Cheer Fundraising Ideas That Actually Work
Between uniforms, competition fees, choreography, music licensing, camp, and travel, cheer is one of the most expensive per-athlete youth sports to fund. Most programs need $3,000 to $10,000 per season beyond registration. Here are 11 cheer fundraising ideas that bring in real money.
If you're looking for cheer fundraising ideas, you know the costs are real. Uniforms run $150 to $300 each. Bows and accessories add up fast. Shoes cost $60 to $120 per pair. Then there are competition entry fees ($200 to $500 per event), choreography ($500 to $2,000), music licensing fees, camp tuition, and travel to competitions. When you add it all up, per-athlete costs often exceed $1,000 per season. Most cheer programs need $3,000 to $10,000 beyond what registration covers.
The good news is that cheer parents are some of the most engaged in youth sports. That involvement is a massive advantage when it comes to fundraising because you have volunteers, buyers, and champions for every initiative. The ideas below range from passive revenue streams that run in the background to event-based fundraisers that bring in money fast. The most successful programs mix both types. For general strategies that apply to any sport, see our sports fundraising guide. Everything below is cheer-specific.
11 Cheer Fundraising Ideas
Proven strategies for youth cheer, high school squads, and all-star programs.
Spirit Wear Store Best ROI
Cheer has massive built-in spirit wear demand because the whole point of the sport is building team spirit. Parents, siblings, grandparents, and fans all want hoodies, t-shirts, and gear to wear at games and competitions. Set up a free online store through Secondslide in your team's colors and logo. You set the markup on every item, typically $15 to $50 profit each. Orders ship directly to buyers with zero inventory, zero sorting at practice, and zero upfront cost. Cheer families are some of the most engaged buyers in youth sports, and they buy year-round. Most cheer programs raise $1,000 to $4,000 or more per campaign. Browse sports fundraising options or check out spirit wear products.
Custom Bow Sales
This one only works for cheer. Sell custom hair bows in team colors at games, competitions, and through your online store. Bows cost $2 to $5 to make and sell for $10 to $20 each. Cheerleaders already wear them, so the demand is built in, and younger fans in the stands love matching their favorite cheerleader. You can handmake them with parent volunteers for a craft night or order in bulk from a supplier. Sell at football games, basketball games, and competition weekends. Typical raise: $300 to $1,000 per season. Fast to set up, zero overhead if handmade.
Cheer Clinic for Younger Kids
Varsity or all-star cheerleaders run a 1 to 2 day clinic for kids ages 5 to 12. Charge $30 to $60 per participant. Teach basic cheers, jumps, stunts, and a short routine. The ultimate hook: end the clinic with a performance at a real game. Parents will register just for that moment. Include a clinic t-shirt to make it official. A clinic of 30 to 50 kids can raise $1,000 to $3,000. It builds the pipeline for your feeder program, and the older cheerleaders get leadership experience. Schedule before competition season or during summer.
Cheer-a-Thon (Pledge per Stunt)
Think walk-a-thon, but with stunts and tumbling passes. Cheerleaders collect pledges per stunt, tumbling pass, or jump completed during a designated performance event. Parents and sponsors pledge $1 to $5 per move. Set it up as a mini-competition at practice or a special Saturday event with music, judges, and an audience. The athletes love performing, and sponsors love watching their pledges add up in real time. A squad of 20 with 8 pledges each at $2 per move can raise $800 to $2,500 in a single afternoon. This is pure cheer and doesn't translate to any other sport.
Competition Sponsorships
Local businesses sponsor competition entry fees, travel costs, or warm-up gear in exchange for logo placement on team banners, warm-ups, and social media. Create sponsorship tiers from $100 to $500. Since competition entry fees run $200 to $500 per event and teams compete multiple times per season, sponsors directly offset one of your biggest costs. A program with 8 to 12 sponsors can cover most or all competition fees for the season. Start with businesses where cheer parents work or shop, then expand to local businesses near your gym. These relationships often renew year after year.
Spirit Night at a Restaurant
Partner with local restaurants for percentage-of-sales nights. Cheer families mention the team name, and the restaurant donates 10 to 20% of the bill to your program. Cheer teams have a unique advantage here: your athletes can do a short performance at the restaurant to draw a bigger crowd and create buzz. It turns a simple dine-out into an event. Rotate restaurants monthly through the season for recurring revenue. Typical raise: $200 to $500 per event. Costs nothing to organize and takes minimal coordination. Promote through your parent group chat and social media the day before.
Game-Day Face Painting
Cheerleaders run a face painting booth at football and basketball games. Charge $3 to $5 per face. Paint team logos, paw prints, player numbers, and school spirit designs. Since cheerleaders are already at every game, this is zero extra commitment on their schedule. Just set up a small table near the entrance or concession stand and work in shifts with 2 to 3 cheerleaders at a time. Revenue: $50 to $150 per game. Over a full football and basketball season, those small amounts add up. Great visibility for the cheer program too.
Social Media Shoutout Packages
Sell social media shoutout packages to local businesses. Your cheer team posts about the business on your team's Instagram or TikTok in exchange for a sponsorship fee. Cheer teams often have strong social media followings because performance videos, competition clips, and stunt highlights get serious engagement. Charge $50 to $150 per shoutout package, which can include a post, a story, and a tag. A team with 5 to 10 sponsors can raise $500 to $1,500. This is a modern fundraiser that plays directly to cheer's social media strengths. No other youth sport has the same built-in content appeal.
