Short answer: Pick the game that fits your space and players: cornhole for a mixed crowd in a parking lot or gym, kickball for adult teams on a field, dodgeball with soft balls in a gym. Charge a team fee, sell court or bracket sponsorships and run a concession table. Use pool play followed by a bracket so every team plays several games. Before you announce it, get the district's facility-use approval, check insurance and have every player sign a waiver your district or insurer accepts.
A tournament is a fundraiser people play in, and one of the event formats in school fundraising ideas compared. Parents form teams with neighbors, staff challenge a team of alumni, and families come to watch. The money comes from team fees, sponsors and food, and the equipment is mostly borrowed. It suits a parent group that has already run one large event, or a booster club or athletic team that already knows how to run a game day.
Cornhole, kickball or dodgeball?
| Cornhole | Kickball | Dodgeball | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team size | 2 players | Usually 8–12 per team | Usually 6–10 per team |
| Space | A parking lot, a field or a gym; one pair of boards per court | A ball field or open grass, one game per field | A gym, one or two courts |
| Who plays | Almost anyone, including grandparents and older students | Adults and older students; a mixed parent-staff league works well | Students, staff and parents in separate divisions |
| Equipment | Boards and bags, often borrowed from families | A rubber playground ball, bases, cones | Foam or soft-coated balls only |
| Physical risk | Low | Moderate: running, sliding, collisions | Moderate: thrown balls and quick turns |
| District questions | Use of the lot or gym; alcohol nearby is a common issue for adult cornhole | Field use, field condition after rain | Whether your district allows it at all (see below) |
Cornhole is the easiest place to start, because two-person teams are quick to form, games are short and a wide range of ages can play. Kickball draws bigger teams, so fewer of them, and a bigger crowd of friends watching. Dodgeball is the most fun for students to watch their teachers play, and the one most likely to need a careful conversation with the principal.
Team fees, sponsors and the break-even
Four lines carry the money:
- Team fees. Set a per-team price that reads as fair for a few hours of play, with a lower student or family division price. Early-bird pricing brings registrations in sooner, which tells you how many courts to set up.
- Court or bracket sponsors. A local business sponsors a court, a division or the championship bracket for a sign and a thank-you. Keep the sign to a thank-you with the business name and logo; the recognition wording section of the sponsorship letter guide shows where the IRS draws the line.
- Concessions. Water, snacks and a grill or pizza table. Because a tournament usually runs on a weekend, federal Smart Snacks rules for school-day sales don't apply, but your health department's food rules do; see food permits for school meal fundraisers.
- Spectator extras. A spirit wear table, a donation jar, or a staff-versus-students exhibition game with a pass-the-bucket collection.
Example A cornhole tournament draws 32 two-person teams at $40, which is $1,280. Eight local businesses sponsor a court at $100 ($800), and the concession table takes in $600, for a gross of $2,680. Concession supplies cost $250, prizes $200, a one-day event insurance policy $150 and printing $50, so costs are $650 and the tournament nets $2,030. Boards and bags are borrowed from families. Run your own numbers in the fundraiser profit calculator, or list every cost in the fundraiser budget worksheet.
A tax note on fees: a team fee mostly pays for a chance to play, but if any single payment over $75 is partly a donation (a kickball captain paying for the whole team plus a gift, say), IRS Publication 1771 requires a written statement of the good-faith value of what the payer received. The donor acknowledgment section has the wording.
Brackets and the schedule
The format decides how many games each team plays and how long the day runs. Three formats cover most fundraisers:
| Format | Games needed for N teams | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Single elimination | N − 1 (one team is knocked out per game) | Short events; half the field plays only once |
| Double elimination | 2N − 2, or 2N − 1 if the final needs a second game | Cornhole, where games are short; nobody leaves after one loss |
| Pool play, then a bracket | Each pool of 4 plays 6 games; then N − 1 for the teams that advance | Most fundraisers: every team plays at least three games |
To schedule the day, divide the number of games in each stage by the number of courts or fields, and multiply by the length of one game slot, including changeover.
Example Thirty-two cornhole teams play in eight pools of four, which is 48 pool games, and the top two from each pool make a 16-team bracket of 15 games: 63 games in all. With 8 courts and 20-minute slots, pool play takes 6 slots (2 hours). The bracket's four rounds (8, 4, 2 and 1 games) take 4 slots (80 minutes), because each round has to finish before the next starts. That is 3 hours 20 minutes of play, so plan a four-hour event with check-in and a break.
Kickball and dodgeball games are longer and need more space, so the same math usually means fewer teams: one field and 50-minute slots fit about eight games in a long day. Count your fields before you set the team limit, and close registration when you hit it.
