Cheer Fundraiser Ideas That’ll Have Your Squad Raising Money Like Pros

Every cheer coach knows the moment well. Competition season is coming up, the travel budget is looking thin, and someone has just handed you a quote for new uniforms that made your eyes water. The good news? Your squad already has everything it takes to raise serious money — the energy, the teamwork, and frankly, the performance skills that most fundraising committees can only dream of.

Whether you’re raising funds for a booster club, a high school varsity squad, or a youth cheer team, these cheer fundraiser ideas are tried, tested, and genuinely fun to run. Some are quick and low-effort. Others are bigger events that can raise hundreds — or even thousands — in a single weekend. Either way, there’s something here for every squad size and every budget.

Here are the best cheer fundraiser ideas to get your team cheering all the way to the bank.

Car Wash Fundraiser

Few fundraisers are as perfectly matched to a cheer squad as a car wash. You’ve got an energetic, visible team in uniform, and people are genuinely happy to pull over and hand you $10 when they see a group of cheerleaders holding signs. Add some chants and it basically markets itself.

Here’s what makes a cheer car wash work:

• Pick a high-traffic location – A church parking lot, grocery store entrance, or gas station with permission are all solid options. Visibility is everything.
• Sell tickets in advance – Pre-selling tickets at school or through parents builds in your base income before you’ve washed a single car.
• Go all-in on the performance – This is your squad’s moment. Bring a speaker, run some cheers while you wait for cars, and make the whole thing an event. The energy brings more cars and generates tips.
• Set a clear price – $10–$15 per car is standard; $15–$20 for larger vehicles like trucks and SUVs.
• Have a donation jar visible – Many customers will tip when they see the squad putting on a show.

Pro tip: Split the squad into roles — washers, dryers, sign-holders, and cheerleaders entertaining the line. It keeps things moving and means nobody burns out on scrubbing.

For a full step-by-step guide to running a car wash fundraiser, check out How to Host a Car Wash Fundraiser.

Cheer-a-Thon (Pledge Fundraiser)

Think of this as a fun run — but instead of laps, your squad cheers. Athletes collect pledges from family, friends, and community members, then perform for a set amount of time (usually 30–60 minutes of continuous cheering, stunting, and performance).

It’s one of the most effective cheer-specific fundraisers because it showcases exactly what your team does — and people love sponsoring something they can actually see.

• Set a clear goal – Give athletes a fundraising target (e.g. $100 per person) with a group goal on a big visible thermometer at the event.
• Use an online pledge platform – Tools like Snap Raise or a simple GoFundMe team page make it easy for relatives across the country to donate.
• Include a performance element – Plan a 30-minute showcase of routines, stunts, and cheers for pledgers and parents to watch. It turns a fundraiser into a genuine event.
• Add milestone rewards – Squad-wide incentives (movie night, pizza party) when you hit certain thresholds keep everyone motivated during the collection period.

Pro tip: Start pledge collection 2–3 weeks before the event so athletes have time to reach out to extended family. Many of the biggest donations come from grandparents who aren’t on social media — make sure athletes follow up with a phone call, not just a text.

Spirit Wear Sale

A spirit wear sale is one of the most reliable passive fundraisers a cheer program can run — and it builds your squad’s brand at the same time. Parents, siblings, and fans love wearing team gear, and custom apparel has a strong perceived value that makes it easy to sell at a healthy markup.

• Use a print-on-demand service – Platforms like CustomInk, Bonfire, or Printful let you set up an online store with no upfront inventory cost. Orders are printed and shipped directly, and you collect the profit margin.
• Offer a core range – T-shirts, hoodies, and tote bags are the safest sellers. Add a tumbler or car decal if your audience loves a practical item.
• Include the school or squad name prominently – Parents especially want gear that clearly shows which team they’re supporting.
• Set a limited sale window – A 2-week ordering window creates urgency and means you’re not managing an ongoing store.
• Promote at games – If you can get a sample hoodie or tee in front of parents on game night, sales jump.

