130,500 causes · $320M raised · 4.7 since 2009
Season kickoff auction fundraisers
Every family is already logging in to pay you. That is the moment.
Free for up to 20 items Unlimited bidders No credit card required
Registration is the one window in a league's year when every family is paying attention, logging into a system and thinking about the season. An auction in that window has an audience it did not have to build.
It also has an obvious risk, and it is worth naming: you are asking families for more money in the same week you asked them for the fee.
How to run it without pricing anyone out
- Say what the auction funds, and if it funds fee assistance, say that first
- Never bundle the ask into the registration flow itself — a fee page with an additional ask on it reads as a surcharge
- Send it as a separate message, after the family has completed registration
- Include a genuinely low-value tier of items so participating is possible at any budget
- Never publish who bid what, or who received assistance
The first point does most of the work. A family stretching to pay the fee responds differently to a fundraiser that exists so nobody sits out than to one asking for new equipment.
Timeline
- Registration opens — nothing yet
- Week 2 — auction announced to families who have completed signup
- Week 2-4 — bidding live, promoted through team channels as rosters form
- Before the fee deadline — bidding closes, so assistance decisions can be made before families have to commit
- Opening day — report what it raised and what it funded
That fourth point is the one leagues get wrong. If the auction funds fee assistance, it has to close early enough for the board to award it before a family decides not to register.
What to auction at kickoff
Season-long access items are at their most valuable now, because a bidder gets the whole season from them: the reserved parking spot, first pick of practice slot, the banner position, naming the trophy. Later in the season the same items are worth less because there is less season left.
See item ideas that actually sell.
Use the registration list properly
Mail every age group, and mail families from previous seasons who have not re-registered. The second group is an audience with a connection to the league and no current fee obligation, which makes them among the easiest people on the list to ask.
Governance to settle first: the hub, on exempt status, bylaws and fee assistance.
More guides for Youth Sports
Revenue benchmarks from platform data Coach and parent roles
Who does what, when everyone is a volunteer Item ideas that actually sell
What league families bid on Getting items donated
Sponsors you already have, and the ones you don't Equipment and uniform funds
Naming what the money buys Tournament weekend logistics
An auction across three days and four fields
Frequently asked questions
Is registration week a good time to run an auction?
It is the one window when every family is already paying attention, and it is also the week you asked them for the fee. It works if the auction says what it funds — and if it funds fee assistance, says that first.
Should the auction be part of the registration flow?
No. A fee page carrying an additional ask reads as a surcharge. Send it as a separate message after a family has completed signup.
When should bidding close?
Before the fee deadline, so the board can award any assistance before a family decides not to register. Leagues frequently close too late for the money to do its job.
Which items are worth most at kickoff?
Season-long access — the reserved spot, first pick of practice slot, the banner position, naming the trophy. A bidder gets the whole season from them, which is not true later on.
Ready to start your auction?
Name it now and set it up later. Free for up to 20 items, unlimited bidders, no credit card.
Free for up to 20 items · Unlimited bidders · No credit card required