Little League Fundraising Calendar: Fall to Opening Day

Opening day is a long way off when the leaves are still on the trees, which is exactly why fall is when a league's money gets decided. The leagues that sound relaxed in March are usually the ones that wrote a budget in October. This is a month-by-month way to think about it for a Little League or any youth baseball or softball league run by volunteers.

The timing below is a suggested rhythm, not a rule. Where Little League International gives guidance, we say so and link the page. Where it does not, we say that too, and the answer is your state, your insurance carrier or a tax professional.

Fall: set the budget before you ask anyone for anything

Little League's fundraising guidance encourages local leagues to set the annual operating budget early in the fall planning timeline, and to settle the fundraising plan before the season starts. Its finance guide tells leagues to list expected revenue by category (registration fees, sponsorships, donations, fundraising, apparel sales) and to plan expenses such as equipment, special events and facility leases. Subtract one from the other and you can see the gap.

In our view, that gap is your fundraising goal. A league that asks businesses for "whatever you can give" gets small checks. A league that says "we need to cover field lights and new catcher's gear" gets answers.

Who owns it

Little League describes a Sponsorship and Fundraising Manager role: someone who builds a list of businesses inside the league's boundary, decides what sponsorship opportunities the league will offer, writes a sponsorship brochure and donation letter, thanks sponsors publicly, and keeps records of the money secured. Naming one person, rather than "the board" in general, keeps the sponsor list and the records from falling through the cracks.

The same guidance says sponsorship and fundraising money should go to the league's general treasury rather than a specific team. Decide that now, before a team parent promises a sponsor otherwise.

Late fall: sponsorship banners and the sponsor list

Little League's sponsorship best practices suggest setting the annual sponsorship goal at the fall board meeting and offering early sign-on discounts. They also suggest several sponsorship levels so a small shop and a regional business can both say yes, and asking businesses that cannot sponsor for a smaller donation instead.

Practical steps, mostly from that guidance:

• Keep a list of last year's sponsors and give them the first chance to renew.
• Give each board member a short "top five" list of businesses or donors to contact, and mix email, mailed letters and in-person visits.
• Send a donation letter that explains the role of Little League in your community and that the league is volunteer-run, with information about the league and its funding needs. Little League also suggests inviting sponsors to bring materials and coupons to share with local families.
• Our own suggestion, not Little League's: track every ask and answer in a simple spreadsheet, set a response deadline, and review each sponsor at season's end.

Banners and fence signs

Little League suggests hanging outdoor signs at field entrances during the off-season to encourage community support, and listing sponsors with links on the league website. Little League's manager guide gives a uniform sponsor, a fence sign sponsor and program book ads as examples of what a league can offer. Think about what a banner costs to print and hang before you price it, so the first year is not a loss.

Rules that protect the league

• Sponsorship does not give a business any rights in the operation of the league or its teams, and sponsors may not use the Little League marks in their own advertising.
• Little League's trademark policy says leagues cannot take sponsorships, donations, ads or fundraising transactions tied to alcohol, tobacco, vaping, marijuana, firearms, gambling or adult content, and it lists political campaigns too.
• Sponsors can give goods or services instead of cash. Little League calls this in-kind support, and it can replace a line in your budget. A donated field-drag, a printing discount or free equipment storage counts. Write down what was donated and what it replaced, so the treasurer can account for it.

Winter: grants, donated items and the paperwork nobody wants

Winter is quiet on the field, which makes it the best time to do the boring parts.

Donations and restricted money

Tell donors how their money will be used and keep a record of what they agreed to. Little League's finance guide says capital campaign gifts are usually reserved for their stated project, and that you should review the terms before moving them to operating costs. It also advises aiming to keep at least 90 percent of what you raise, so watch for fees and surcharges that eat into that.

Raffles, crowdfunding and state rules

Little League notes that many states have charitable solicitation requirements for nonprofits, and that these can apply to raffles, games of chance, crowdfunding and contests. It tells leagues to check their own state's laws and requirements before fundraising, and its trademark policy adds that Little League International does not provide legal advice. Rules differ by state, so check before you print the tickets.