Pro tip: Bundle spirit wear sales with a game night or halftime reveal — showing off the new designs in person dramatically boosts orders compared to just sending a flyer home.

Raffle Fundraiser

A well-run raffle is one of the highest-profit fundraisers you can run relative to the effort involved — especially if you can secure donated prizes rather than buying them.

• Reach out to local businesses – Restaurants, salons, sports shops, and gyms are often willing to donate gift cards or experiences for a good cause, especially if you offer to recognise them on social media or in your programme.
• Build a themed basket – If you can’t get big single prizes, bundle smaller donations into an attractive gift basket. A “spa day at home” basket or a “family game night” basket with a few fun items can sell just as well.
• Sell tickets at $2–$5 each, or 3 for $10 – The bundle deal always bumps up average spend. Most people will choose the bundle.
• Promote at games and on social media – Post photos of the prizes to build excitement. The more tangible the prize looks, the more tickets you sell.
• Draw winners publicly – Announce the draw at a game or via a live video on your squad’s social account. The public draw builds trust and excitement for next time.

For basket and raffle prize inspiration, check out 27 Raffle Basket Ideas for Fundraisers.

Bake Sale at a Home Game

Home games are your squad’s biggest built-in audience, and a bake sale at the entrance or concession area can turn that foot traffic into serious fundraising dollars with very little effort.

• Coordinate with the athletic department – Make sure you have permission and a confirmed spot before you start baking. Most schools are happy to accommodate this alongside existing concessions.
• Go for individually wrapped items – Cookies, brownies, rice crispy treats, and cupcakes wrapped in cellophane sell fastest. Easy to grab, easy to carry, no plates or forks required.
• Price accessibly – $1–$2 per item keeps it impulse-buy territory. Most people will grab something on the way in without thinking twice.
• Set up near the entrance – Position your table where people have to walk past it on the way in — not tucked in a corner where they’d have to seek you out.
• Add a “squad favourites” label – Small personalised touches (“Coach’s Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies”) make people more likely to buy.

Pro tip: Ask squad members and their families to each bring one item rather than assigning baking to a small group of volunteers. You’ll end up with a better variety and spread the work across the whole team.

Check out our Ultimate Bake Sale Guide to maximise the dollars raised!

Candy Gram Sale

Candy grams are a natural fit around homecoming, Homecoming Court voting week, or Valentine’s Day — any time the social energy at school is already buzzing. Your squad sells sweet treat packages with a personalised note, and the social element does most of the marketing for you.

• Sell during the week before a big game or event – Homecoming week is ideal; the excitement is high and students want to send messages to friends.
• Keep it simple – One candy option, a tag with the recipient’s name and a short message, a cellophane bag. That’s all you need.
• Price at $1–$2 per gram – Accessible enough that almost everyone will buy at least one.
• Deliver during homeroom or lunch – Public delivery creates buzz and turns every recipient into a walking advertisement.

For a full how-to and punny message ideas, check out the Candy Gram Fundraiser Guide.

50/50 Raffle at Games

A 50/50 raffle is one of the easiest fundraisers you can run — almost no setup, no prizes to source, and it can run alongside any game or event your squad is already attending.

How it works: you sell numbered tickets, draw a winner at halftime, and they take home half the pot. The other half goes to the cheer program. Buyers love it because the prize scales with the number of tickets sold — the more popular the raffle, the bigger the jackpot.

• Assign 2–3 squad members or parents to sell tickets in the stands before and during the first half.
• Price tickets at $1 each or 5 for $4 — the bundle deal consistently increases the pot size.
• Announce the running total at halftime to build excitement before the draw.
• Draw publicly at halftime — hand the mic to a cheerleader for extra flair.

Pro tip: Check your state’s raffle regulations before running a 50/50 — most are perfectly fine for non-profit school groups, but rules vary by state.

