Youth sports fundraisers can be painful for parents, so here are some easy baseball fundraiser ideas. Most Little League teams need to raise funds to cover expenses such as field maintenance, uniforms, umpires, etc. The money raised by selling advertising space at the ball fields and by doing the portrait fund raiser only goes so far.

So what are some easy Little League fundraisers and what can you do to maximize the funds raised? Let's take a look at traditional candy sales, discount cards, and some event ideas.

Candy sales

Just about every youth sports team on the planet has done a candy sale at some point, but did you know that there are three simple things you can do to double or triple your profit?

The first is using a simple two-sentence sales script that tells why you are raising funds, asks for their 'help', and uses the word 'because' which is a powerful subconscious trigger word.

Trust me, it works like a charm. Here's what to say:

'I'm Jimmy Jones and we're raising funds for new Little League uniforms. Can you help us out because our old uniforms are pretty worn out.'

The second profit booster is location, location, location. You want to reach as many prospective customers as possible with the least amount of effort, so you have to go where the customers are already buying things.

That means setting up a sales table outside high-traffic retail locations such as grocery stores, home improvement stores, outdoor shopping malls, etc. You can make literally hundreds of sales an hour with eight tables spread out over a couple of shopping centers.

Get permission from the store manager ahead of time and setup your tables with large signs on the wall behind you and hanging from the front of your table. Let the signs prep your prospects by stating the purpose of your fundraiser (new uniforms, new field) and the price ($2 each or three for $5, etc.).

The third profit booster is offering an alternate product for those who don't want to buy candy. A fundraising discount card makes a great choice because they offer great deals on popular foods.

Fundraising discount cards

Discount cards generally offer two-for-one deals at fast food places like pizza chains, Subway, Burger King, etc. They cost about $2 in quantity and retail for $10.

Obviously, you can make a lot more money selling a discount card than a candy bar. The key selling point is that they get their money back the first time they use the card.

They appeal to families because they offer such a great bargain on something they are going to buy anyway. Be sure to mention any limitations on the card such as specified location only or one free pizza per visit.

Event ideas

Another great way to raise funds is with simple events that have a lot of fund raising activities built into them. For a baseball fundraiser, you could do an event around tryouts, picture day, championship game, or anything else that attracts a family crowd.

Offer food and beverages for sale, setup tables for silent auctions of donated goods and services, rent an inflatable moonwalk for kids to jump in, do a bake sale, and any other activity that suits.

Players will love a chance to clock their throwing speed with a radar gun, so set up backdrop with a strike zone on it and charge a $1 a toss. You could even award trophies for top speed by age group.

A parent-child baseball game is another fun event you could schedule at season end to raise funds for next year. The possibilities for a baseball fundraiser are endless, so be creative and above all have fun!