Facility use, insurance and waivers
Facility use
A weekend event on school grounds usually needs the district's facility-use approval, separate from approval of the fundraiser itself. Districts commonly ask for a request well ahead of the date, a certificate of liability insurance naming the district, a custodian on duty (sometimes at the group's cost) and a cleanup plan. Los Angeles Unified's fundraising bulletin, as one example, asks parent groups to request approval at least three weeks ahead and to show nonprofit status, insurance and current registration with the California Attorney General. The district fundraising approval guide walks through the request.
Read the district's list of activities it won't approve. The same bulletin lists throwing objects at a person (it names pies, sponges and balloons) among activities it won't approve at fundraisers. A dodgeball tournament could fall under a rule like that, so ask about it by name before you print a flyer.
Insurance
Ask who is insuring the event. A PTA unit should ask its state PTA whether it offers an insurance program that covers events; a PTO or booster club may need to buy a one-day event policy. The district may require a certificate naming it as an additional insured, and some districts also ask for participant accident coverage for adult leagues. The fun run insurance and permits guide explains the common policy types, and the same questions apply here. Ask your insurer whether alcohol, inflatables or a grill at the event change your coverage.
Waivers
A liability waiver asks each player to accept the ordinary risks of the game. How much protection a waiver gives, especially when a player is under 18, depends on your state's law, so don't write one from scratch. Ask your district, your insurer or your state PTA for a form they accept, and have a parent or guardian sign for every minor. Collect signed waivers at check-in, before anyone plays, and keep them with the event records. A waiver is no substitute for safe play: soft balls, a clear rule against head shots, cones around the field and a first-aid station.
A tournament for adults on school grounds is different from a school-sponsored student event. If students play, district rules on supervision, permission slips and student fundraising apply, and the school's coaches may need to approve anything that looks like a game in their sport. Keep student divisions separate from adult ones.
A house rules sheet
Every team should get the rules when it registers and see them posted at each court. Edit this to fit your game:
Running the day
- Publish the bracket the night before
Post pools and first-game times on the school's site or by email, and print large copies for the scorer's table.
- Check in with three lists
Paid teams, signed waivers and players under 18 with a guardian's signature. Nobody plays until all three are checked.
- One scorer's table
A volunteer with the master bracket, a pencil and a phone to post updates. Results go on the board within minutes so the next round starts on time.
- Court captains
One volunteer per two or three courts calls games, answers questions and keeps play on schedule.
- Money in one place
Day-of registrations, concessions and spirit wear go to one cash box with a counted float, and two people count at the end with the cash count sheet.
- Finish with a moment
A trophy, photos of the winning team and a thank-you to the court sponsors by name. Post the result and the total raised within a week.
This page describes general practice and one district's published rules as an example; it isn't legal advice. Your district decides facility use, insurance requirements and which activities it allows; your insurer and your district or state PTA can supply a waiver that fits your state's law; and your treasurer should confirm how to describe fees on receipts. Confirm each before you open registration.
Sources
- BUL-1633.3: Policies Governing School Fund-Raising Activities of PTAs, PTOs, and Booster Clubs (August 16, 2021), Los Angeles Unified School District (accessed 2026-10-30)
- Publication 1771: Charitable Contributions, Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements (Rev. 11-2023), Internal Revenue Service (accessed 2026-10-30)
- T.D. 8991: Taxation of Tax-Exempt Organizations' Income from Corporate Sponsorship (26 CFR 1.513-4), Internal Revenue Service (accessed 2026-10-30)
Frequently asked questions
How much should we charge per team for a cornhole tournament?
Set a fee that feels fair for a few hours of play in your community, with a lower price for a student or family division and an early-bird rate to bring sign-ups in. In our example, 32 teams at $40 plus $800 in court sponsors and $600 in concessions grossed $2,680 against $650 in costs. Sponsors and food often matter as much as the fees.
How many games are in a tournament bracket?
A single-elimination bracket needs one game fewer than the number of teams, because each game knocks out one team: 16 teams play 15 games. Double elimination needs twice the number of teams minus two, or minus one if the final goes to a second game. Pool play in groups of four adds six games per pool.
Do players need to sign a waiver for a school fundraiser tournament?
Most districts and insurers expect one, and it is good practice even if not required. How much a waiver protects your group depends on state law, especially for players under 18, so use a form your district, insurer or state PTA supplies rather than writing your own. Collect signatures at check-in, with a parent or guardian signing for each minor.
Can we hold a dodgeball tournament at school?
Ask your district first. Some districts restrict activities that involve throwing objects at people; Los Angeles Unified's fundraising bulletin, for example, lists throwing objects at a person among activities it won't approve. Where it is allowed, use foam or soft-coated balls, ban head shots, keep student and adult divisions separate and have a first-aid station.
Do we need insurance for a kickball or cornhole tournament?
Usually, yes. Districts commonly require a certificate of liability insurance, often naming the district as an additional insured, before an outside group uses school grounds. A PTA can ask its state PTA about insurance options; a PTO or booster club may need a one-day event policy. Ask your insurer whether alcohol, a grill or inflatables change the coverage.