Restaurant Night Fundraiser

Many local restaurants — particularly chains like Chipotle, Chick-fil-A, MOD Pizza, and Buffalo Wild Wings — offer fundraising nights where a percentage of sales from customers who mention your group or show a flyer goes to your organisation. It’s genuinely one of the easiest fundraisers to run.

• Contact restaurants 4–6 weeks in advance – Most chains have a formal fundraising request process on their website. Fill it in early — popular dates book up quickly.
• Pick a Tuesday or Wednesday night – Weeknight events often get a better restaurant percentage deal, and it’s easier to get a committed group to show up on a quieter night.
• Promote it as a social event – Encourage squad members to come with their whole family, invite friends, and post on social media. The more customers who mention your group, the bigger the cheque.
• Follow up with a thank-you post – Tag the restaurant and share how much you raised. It makes them more likely to host you again.

Pro tip: Combine a restaurant night with a smaller social element — a “meet the squad” moment at the start of the evening or a quick cheer performance — and your turnout will be noticeably higher.

Find out how easy it is to run a 50/50 Fundraiser

Yard Sign Fundraiser

Spirit yard signs are a feel-good fundraiser that sell themselves in the days before homecoming, playoffs, or end-of-year celebrations. Families love having a personalised sign in their yard, and the visibility around the neighbourhood creates organic word-of-mouth.

• Order signs through a local print shop or an online service like GotPrint or Vistaprint — typically $8–$15 per sign at cost.
• Sell for $20–$30 — leaving a comfortable profit margin per sign.
• Personalise with the athlete’s name and number — this is the key selling point. Generic squad signs sell; personalised ones sell out.
• Take advance orders only — don’t over-order. Collect payment upfront and only print what’s been ordered.
• Deliver to doorsteps the night before the event — the surprise and delight of waking up to a yard sign is part of the product.

Online Fundraising Campaign

If your squad has parents and supporters spread across different states — or you’re trying to reach alumni and extended family who aren’t local — an online campaign gives you reach that no bake sale can match.

• Snap Raise is designed specifically for youth sports and activity fundraising. Athletes get personalised fundraising pages and the platform handles the outreach emails. It’s the most hands-off online option for coaches and booster clubs.
• GoFundMe works well for one-off campaigns with a specific, emotionally compelling goal (new uniforms, a competition trip, replacing damaged equipment).
• Be specific about what you’re raising for — “Help us get to Nationals” raises more than “support our cheer program.” Give people a clear, concrete goal to contribute to.
• Set a deadline — campaigns with a clear end date raise more money than open-ended ones.

Pro tip: Have every squad member share the campaign link on their own social media on launch day. Peer-to-peer sharing is far more effective than any official squad page post.

Tips for Running a Successful Cheer Fundraiser

Whatever idea you choose, a few basics separate the fundraisers that hit their goals from the ones that fizzle out halfway through.

• Set a specific, visible goal — “We’re raising $2,500 for new competition uniforms” is more motivating than a vague fundraising appeal. Put up a thermometer graphic and update it publicly.
• Get the whole squad involved — Fundraisers that rely on a small group of super-committed parents burn people out fast. Share the load across athletes, parents, and coaches from the start.
• Promote more than feels necessary — Most people need to see something three or four times before they act on it. Post on social media, send emails, put up flyers, and make announcements at games.
• Say thank you publicly — Recognise top fundraisers, biggest donors, and hardest-working volunteers. Public appreciation costs nothing and builds the culture that makes the next fundraiser easier.
• Debrief after every event — What worked, what didn’t, what would you do differently? Even a 10-minute team debrief means next year’s version is better.

Wrap-Up: Your Squad Has This

Cheer squads have a natural advantage in fundraising — you’re visible, you’re energetic, and people genuinely enjoy watching you perform. The best cheer fundraisers lean into that. Whether you’re sudsing up cars in the parking lot, selling out a raffle at halftime, or running a cheer-a-thon that has grandparents donating from three states away, your squad brings something most fundraising committees can only dream of.

Pick one idea, get the team behind it, and go all in. The uniforms — and the Nationals trip — are closer than you think.