We all know that the cost of funding your high school athletic programs increases every year.  And the amount of work that coaches and Athletic Directors have to do is increasing at the same time.  With all of the responsibilities that come with your job, what you need is a low maintenance way to fundraise.

If you have had enough of selling chocolate bars and washing cars, we have the solution for you! You can re-energize your fundraising game with an LED video board (or a digital or basketball scoreboard).  If there isn’t one in your gym and your outdoor stadium, there should be!

Digital wall displays will boost the excitement of your gameday events while driving fundraising. How? Glad you asked! We’re about to give you ten unique ways to turn your school’s video board, or digital scoreboard, into a fundraising turn-key machine.

To succeed with these unique fundraising ideas, you need to present them to potential sponsors in your community.  You will need to make it clear to the first sponsors you talk to as to how their business is going to be presented in exciting and fun ways to your fans on GameDay.  Those fans are the business owner’s potential customers.

Our ten years of experience has shown us that once other local businesses see how you are using your video board to promote your first group of sponsors; they will begin contacting you to ask how they can become one too!

Use our ten suggestions to stimulate your own ideas for what you can do to drive excitement at your games and revenue for your budget.

The Fundraising Game Changer: Video Boards!!

1. Put the Spotlight on Your Sponsors

Dedicate a segment of the game to showcase the community involvement or philanthropic efforts of your sponsors. It’s a feel-good segment that lets your audience see the core values of your sponsors businesses.

Create a game segment that highlights the community engagement and philanthropic initiatives supported by your sponsors. This special segment aims to showcase the underlying values of your sponsors’ businesses.   It is an opportunity for a more meaningful connection between your advertisers and your fans.

2. Incorporate Social Media Feeds

Everyone is already looking at their phones during timeouts. Why not leverage that to feature your sponsors? Use your video board to display live social media posts from your sponsors breaks in the game.  It instantly creates connections between the fans and the game sponsors.

Encourage your advertisers to offer deals and discounts for fans who connect with them on social media before the game is over.  It’s really a super cool way to use the technology to help sponsors receive an immediate return on their investment to support your athletes.

3. Engage Your Crowd with Interactive Polls

Give your crowd a medium to share their opinions. Engage your fans with live polls on your social media feed related to your sponsors’ products. Ask multiple choice questions related to your sponsors’ products and services. Display your results on the video display near the end of the game.  That way you will build curiosity, participation, and anticipation throughout the course of the game!

4. Exciting Quarter/Half-Time Challenges

Imagine this scene at your next home event:  At the first game break, rather than reaching for their phones, the entire arena is captivated by a dynamic challenge lighting up the video on your big screen board. 

Courtesy of a local business advertiser, a lucky fan is selected to engage in a fun and exciting game-prizes provided by your sponsor. It’s not just entertainment for the crowd; it’s a fantastic advertising opportunity for the sponsor, creating a win-win spectacle for everyone involved!

Your in-game challenges are only limited by your own creativity. One of our favorites is called “15 seconds of fame.”

To prepare for game night, pick a list of several topics for a name as many of these as you can.  For example, Olympic sports, state capitals, WNBA teams, rivers, cities in Europe.  You will then need to record a video of each member of the teams that play in the gym or on the field answering one of the questions.  

They have 15 seconds to name as many examples from each category as they can.

Do not give the athlete the question in advance.  Provide it to them once you start recording the video.  When the 15 seconds is up, their score is the number of correct responses they gave.  If the player has trouble with their answers, give them a new topic and a new chance.  After all, we’re dealing with high school or college students and the sponsorship is provided to help them, not embarrass them.

At the break in the game, a fan is randomly chosen from the list of fans who registered to participate.  When the fan who was selected is announced, they should come down to the scorer’s table.  They are going to answer one of the questions that was given to the athletes.  You will need to have the video of the athlete’s response queued and ready to play on the video board after the fan gives their answers. 

They fan will not be given the topic until right before their time starts.  Put the video feed of the fan as they give their replies to the name as many as you can topic. on the video board (along with the sponsors name and logo).  

Give them the same question that the players answered and show a 15 second timer on the board. When the timer starts counting down, the fan names as many from the topic as they can.  After the fan is done, play the pre-recorded video on your display board of the athlete who answered the same questions.

