How to Get Competition-Season Ready: A Planning + Fundraising Guide for Cheer & Dance Teams

Competition season doesn’t just test your skills — it tests your planning, your organization, and your budget. Behind every clean routine is months of preparation: choosing the right events, building out your practice calendar, coordinating travel, and making sure every athlete has what they need to show up confidently.

And at the center of all of that preparation is one thing teams often underestimate:

Your competition schedule determines your budget. Your budget determines your fundraising strategy. Your fundraising strategy determines how ready your team truly is.

Here’s a practical, step-by-step guide to getting your team competition-ready by planning and funding your season intentionally from the start.

1. Start With Your Season Vision — It Sets Your Budget

Before you worry about travel plans or choreography costs, you need clarity on what kind of season you’re building.

Ask yourself:

• How many competitions will we attend?
• Are we staying local, going regional, or aiming for big national events?
• Will we add extra skills clinics, tumbling, or choreography sessions?
• Do we need new uniforms, music, or team gear this year?

Your answers here determine the financial scope of your season. For the full list of Varsity events, go to www.myvarsity.com and click on “Search for Competitions.”

Why this matters for fundraising: The clearer your season goals are, the clearer your fundraising goals become. Teams that define their season early can raise exactly what they need — not too little, not too late.

2. Turn Your Season Vision into a Real Budget

Once you’ve mapped your competition plan, break it down into real numbers.

Typical competition-season costs include:

• Registration fees
• Travel: hotels, buses, flights, meals
• Choreography + music licensing
• Skills clinics or tumbling upgrades
• Uniform updates or replacements
• Competition-day extras (bows, makeup, signs, spirit gear)

Then calculate: Total Season Cost → Cost per Athlete → Fundraising Goal

This is where the fundraising strategy starts taking shape. Teams often make the mistake of fundraising only for travel. But the strongest programs build a budget that supports training, preparation, AND performance.

3. Build a Fundraising Strategy That Matches Your Budget

Be sure to run fundraisers that don’t eat into practice time, and build one strategic, early-season fundraising plan based on your actual budget needs.

A smart fundraising plan includes:

• Set primary fundraisers (your main revenue driver)
• A timeline that aligns with registration deadlines and travel deposits
• A communication plan explaining what you’re raising money for and why it matters
• Clear expectations for families and athletes

This is where online fundraising becomes invaluable, especially during the heavy prep period when your team is practicing more. Online fundraising with Snap! Raise lets you raise early, raise big, and raise without sacrificing gym time.

4. Launch Early — Competition Prep Only Gets Busier

Once your season plan and budget are set, launch your fundraiser before you get deep into choreography, full-outs, and performance prep.

Launching early helps your team:

• Pay registration fees on time
• Secure travel arrangements at better rates
• Order uniforms and gear with no delays
• Eliminate surprises for families later in the season
• Focus practices on performance instead of fundraising

The earlier you launch, the more breathing room your entire season will have.

At Snap! Raise, we know that sometimes costs can come up before your team is ready to run a fundraiser. That’s why we offer Early Access to your funds. Find out how much you can get with Early Access by talking to a Snap! Rep.

5. Use Your Competition Story to Drive Fundraising Success

People donate when they understand the mission, so tell yours clearly.

Instead of “we’re raising money for our team,” try:

• “We’re raising $7,500 so our team can travel to two competitions this season.”
• “We need $4,200 to cover choreography, music, and skills clinics that will elevate our routine.”
• “We’re fundraising to make sure every athlete can compete, regardless of financial situation.”

Tie every dollar to a purpose. Tie every purpose to your competition goals.

Share your story by personalizing your Snap! Raise fundraiser page. This makes donors feel like part of your season’s story — not just a transaction.

6. Let Fundraising Fuel the Rest of Your Competition Season

Once your fundraiser is underway or completed, your team can shift fully into competition-mode:

• Lock in your practice schedule
• Plan your mock performances
• Organize travel and packing lists early
• Build consistency, confidence, and team chemistry
• Remove the pressure of last-minute costs or financial surprises

When athletes aren’t worried about money, they perform better. When coaches aren’t juggling extra fundraisers, they coach better. When parents know the plan early, they support better.

Funding your season early unlocks bandwidth across the whole program.

Final Takeaway: Your Competition Season Is Only as Strong as the Plan Behind It

Getting competition-ready isn’t just about perfecting skills or mastering choreography. It’s about having the financial foundation to support all the moments that happen long before competition day.

When you:

1. set your competition vision,
2. build a true budget,
3. launch a strategic fundraising plan, and
4. fund your season early…

…you give your team the confidence and stability to focus on what really matters — performing at their best.

Ready to level up your next competition season? Get started now with Snap! Raise and Varsity Spirit!