How to run a pickleball fundraiser with no tournament directing experience!
Is your organization or non-profit passionate about a cause? Do you want to raise money with a pickleball fundraiser but you have no tournament directing experience? PicklePlay is a game-changer! Whether you're supporting a local charity, helping your school, or organizing a community outreach program, PicklePlay can help you to make a real impact through the fastest-growing sport of pickleball.
In this blog, we’ll break down exactly how to use PicklePlay to host fundraisers, promote your cause, and generate funds–all while having a blast on the court.
One of our PicklePlay clubs, Heartland Pickleball Club, recently hosted a small pickleball fundraiser for their sorority and discovered just how easy it can be with the help of the PicklePlay app. Their event included four scramble round robins using only 3 courts, one for each division, with up to 12 players per division. Each scramble took about 90 minutes. They ran them back-to-back with no delays and no confusion.
What made it all run so smoothly? PicklePlay!!
Players registered and paid directly through the app, which eliminated the typical registration headaches many experience with fundraisers. Even better, PicklePlay created the play format, assigned players to courts, organized opposing teams, and tracked scores in real time—all in one place. It is seamless.
In just a few hours, they raised $700, and realized they could have easily tripled that number. With 60 players and 5 scrambles, they could easily raise nearly $2,000 in one day. Many of our PicklePlay clubs are currently running quarterly fundraisers to bring in consistent funds needed.
“If you’re planning a small tournament or fundraiser, we highly recommend giving PicklePlay a shot. It took the stress out of organizing and let us focus on the fun—and the fundraising.”
- Heartland Pickleball Club
Tips for Success:
- Define your goal. Are you raising $5,000? Supporting a nonprofit? Covering travel costs for a school team? Be specific. This helps motivates people to get involved and want to help make a difference.
- Customize your fundraising event with a catchy name. For example, “Dinks for a Difference” or “Paddles for Paws" if you are supporting a local humane society.
- Promote your event! If made public, your fundraising event will be shared within our PicklePlay app community, but don’t stop there! Promote it across: social media (Instagram, Facebook posts and events, and TikTok), with local pickleball clubs and recreation centers, share in newsletters or email blasts if you have one, or create flyers with QR codes you can post in your local area. Encourage players to invite friends!
- Make the event fun and impactful. Some fun ideas to add extra enthusiasm may include a themed event with a “Best Dressed” contest, shoutouts to donors and sponsors, adding music, sponsored snacks, or a local food truck.
- Follow up and say Thanks after the event. Share photos, thank-you messages, and how much was raised. Gratitude builds community — and repeat supporters.
Two recommended play formats:
Round Robin Tournaments: players sign up with a partner, play pool play to get seeded for a single elimination bracket and ultimately crown a winning team.
Scramble Round Robin: players don’t need a partner, anyone can play! They sign up as individuals, play doubles format. PicklePlay assigns them new partners and opponents each round to ultimately crown top performing individual!
Why PicklePlay Works for Fundraising
✅ Multiple Play Formats available
✅ Built-in pickleball community to share events
✅ It's easy to create paid events
✅ Streamlined payment system
✅ Great for all skill levels
✅ Encourages fun and fitness while giving back
Ready to get started?
There is no experience needed! And it's a whole lot more fun than traditional fundraising! Set up a FREE demo call to learn more about subscription options to unlock full club functionality. Ask about special pricing for first time subscribers and non-profit organizations!!
Our team will help you get your club set up and connect your Stripe account to be able to collect payment. Then you can choose from multiple play formats available to set up and share your fundraiser! It's easier than you think! Contact skye@pickleplay.com to get started.
New to PicklePlay? Download the PicklePlay app today on IOS or Android or visit pickleplay.com to find courts, upcoming events, additional blog topics, connect with other players and more!