If the fan beats or ties the player, they receive a predetermined prize from your sponsor.  It could be some swag, a gift certificate, or anything that will help promote the advertiser’s business.  If the sponsor agrees, they can also offer a consolation prize to the fan if they don’t win.

5. Virtual Sponsor Promoted Sweepstakes

A virtual sweepstakes will create excitement in your school and your community.  This excitement will be for both the sponsor and for your event where the winner will be announced. The business will run a giveaway contest for the week leading up to the game.  

The drawing will be held, and prize winner announced at halftime of the next home game on your video board.

For this to be a success, both your athletic department and your sponsor need to promote the event on social media, in your buildings, and by any means you can.  The more registrations you can get, the more potential customers for your business, and the more likely the business is to continue to support your program!

6. Streaming Fan Cam 

Just as the crowd cam spotlights fans in attendance at your event, the virtual fan cam showcases fans watching online. It is a great way to connect with supporters of your athletes and program who are unable to be there in person.   

Feature as many virtual fans each game as you can at timeouts, quarter breaks, halftime, or in between matches. Have a sponsor each week to display on your video board along with showing the virtual fans (watching your event online) on your  videoboard.

A scorers table or LED Video Board from Sideline Interactive can help you promote you players on game night, generate excitement in your gym, and help you raise $10,000 or more each year to improve your budget!

If financing is a problem, we offer two school year, no fee, no interest financing to allow you to get your fundraising technology up and running to raise the money to pay for it before your final payment is even due!

Click here for more information about our: Fundraising and excitement generating video boards!

7. Trivial Pursuit (Sponsor Style)

Is there anyone who doesn’t love a good trivia question? Why not display trivia on your digital scoreboard (yes you can create use your videoboard as a scoreboard) related to your sponsors business, services, or products.

You can go old school and select one fan to try to answer the question or questions, or you can use a phone app or social media to allow as many people to actively participate as are in attendance!

8. Sponsored Fan Challenges

Split your arena or gym into four sections using the half court or 50-yard line and see what group can show the most spirit with cheers, making the most noise, or displaying the most creative signs.

It will generate enthusiasm and pump up the home team!

Feature the video feeds of these challenges in action on your board.  Add in prizes for the winners of the challenge from your sponsors. You’ve just created a recipe for an unforgettable game night for both the fans and the players.  Oh, and don’t forget to show your sponsors logos on the video board as well!

9. Exclusive Instant Offers from Your Sponsors

It’s not just a video board, it’s a billboard that can create more business for sponsors and offer your fans a great deal.  Nothing says win/win like that!

Here’s all you have to do:  Display a QR codes for exclusive discounts from your sponsor for fans to redeem during or after the game.  For example, a local restaurant can provide a discount that is good only after the game.  A local gym or health club could offer a free month, but only for fans who register before the end of the game.

10. Behind-the-Scenes with Your Sponsors

Have your sponsors shoot a short video showing a behind the scenes look at their business.  It doesn’t have to be a professionally done video that costs a lot.  It can be shot from a phone or an inexpensive video camera.
 

A short hello on the behind-the-scenes video from some of the people who work at the business is a way to personalize the virtual tour.  Some facts about how long the business has been in the community, how many it employs, other ways they give back to your community are all great to mention.

You can set up a simple registration table as fans enter, or you can have fans register online for chances to be selected to participate in your contests.

How Can You Be More Creative and Use Your Video Board for Fundraising?

We must face the facts.  Fans at sporting events today want to be entertained by more than just the game. And business today are always in search of a way to connect on a more personal basis with potential customers.

Take a look at some of the ways your opponents are using their wall displays or digital scoreboards when you are at away contests.  If you have time to go to college or professional games, see what they are doing.  You might not have the staff to do exactly what they are doing.

We know that these ideas take time to plan, organize, and execute.  Time that a coach or an athletic director probably doesn’t have.  Our solution—delegate!   Use your booster club, team moms, responsible team managers, tech or audio-video class, technology club, or just put out an announcement for student volunteers who might be interested.  

To provide your athletes and fans with the ultimate gameday experience, to promote your athletes, to raise money, and to compete with the schools on your schedule, you must have a video wall display.  Our challenge to you is to up your fundraising game by actively engaging your crowd with our suggestions or to come up with your own that are even better than what we gave you!