If you’ve ever agreed to run a fundraiser for your team and then quietly panicked about the logistics, you’re in good company. Most coaches, team parents, and booster club leaders aren’t signing up to become part-time software administrators. They just need their team to raise real money without a spreadsheet meltdown.
That’s what sports fundraising support is supposed to mean: not just a product, but a real person who helps your team start a fundraiser online and stays with you until the last box ships. Here’s the honest, step-by-step version of what that actually looks like, including the part most companies don’t talk about.
What “Starting Online” Actually Means
Sellers get a free David’s Cookies Fundraising app, available on iOS and Android, built to make their side of things fast and personal. Already signed up on a computer, or would rather switch to one later? Same account, same campaign, whichever’s easier in the moment.
Here’s what’s different about how David’s Cookies Fundraising does it: from the moment you sign up, a real fundraising specialist is assigned to your group. Not a chatbot, not a help center article. A person who builds your store, gets your team set up on the app, and answers the phone when something’s unclear.
Step by Step: Setting Up the Organizer Side
Step 1: Sign up, free, no upfront cost. You reach out through the site or a partner link, and there’s nothing to pay to get started.
Step 2: Your specialist builds your dedicated online store. This is the part organizers are usually bracing themselves for, and it’s the part they don’t have to do. Your specialist sets up your group’s storefront, connects it to your fundraising goal, and gets it ready for your sellers.
Step 3: You get walked through your timeline and your roster. Your specialist helps you set a sale window, talks through how many sellers you’ll need to hit your goal, and gets everyone added to the system so they can start their own pages.
That kind of steady, human check-in shows up again and again in what groups tell us after their fundraiser wraps. One team’s fundraiser update, shared after their campaign closed, put it simply:
“The dashboard & notification emails supported me in staying on track & monitoring the team.”
— Inspiration Youth Program, San Bernardino, CA
That group raised $1,014.50 in 25 days, funding their spot at a major community expo they’d been short on fees for after an earlier bake sale fell short. They also noted something worth repeating for any organizer who’s nervous about the finish line: “Finalizing the fundraiser on its last days was such a win for all us & locking in our final results.”
Step by Step: Setting Up the Seller Side (Right From Their Phone)
Once an organizer’s store is live, sellers download the free app and get their own personal page. This is where most of the actual fundraising happens, and it’s designed to take minutes, not an afternoon.
Step 1: Download and log in. Search “Brandname Fundraising” in the App Store or Google Play and download it for free. Already signed up online? Log in with that same email, or scan the QR code the organizer hands out.
Step 2: Make it yours. Add a photo, set a goal, write a quick note about why the group is raising money. Pages with a little personality tend to get more support, because people like knowing who and what they’re actually helping.
Step 3: Add your people. Import contacts straight from a phone’s address book, no typing required, or add a few by hand.
Step 4: Watch invites roll in. Track progress in real time. Invite 10 contacts and unlock a spin on the prize wheel for a chance at $100 toward the fundraiser. Sellers who invite 10 or more raise about 3 times as much on average.
Step 5: Share it everywhere. One tap sends a personal store link to text, email, WhatsApp, Facebook, or X, straight from a phone, so it never looks like spam. Supporters tap the link, and it opens the real store right in their own phone’s browser, that’s where they actually pick their flavors and pay.
Step 6: Track your success. Check sales any time and see exactly how close the group is to its goal.
A couple of quiet details make this feel less like an ask and more like a conversation: messages only go out between 8am and 5pm Eastern, so nobody’s getting pinged at odd hours, and once someone buys, they automatically stop getting invited, no double-asks. For younger sellers, a parent or guardian can log in and run the whole thing on their behalf, photo, goal, invites, and all.
A youth baseball team that ran their fundraiser this way described it exactly the way you’d hope a first-timer would:
“It was great. Really easy fast delivery. Everyone was really happy with their orders and it was an easy thing for us as a team to do!”
— Alexandra, Florida Buoys Travel Baseball
Their group had 12 participants and sold 58 boxes, without a single in-person handoff.
The Part That Doesn’t Show Up on the Homepage
Here’s what’s easy to undersell about this whole process: the setup steps matter less than the fact that someone is actually paying attention while your fundraiser is live. Not just at the start. Throughout.
That’s the piece organizers mention most, once their campaign is done. One team wrote to their fundraising specialist, Richard, right after wrapping up:
“I truly appreciate you checking in and all of your support throughout our fundraiser. We are very pleased with the results and grateful for everyone’s participation. Thank you again for all of your help in making this fundraiser a success. We look forward to working with you again in the future.”
Another group, further along their own campaign, said much the same thing:
“I also wanted to take a moment to thank you for all of your support throughout our fundraiser. Your communication and assistance have been greatly appreciated, and you’ve helped make this a smooth and successful experience for our group.”
— Kaila, Illinois
It’s not flashy. It’s a specialist checking in mid-campaign, answering a question about shipping timelines, or sending a nudge when a group is close to its goal. But it’s the difference between a fundraiser that quietly stalls out and one that finishes strong.
Why This Extra Layer of Care Matters
David’s Cookies has spent over 40 years building a reputation on quality nobody has to be convinced of. That same standard carries into how fundraisers are run. Up to 50% profit and a fully online, ship-to-home process take the financial and logistical weight off your shoulders. A dedicated fundraising specialist takes the guesswork off your plate.
None of that means the fundraiser runs itself. Setup still takes a few real steps, and your sellers still have to share their pages. What it means is that you’re never doing those steps alone, and you’re never stuck wondering who to ask when something doesn’t make sense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does sports fundraising support actually include? A dedicated specialist who builds your team’s online store, helps you set your goal and timeline, and checks in throughout your campaign, not just at sign-up.
Do I need to download an app to run a fundraiser? Sellers get a free app, on iOS and Android, that makes inviting and sharing fast. Search “Brandname Fundraising” in the App Store or Google Play to download it. It’s optional though, everything also works from a browser on the same account, whichever’s easier that day.
How do sellers add their contacts? Right from their phone, imported straight from their address book in the app, no typing required. A fundraising specialist is available if anyone gets stuck.
What if our group runs into a problem partway through? Your fundraising specialist is your point of contact for the full length of your campaign, not just the sign-up step.
Ready to Start Your Team’s Fundraiser?
You don’t have to figure this out alone, and you don’t have to be a tech person to run a smooth, professional campaign. That’s what real sports fundraising support looks like.
Start Your Fundraiser Today and a real fundraising specialist will be with your group from setup to final payout, app included.