Branded Club MerchandiseA great treat for your team’s supporters and a viable source of income for your team, selling your club’s branded merchandise also gives you a golden opportunity to express your team’s true colours. Start with team gear like swim-caps, towels, badges and thongs, but if those are a success you could add to your range with coffee cups, stickers, banners, goggles, shirts and anything else you wish to splash your logo all over! Selling merchandise can be a great way to add to your club coffers if you do it well, so be sure to nurture relationships with those online printers and designers who prove they can provide quality merchandise to tight timescales. Selling your merchandise in an online store initially will keep your overheads down and allow you to test the market for the items you have chosen to brand. Swim-A-ThonThe classic water marathon is a gruelling team event, with massive potential for all sorts of donations from team supporters. You can choose to set a time or distance goal for this event, or you can convert it into a competition instead, with the goal being to swim as far as possible. This type of swim club event is a fundraiser of choice for good reason; it draws public attention to your team, incentivises your swimmers and can even increase camaraderie between clubs (if you choose to allow other swimming clubs to compete as well). Just ask for each competing swimmer to seek sponsorship from their friends and family and you’ll find that this fundraiser can make huge inroads into your fundraising goals. Family Fun DayA family fun day is a great casual day for any supporter of your swim team, with the opportunity to include as many fundraising schemes as you’re willing to host. Your first opportunity will be tickets to the event itself, which should be advertised widely in the local community and online. Offer a group ticket discount for families and offer companies and organisations the opportunity to sponsor your event. From there, you can consider what kind of games and competitions you wish to host, with the entry fees being advertised as a suggested donation amount. Sponsor a Swimmer SchemeIn this scheme a company or individual provides financial support for a particular swimmer in your club. In return, you can give them regular updates on their progress and achievements. In addition, you can credit the sponsor as a valued benefactor on your club’s website and social media channels. If you don't want to do this for individual swimmers, you can offer to set up a group sponsorship, where donors can support the entire team for a one-off fee. Water Themed Quiz NightFrom the Titanic to the triathlon, water is a pretty broad subject, so make sure you set up an attractive prize for the winning team on your water themed quiz night. To host this event, use a space already available to you, such as a games room or social area, to save the hassle of hiring a venue. If you don’t have such a space, contact other local clubs or businesses and see if they’d wish to partner with you for the night, this can end up as a profitable partnership for your club and hold lots of potential for future events. Sell tickets for your quiz night in advance and sell raffle tickets and refreshments on the night. Families and friends will be more than willing to get involved when they know all the accrued income is for the team. Club CalendarThere’s nothing like a sports club calendar to grow some new interest in your swim club. This fundraiser requires the whole club’s involvement and can be as comedic or serious as you desire; from truly tasteful to totally tacky. Maybe you could channel your inner champions and do photo recreations of famous Aussie swimmers such as Ian Thorpe or Dawn Fraser? Calendars are cheap to produce and you can sell them online and during other events in your fundraising diary. You will sell more calendars if you can create a buzz around their production. Consider doing a series of behind the scenes social posts while the photographs are being done and remember to advertise widely to shift all the copies you order. Offer Swimming LessonsIt’s surprising how many adults are unable to swim and are too proud to ask for lessons. By coming forward and offering swimming lessons to local people, your swimming team can provide a valuable service to the community, whilst simultaneously contributing to the club fundraising efforts. Once you have begun offering lessons, you could potentially grow your club by recruiting keen new members from your students. Start selling team gear, coaching sessions and personalised offers to your new recruits and you might just meet all your fundraising goals with this one idea. Host a Swimming CarnivalA swimming carnival is a necessity for every swim club and the event can be the real show-stopper in your club’s fundraising calendar. This event utilises the camaraderie between clubs (and the hidden rivalries) to put on a huge tournament, with individual and relay races for every swim stroke. Swimming carnivals are traditionally for your younger club members, so make sure there are plenty of activities for parents and spectators. Raffles, concessions and stalls are easy to set up and can help you recoup your expenditure and start turning a good profit from the carnival event. Lifeguard Training Session(s)Lessons that could save a life. A lifeguard certificate is a fantastic qualification to have, no matter how old you are. Whilst traditionally marketed towards younger people, there is no cap on the age at which a fit, healthy person can become a lifeguard. Ask one or two club members who are trained lifeguards to volunteer some of their time and offer some casual classes to the community. This will help you to build some interest in a full course that culminates in a lifeguarding qualification. Alternatively, you can market this exclusively to your current swim club members, some of whom may be interested in pursuing a career in lifeguarding. Open Water Charity Swim Challenge club members and the public to see if they can take on swimming in the "wild" with an open water charity event. Our advice to clubs for this event is to choose a suitable stretch of water not far from where your club is based, as this will ensure that you attract spectators from your local area, who are bound to be more supportive of their local swimming club. Make sure your swimmer(s) get the sponsorship they deserve for this event by spreading the word online and advertising the event in high-traffic areas in the community