for local firms
Stack it: on its own, about $300. With the add-on above, roughly
$900est.
Tips
- Business-funded places can be acknowledged ('Junior places supported by...') without naming the children.
Watch out for
- Publicly identifying families who needed help.
Sponsor-a-player or sponsor-a-place: checklist
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Before
After
A donor paying for their own child or relative gets no donation tax credit. A hardship fund allocated by the group is more likely to count as a gift to a donee organisation; get advice before receipting.
* General fundraising information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Money figures are examples and estimates, not promises. Check current official requirements before you commit. About this guide