Calendar Sales
Create a team calendar featuring action photos from competitions and games. Cheer photos are some of the most dynamic and colorful in youth sports, which makes these calendars a genuinely fun product. Sell for $15 to $25 each. Parents and grandparents love them as gifts. Include important dates like competitions, game schedules, and the end-of-year banquet. Order through an online printing service for $3 to $5 per calendar in bulk. Sell through your online store and at events. Typical raise: $300 to $800. Launch before the holiday season for maximum gift-buying sales.
Holiday Gift Wrapping Station
Set up a gift wrapping station at a mall, community center, or local store during the holiday season. Cheerleaders wrap gifts for tips and donations with a suggested $3 to $5 per gift. Run it for 2 to 3 weekends in December when foot traffic is highest. Cheerleaders in team gear are natural ambassadors for the program, and their energy makes the booth a destination rather than just a service. Revenue: $300 to $800 over the holiday season. Need 4 to 6 cheerleaders per shift. Partner with a local retailer for space and built-in foot traffic.
Car Wash in Uniform
The classic car wash with a cheer twist. Cheerleaders in team t-shirts bring an energy and visibility that other sports can't match. Hold it at a high-traffic location on a Saturday. Charge $10 to $20 per car. Your athletes can do cheers and signs to draw attention from passing traffic, which means more cars pulling in than a typical fundraiser car wash. Revenue: $300 to $600 per event. Great team bonding and community visibility. Weather dependent, so have a rain date. Best as one piece of your overall fundraising plan, not your only strategy. For more ideas, see our booster club fundraising guide.
How to Get Started
If you want to start with the highest-ROI cheer fundraiser that requires the least ongoing effort, set up a spirit wear store. We build a free team store with custom spirit wear and custom hoodies in your team's colors and logo. Share the link with cheer families, grandparents, and fans. They order what they want, items ship directly to them, and your program keeps the markup on every sale. Zero upfront cost, zero inventory, and zero volunteer hours.
For cheer programs specifically, launch the store before competition season when excitement is building. Promote it at every football game, basketball game, and competition. Share it on your team's social media accounts, and cheer teams tend to have active followings that drive real sales. Keep the store open year-round so holiday and back-to-school purchases keep coming in.
Layer in 2 to 3 event-based fundraisers from the list above and you're covering serious ground. A spirit wear store plus a cheer clinic plus bow sales can realistically bring in $2,000 to $8,000 in a single season. For more strategies, check out our booster club fundraising guide.
Why Spirit Wear Fundraising Works for Cheer
Free Online Store
We set up a branded online store for your cheer program at zero cost. Your team's colors, logo, and name on every product.
Cheer Fan Favorites
Custom hoodies, t-shirts, and more in your team colors. The gear cheer families actually want to wear to games and competitions.
Set Your Markup
You choose the profit margin on every item. Most cheer programs earn $15 to $50 per sale depending on the product.
Direct Shipping
Every order ships directly to the buyer. No sorting boxes at practice, no tracking down parents, no distribution headaches.
Track Everything
See exactly how your fundraiser is doing with a dashboard showing orders, revenue, and profit in real time.
Year-Round Revenue
Keep your store open beyond competition season. Game days, holidays, and back-to-school all drive sales year-round.
How It Works
Four simple steps from setup to payout.
We Build Your Store
We design a custom online store with your cheer program's logo, colors, and product selection. Ready in days, not weeks.
Share With Cheer Families
Share the store link with parents, fans, and supporters through text chains, email, and social media.
Fans Order What They Love
Fans browse and order custom hoodies, t-shirts, and gear whenever they want. No deadlines, no pressure.
Your Team Gets Paid
We produce and ship every order directly to the buyer. Your cheer program keeps the markup on every single sale.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a cheer team need to fundraise?
Youth and high school cheer teams typically need to raise $3,000 to $10,000 per season beyond registration fees. All-star and competitive programs can need more. Major costs include uniforms ($150 to $300 each), bows and accessories, shoes ($60 to $120), competition entry fees ($200 to $500 per event), choreography ($500 to $2,000), music licensing, camp fees, and travel.
What is the best fundraiser for a cheer team?
Spirit wear stores are the highest-ROI option for cheer teams. Cheer has massive built-in demand because parents, siblings, and fans love wearing team gear to games and competitions. Most cheer programs raise $1,000 to $4,000 per campaign with zero upfront cost. Combine with 2 to 3 event-based fundraisers for maximum results.
How can a cheer team raise money quickly?
For quick results, launch a spirit wear store (live within days), sell custom bows at the next game, or host a one-day cheer mini-clinic. Spirit wear stores generate the most consistent revenue. Bow sales tap into a product cheerleaders and fans already want. A mini-clinic can raise $500 to $1,500 in a single Saturday.
What are good fundraising ideas for all-star cheer?
All-star cheer programs do well with spirit wear stores, cheer clinics, competition sponsorships, and social media shoutout packages. Spirit wear sales tend to be strong because all-star families are deeply invested. Clinics taught by competitive athletes attract younger kids looking for instruction from athletes they admire.
Can a cheer booster club run a year-round fundraiser?
Yes. An online spirit wear store stays open year-round with no ongoing effort after initial setup. Fans order hoodies, t-shirts, and gear whenever they want, and your program earns profit on every sale. Many cheer booster clubs see sales spikes around competition season, game days, and the holidays.
Start Your Cheer Fundraiser Today
Set up a free spirit wear store for your cheer program. No upfront costs, no inventory, no risk. Your store can be live in days.