Experienced or start-up AAU travel basketball organizations alike are looking for ways to fundraise for their organizations. Funding your upcoming season is one way to help your organization grow into one of the best in the area. That’s why we’re covering more than 100 fundraising ideas to help your AAU travel team achieve its monetary goals!

This article will address how to use a three-point contest to help your AAU organization raise funds. A one-day three-point contest can help your organization raise between $200 – $1,000 while getting your group ready for the upcoming season. Read on to see how to get started, what to expect, and how you can use this event to benefit your AAU travel team.

How to Set Up Your Three-Point Contest

The first thing you and your organization should cover is when and where you can put on a three-point shooting contest. These events can be held both indoors and outside, making a local park or a community gymnasium both acceptable venues. Holding the event on the weekend is a prime time for a three-point shooting contest.

Once your travel organization has identified locations, vet those facilities to ensure the dates and times work. Depending on how many participants enroll, this event could last anywhere from just over an hour to 4-5 hours. Ensure your three-point shooting contest’s location will not interfere with other planned events at your desired location.

Next, your organization should determine if attendees who are not participating will be charged an admission fee. Instead of a set price, your travel basketball team could set up a donation bucket to collect money from attendees. Further, you should determine what type of concessions you’ll offer to attendees. Selling drinks and snacks is another source of revenue.

The final piece of this puzzle is to determine how your three-point shooting contest will function. Will it involve multiple rounds to determine a winner? How many shots will each participant take? Will there be multiple groups broken down by age and sex? What prizes will be awarded to the winner(s)? These are questions your AAU travel organization will be asked by potential participants for the event.

How to Prepare for the Three-Point Contest

After setting the details for the three-point shooting contest, start promoting the event online. Your AAU travel organization should promote this heavily on social media as well as traditional means. Handing out fliers during another local event – with their permission – is a way to promote your fundraiser.

You also need volunteers for the event. With a three-point shooting contest, you’ll need someone to register participants as well as individuals to organize the flow of the contest. Parents or players from your travel basketball team are a great source of volunteers to help your organization staff this event.

Other items you may need are basketball racks. Typically, a shooting contest will have multiple spots surrounding the three-point line where participants shoot to earn a score. A great source to find racks is local schools. Ask administrators or coaches from that school to borrow those for the three-point shooting contest.

Bonus Ideas To Enhance Your Event

First, your AAU travel organization could host a silent auction during the three-point shooting contest (for more details, visit our Silent Auction article). Your silent auction can consist of donated items from the community or your team’s gear or equipment to infuse even more revenue opportunities into this event.

Second, your travel organization can sell sponsorship banners that will be displayed during the event. For a nominal fee, your organization can ask local businesses to sponsor the event to boost revenue. You can find out more information about selling sponsorships by visiting our page about selling sponsorships.

What to Expect the Day of the Event

In terms of setting up, you’ll need your volunteers available at least one hour before the three-point shooting contest starts. Organize your volunteers and the court for your contest. You can also post signs to recruit members of the contest for your AAU travel basketball team if your organization chooses.

If you a using a local restaurant or food vendor for your concession stand, contact them in advance to place your order. Giving a local pizzeria a heads-up about needing 10 pizzas that night can save your organization time and will be well-appreciated. You can also inquire if you are able to get a discount by calling in advance.

Wrapping Up Your Three-Point Contest

When your event finishes, you’ll need to clean up any messes that your participants or crowd made at the location during the three-point shooting contest. This is an important step as you’ll want to revisit this fundraiser – and perhaps location – again for the next AAU season. You’ll also have to make provisions to return any borrowed or rented items for the event.

Next, establish your organization by following up with any individuals or businesses that helped your travel team put on the successful event. Sending a personal note (with a team picture) to thank your sponsors will ensure a receptive response from these individuals for future needs or events.

Lastly, conduct a count of the event’s proceeds with at least one of your team’s administrators present. If your organization is incorporated, it’s required to report the proceeds (subtracting any expenses) for tax purposes. Once completed, make arrangements to deposit the money into your AAU travel organization’s bank account.

Do you have any photographs, videos, or success stories you can share with our audience? Leave them in the comment section below, and we’ll reach out to you perhaps to feature you in a future news article. Make sure you join our email list below to stay informed about future articles in our fundraising series.

This is one article in our “Fundraising 101” series. Click here to see 100 more ideas on how you can raise money to fund your AAU travel basketball team.