How to Get Free Money to Support a Baseball Little League

Little League baseball is a great way to get kids outside and teach them valuable athletic and interpersonal skills, but it is expensive to run a league. Many leagues may raise registration prices to meet the costs, but tough economic times may decrease enrollment, resulting in even less funding for the league. Supporting your little league financially without putting all the burden on parents takes some work, but you can easily raise the money yourself if you know where to look.

Instructions

  1. Sponsorships

    • 1

      Find local businesses in your area. Many local businesses, or local branches of larger companies, will sponsor a Little League team or league. Your league may already have many sponsors, so do your research to find any businesses who are not yet involved.

    • 2

      Draft a sponsorship letter. The easiest way to contact sponsors is to bring them a letter with all the information. Make sure to outline the benefits of Little League for the community, as well as the benefits of sponsorship -- e.g., a company logo on team jerseys. Include all contact information for the Little League organization.

    • 3

      Hand-deliver your sponsorship letters. Organize a group of volunteers to hand out sponsorship letters to local businesses. Make sure you speak to an owner or manager, as they're the ones who will be making the decision. For larger corporations, you can often find head office information online to which you can send a request for sponsorship.

      Sponsorship drives should help raise some money, but they may not cover all league expenses.

    Fundraising

    • 4

      Decide on a fundraiser. Something like a bake sale, rummage sale or raffle can be a fun way to include everyone in your league in your fundraising efforts

    • 5

      Ask league members' help. Have players and parents donate unwanted items -- as long as they're in good condition -- for a rummage sale, bake goods for a bake sale or collect donated goods or money for a raffle.

    • 6

      Sell raffle tickets or donated goods or organize any other fundraiser you can think of. Fundraisers can involve fun events organized by the league, or anything else that will make money. If your league still needs more money, your area may have foundations in place to help out.

    Athletics Grants

    • 7

      Search for available funding and grants. Many areas may have government grants for youth activities. Research available funds in your area.

    • 8

      Apply for Major League Baseball's Baseball Tomorrow fund. MLB awards grants quarterly to help support little leagues and teams. Applications are available at MLB.com. The application process is selective, so be prepared to raise funds on your own if you are not selected.

    • 9

      Affiliate with the Little League Foundation. Little League baseball and softball leagues across the United States are supported in part by the Little League Foundation. Affiliation with the foundation can help your league gain new funding and sponsors, as well as various other benefits. Check Little League Online for more information if your league is not already a member.