A popcorn fundraiser for cheer and dance teams

Fund competition season without the extra paperwork

Cheer and dance programs run on costs most people never see: competition entry fees, choreography, costumes and warm-ups, mats, music, and travel to regionals and nationals. Coaches, studio owners and team organizers already juggle practice schedules, routines and competition paperwork, and the money has to be in place before the biggest weekends of the season, not after them.

With Stevie G's, a coach or team organizer starts a free fundraiser in the app, sets a goal tied to the next competition, and invites supporters to join with a code. Everyone who joins gets a personal link to share by text, by email or on the team's social pages. Supporters order gourmet popcorn online and pay at checkout, and each bag ships straight to their door. The team receives its share through Stripe after the fundraiser ends, with nothing to store at the gym and nothing to deliver.

How to run a successful cheer and dance popcorn fundraiser

1. Name the competition. "Regionals travel fund" gives every message a deadline and a reason. Use it as the fundraiser name so it appears wherever the link is shared.

2. Finish before the bill arrives. Set the last day well ahead of the competition's payment deadline, so the fundraiser is finished before the fees are due.

3. Post the link with a reason. One sentence about what the money covers, posted with the link, works far better than the link on its own.

4. Ask the program's alumni. Former team members often love supporting the program that shaped them, and they are usually one message away.

5. Share a halfway update. When you pass the halfway mark, say so. Momentum is the best reminder for people who meant to order.

6. Pick a short window. Two to three weeks is enough for most teams. If you need more time, extend the fundraiser while it is still running.

7. Save the date for next preseason. The day this fundraiser ends, mark next year's preseason start on the team calendar while the details are fresh.

Make it part of every preseason

Cheer and dance seasons follow a calendar, and so should your fundraiser. Run it once a year during preseason, before competition fees and costume orders come due, and supporters start to expect it the way they expect the first competition of the year. Once a year is the sweet spot: an annual event feels special, while a request every few months wears out even loyal fans. And the second year goes faster, because supporters already know how to order and your team already has the plan.