Prepare your club's budget

All clubs can benefit from preparing an annual budget. A budget can be very simple, based on actual income and expenditure in recent years, as well as known or likely changes for the coming year.

Estimate your income conservatively and your expenditure realistically.

Keeping an eye on your budget is crucial to staying on track. Monitoring actual financial performance against the budget at management committee meetings helps clubs to maintain financial stability. Significant variations between the budget and your actual financial performance can mean a change to the club’s bottom line – and if this is the case, you need to know about it early.

Resources

The guide to budgets (PDF, 319.5 KB) helps clubs:

• set financial targets
• allocate resources effectively
• create a successful budgeting process.

Setting fees

The management committee should handle setting membership fees. Use the setting fees guide to make informed decisions when establishing fees. You should consider your club’s budget, expenses, and other income sources.

Accurately calculating the costs of providing services to members is crucial. Your fee structure should reflect the inherent value of sports and its community benefits, while also recognising the contributions of volunteers.

Use the sports club fee calculator (XLSX, 114 KB) to help ensure that your pricing will keep your club sustainable.

Making money

After setting your fees at the appropriate level, ensure prompt collection. Running a sustainable business becomes challenging when some customers don't pay. Implement effective systems to collect fees on time.

You can explore fundraising activities to make more money and approach fundraising with a business mindset. Be creative when considering the many revenue-generating opportunities you can try.

See the making money guide for tips and ideas for successful fundraising.

Sponsorship

Sponsorship offers significant benefits to clubs, including financial support, resources and increased exposure. But sponsorship in grassroots sports clubs is about more than simply securing donations; it’s about building mutually beneficial partnerships.

Successful sponsorships involve ensuring you and your sponsors gain value. Clubs receive financial support and discounted products or services, while sponsors can reach more people through club events, boosting sales.

Sponsorship isn't something clubs are entitled to; it's a privilege they earn. Logos on team kits, signs on fences or links on your website are starting points.

The key question should be, 'How can we help our sponsors sell more of their products or services?' Clubs that do this best enjoy long-lasting, fruitful relationships with their sponsors.

See the sponsorship guide (PDF, 615.1 KB) for tips on creating effective partnerships with businesses.