Tax basics

If your league is a 501(c)(3), the IRS says the organization must be organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes, and that its earnings cannot benefit private individuals. That is the reason money raised for the league belongs in the league's account and not a volunteer's personal one. See the IRS page on 501(c)(3) exemption requirements. Little League's pages do not cover filing details, so ask a tax professional about your own annual filings and what you can tell donors about deductibility.

Insurance

The Little League fundraising and finance pages we read do not cover insurance, so we will not guess. If you plan to rent a field, a cage or a clubhouse to the public, ask your carrier in writing what is covered before the first rental.

Early spring: concession stands, registration and the opening day push

Registration fees are part of your revenue, but Little League says to keep them as low as possible and that no player may be turned away for inability to pay. Fundraising is what keeps that promise affordable.

For the concession stand, Little League's finance guide says to follow local and state guidance before you operate one, and says a complete Little League Concessions Guide will be available. Until then, plan the stand like any other fundraiser: assign a manager, keep receipts, and check your local health rules early rather than the week before opening day.

Families who do not want to sell candy bars or take part in a team fundraiser need another way to help. Little League says individuals must be offered an alternative, such as a direct contribution or volunteer hours, and that no player or volunteer can be denied participation for not fundraising.

Then use opening day itself. Little League suggests recognizing sponsors at Opening Day ceremonies, giving them a table at registration or parent meetings, and putting sponsor offers in league emails. Public thanks costs the league almost nothing.

A simple fall-to-opening-day calendar

• Fall: approve the budget, set the fundraising goal, name one fundraising lead, build the business list.
• Late fall: send renewal letters first, then new asks. Set sponsorship levels and an early sign-on offer.
• Winter: check state solicitation rules, confirm tax and insurance questions with the right professionals, print and hang field-entrance signs, plan any off-season income such as renting your cage.
• Early spring: run the concession and registration plan, thank sponsors by name, hold the opening day recognition.
• Season's end: review each sponsor and fundraiser, and write down what worked while it is fresh.

Where a cage fits in the calendar

If your league owns a batting cage, winter is when it sits idle. We wrote a full walkthrough in how a league turns its own cage into a year-round fundraiser, so we will not repeat it here. The short version is that the cage becomes one line on this calendar, set up in the quiet months so it earns while volunteers rest.

Why CageList exists

A league's cage is an idle asset in the off-season. That is the gap CageList's league give-back is built around.

For leagues, the give-back is specific: the league lists its own cage, and CageList takes $0 of the league's cage rate. Bookers pay CageList's standard service fee, itemized at checkout, and the league keeps its full posted rate once CageList has verified that you are on the league's board. It is not a share of CageList's commission passed along; it is the league's own listing at 0 percent commission. See CageList for Little Leagues for how it works. CageList does not provide insurance or replace your existing coverage, so confirm with your carrier first. You can also find your league in the Little League directory, and any cage owner can list a cage.

Frequently asked questions

When should a Little League start planning fundraising for spring?

In the fall. Little League encourages leagues to set the annual operating budget early in the fall planning timeline and suggests setting the sponsorship goal at the fall board meeting.

Can a sponsor tell the league how to run things?

No. Little League's trademark policy says sponsorships do not give the sponsor any rights in the operation of the league or its teams, and sponsors may not use the Little League trademarks in their own advertising.

Do we need a permit to run a raffle?

It depends on your state. Little League says many states have charitable solicitation requirements that can reach raffles, games of chance and crowdfunding, so check your state's rules before running one.

Can we make families sell items?

No. Little League says families who do not want to take part must be offered another way to support the league, and that no player or volunteer can be denied play for not fundraising.

Does CageList take a cut of a league's cage rental?

CageList states it takes $0 of a verified league's cage rate. Bookers pay CageList's standard service fee, shown at checkout, on top of the league's rate.

Sources: Little League, fundraising for your local league, sponsorship best practices, local league finance guide and fundraising manager role. Little League's trademark policy notes that it does not provide legal advice, and neither do we.