How to raise money for your local GAA club

27 January 2025 | 6 min read Uncategorized

GAA clubs are often at the core of many communities. GAA is Ireland’s largest sporting organisation – but GAA clubs go way beyond that, often offering a sense of belonging and spirit amongst members and families in the local area. GAA clubs are grassroots and need money to run, so why not start a fundraiser for your local GAA club today?

Improved facilities such as stadiums, gym equipment or dressing rooms can make a difference to the quality of the team, and also attract more fans. And community driven fundraising events will mean that you and your neighbours get to know each other even better and you might build more friendships and connections – it’s win-win.

It’s free to start a GoFundMe – why not take a look at this post and feel inspired to fundraise today.

Start a GoFundMe

What might your local GAA club need?

Whilst the prospect of jumping straight into setting up an online fundraiser is exciting, it is important to assess your club’s financial goals and needs. While writing a fundraiser, think about what you are trying to fund. For example:

Equipment: This could be anything from nets, balls, cones and tackle pads to training or matchday kits. It all comes at a cost and every little helps when paying for it.
Travel: Teams have to pay for their own transport to and from matches. This could be the cost of fuel for a team minibus, or hiring the bus itself. Teams might also have to travel further afield for matches, even to different countries, so flights and transport there may be crowdfunded for. There might also be things like supporting camps or academies which require travel to get to.
Facilities: It might be the case that the team has to rent the pitch or needs money to fund things like the power in changing rooms. Maintenance of the pitch and facilities also falls into this – buildings need attention to ensure they function as they are meant to!
Upgrades: Every so often, GAA teams may need to (or wish to!) update their facilties, equipment, kit or pitches. They may choose to fundraise so that this is a possibility.

It is important to identify the necessities to keep your club going and moving upwards because it is a good idea to include them in your fundraiser summary. When donors know specifically where their money is going, it helps them feel more connected to the cause, boosting that sense of community that is so important to GAA clubs.

Fundraising tips for your GAA club

There’s a plethora of ways you can get fundraising for your local GAA club. Take a look at some of our ideas below – and if you’re inspired, take a look at our easy fundraising tips.

Charity matches or sporting events
- Hosting a charity match with members of your team, the public and even celebrities is a great way to bring the community together to watch something unique. Use QR codes to point people to your GoFundMe.
Fundraising events
- Quiz nights, bingo nights, auctions or gala dinners are also a great way to bring the community together with the aim of fundraising. The GAA community is an extremely strong one, so utilise these connections and get everyone together to have fun.
Family fun days
- A really easy way to raise funds is to host a family fun day. Think about hosting a summer fete, Easter egg hunt, halloween party of Christmas market – hook it on the season and organise stalls, games and even performances.
Virtual events
- We might be long past the days of Covid-19 now – but living in a more technologically advanced world means we can all connect from the comfort of our own homes. Hosting a virtual event can be a really easy way to harness people’s time – they can tune in and donate all whilst cooking tea. Think about hosting a virtual concert if you’ve got some budding singers or musicians in the community, or a quiz, bingo night or yoga session.

Online fundraising

So, you’ve been inspired to get fundraising and are setting up your GoFundMe page. The good news is it’s free to start a fundraiser and GoFundMe is a custom-built platform with everything you need at your fingertips. Take a look below at some of our tips on getting started:

A title: Keep it short and snappy. If you’re fundraising for a GAA team, make sure that’s in the title.
Pictures and video: Illustrating your page with pictures or even a video of the GAA team you’re fundraising for really helps to draw people in and demostrate the cause.
A strong fundraiser story: Your fundraiser story is the place where you can really get into why you’re fundraising. Go into as much detail as you can about why you’re fundraising, exactly what for and the reason it’s close to your heart.
Share on social media: A key part of any fundraising journey is shouting about the fact you’re doing it! Share to as many platforms as you can on social media, utilising any team pages or groups you have. Circulate the link in any Whatsapp groups or email lists and also go analogue and print out posters with the QR code or link to put up where you can, too. Each time you hit a fundraising goal, share again!
Post updates: Keep those who have donated in the loop with how your fundraising journey is going. Post when you’ve hit a fundraising goal, but also make sure you’re posting pictures of any recent matches or achievements from the team. Cross post these to social media, too.
Say thanks! Making sure those who have donated feel appreciated is important. It can help to build future connections, too. You can thank people through GoFundMe, but it also might be nice to write personalised emails or notes saying exactly what the donation means.
Approach local businesses: Offering sponsorship packages highlighting how they can help both the club and the businesses

Raise Money for your GAA club on GoFundMe

Raising money for your local GAA club on GoFundMe couldn’t be easier. It’s free to start a GoFundMe and we are a custom-built platform for crowdfunding, meaning everything you need to be successful is at your fingertips. Start your GoFundMe today and see donations roll in – good luck!