A great fundraiser.
I have used adopt-a-player programs for years as a fundraiser. The best way I’ve found to do it is, gather your team in a classroom and have them bring a list of aunts, uncles, friends, youth pastors, dentists, etc, etc. Prior to the meeting, they should talk with mom and dad to make sure the list includes all of these peoples' addresses. Now in the meeting handout a sheet of paper for them to write a note on, the note they write will be what you have written on the chalkboard/white board for them to copy.
It should say something like, “Dear Aunt Betty, (Or name of other friends or family) and then copy the short paragraph that says something like, “I’m on the volleyball team and we are doing an adopt-a-player fundraiser and I would like for you to adopt me for the season. We are expecting to have a good season and a fun team to watch. Please give us your support this year. My coach has arranged to have team t-shirts printed and they will be mailed or presented to you as soon as she/he gets the teams order completed. (Use any type of note that you would like, the previous note is just an example.)
Then you as a coach collect all of the envelopes with the notes inside (I have let the teams send the envelopes and it always seems to work better if I collect them and send them myself.) and add a form that you have created with shirt size, season schedule, team roster, etc. (My recommendation is to have a light colored t-shirt with dark printing, you can get it the cheapest. XXL and XXXL will cost a couple dollars more each.) On the order form that you include, be sure that you explain that their adoption will cost them $50.
Enclose a stamped self-addressed envelope back to you so that you can get their shirt size form and address. I always gave the adoptive parents two t-shirts for their $50 support check.
If you provide the artwork your local screen printer, they should be able to give you a deal between, $5-7 dollars for a one color ink design. Encourage them to wear these shirts to games.
Encourage each girl to send as many as possible. One thing to watch out for is to make sure that one person doesn’t get barraged by the whole team. For instance, if every girl on the team sends one to the athletic director or the school cook, you probably won’t get support there, but they all have out of town relatives and friends that would only get letters from them. Grandmas and Grandpas and Aunts and Uncles are almost a sure bet, but remember there are people in your community that have made lots of money providing services for these kids and their families, so there are lots of potential donors.
This fundraiser formula generated 2,000 to 3,000 dollars every year.
Remember you as the coach need to meet the deadline to send out the shirts before homes games start or the donors get grouchy.
Good luck and have fun with it.