Short answer: First decide whether the money is for physical education, which every student uses, or for an athletic team. PE equipment is usually a parent group project given to the school; team equipment usually runs through the athletic department and a booster club. Either way, donated equipment typically becomes district property and may need to be bought through district purchasing. Fund it with a priced list, a pledge event, sponsors or grants, and keep protective gear such as helmets out of used-equipment swaps.
This guide is part of fundraising by project. It covers paying for the things students throw, catch, wear and play on: PE class sets, team gear and the protective equipment that comes with contact sports. How teams raise money in general, from concession stands to banners, is in the athletic team fundraising guide.
PE equipment or athletics equipment?
The same ball can belong to two different worlds. Physical education is part of the school day, taught by a PE teacher, for every student. Athletics is an extracurricular program for students who try out or register, run by an athletic director and coaches. That split decides who asks, who receives the money and who maintains what is bought.
| PE equipment | Athletics equipment | |
|---|---|---|
| Who uses it | Every student, in class | Team members, at practices and games |
| Typical items | Class sets of balls, jump ropes, scooters, cones, mats, pinnies, storage carts | Uniforms, helmets and pads, pitching machines, timing systems, training gear |
| Who usually raises money | The PTA or PTO, sometimes a grade-level project | The team, its booster club or the athletic department |
| Where the money goes | A gift to the school, or items donated after purchase | The team's school activity account or a booster gift to the school |
| Who signs off | The PE teacher and principal | The coach, athletic director and principal |
| Ongoing costs | Replacement every few years; storage | Fitting, cleaning, inspection and reconditioning, often every year |
Elementary schools mostly fund PE. Middle and high schools fund both, and families sometimes give to a team without realizing the PE department needs the same thing for every student. A parent group that funds PE and a booster club that funds a team should compare lists once a year so the same request doesn't go out twice.
Funding PE equipment
PE has no booster club and no game-day gate, so it is easy to overlook. Three habits keep it funded:
- Make PE a named purpose of the main fundraiser. PE serves every student, which makes it one of the easiest causes to put in a school-wide goal: "this year's fun run buys a new set of class equipment for every grade."
- Plan a replacement cycle for class sets. Balls go flat and jump ropes fray on a steady schedule. Ask the PE teacher which sets wear out fastest and fund one or two of them each year, rather than everything at once when the closet is empty.
- Look for health and wellness funders. Local hospitals, health foundations and community wellness programs sometimes fund physical activity equipment where a sports-focused funder wouldn't. The school or district is usually the applicant; the school grants guide covers who should apply.
Buying through the district
Equipment a parent group or team buys for a public school generally becomes school or district property, and the district's purchasing and gift rules decide how it is bought; the projects guide explains who owns what you buy and how to put a gift in writing. Three points are specific to sports equipment:
- Fixed equipment is a facilities project. Anything bolted down or anchored, such as basketball systems, goals or wall pads, usually needs the district's facilities staff to approve the product and handle installation.
- Let the program choose the items. The PE teacher or coach knows the sizes, the standards the league requires and what the storage room can hold. Fundraise for their list, not yours.
- Get it on the inventory. Ask the school to record donated equipment so it is tracked and replaced on a schedule rather than forgotten in a closet.
Protective gear and certification
Most PE equipment carries no certification beyond the maker's labeling. Protective equipment for contact sports is different. Football helmets, for example, are certified to standards set by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE). NOCSAE's recertification guidance says that if a certified helmet isn't recertified within the interval its manufacturer specifies, the certification expires.
The same guidance says the interval varies with each manufacturer's requirements, that even helmets not used the previous season may need recertification, and that helmets made before January 2017 should be recertified every year before use. Recertification isn't a requirement of NOCSAE's standards, but NOCSAE strongly recommends it. NOCSAE also notes that the reconditioners' trade association, not NOCSAE, will not recondition or recertify helmets 10 years old or older. For a fundraiser, that has three practical consequences:
- Budget for upkeep, not just purchase. Reconditioning and recertification is a recurring cost. Put it in the team's or booster club's annual budget.
- Don't accept used helmets as donations unless the athletic director agrees and can verify the helmet's age and recertification history. Most will say no.
- Keep protective gear out of equipment swaps. Swaps are great for cleats, gloves and balls. They are the wrong place for helmets and other certified gear.
Example A high school football program has 70 helmets. If the reconditioner quotes $45 a helmet, the yearly line is 70 × $45 = $3,150. Add five new helmets at $300 each to replace ones that age out ($1,500), and the protective-gear budget is $4,650 before any other equipment.
Standards, manufacturer requirements and your state athletic association's rules decide what gear is allowed, not the fundraiser. Ask the athletic director which standards apply to each item, how often it must be reconditioned, and whether donated or used equipment is accepted at all.
Build a priced list before you ask
"Help us buy PE equipment" raises less than "30 jump ropes, 24 playground balls and two ball carts." A priced list gives donors something to picture, lets a sponsor pick a piece, and shows the principal exactly what will arrive.
Example An elementary PE teacher's list: 30 jump ropes at $6 ($180), 24 playground balls at $12 ($288) and two ball carts at $95 ($190). The total is $658. Add shipping and tax from the vendor's quote, and the goal is clear enough to fund in one event.
- Get the list from the program
Ask the PE teacher or coach for items, quantities and the specification that matters (size, age group, league requirement).
- Price it the way the district buys
Use quotes from the vendor the district will actually use, and include shipping, tax and any assembly.
- Add upkeep
Include storage, replacement balls, cleaning supplies or reconditioning so the goal covers more than the first year.
- Confirm with the principal
Get agreement on the list, the purchasing route and how the gift will be recorded before announcing anything.
- Show progress and the result
Post the list with items checked off, then share a photo of the equipment in use.
Fundraisers that fit equipment
Active events
Equipment for moving bodies pairs naturally with an event where students move. A jump-rope event funds jump ropes and gym gear. The jump-rope-a-thon guide shows how to run one in the gym. A walk, jog or fun run works for a whole school or a team: see the a-thon fundraisers compared or the live guide to a sports team walk-a-thon. Pledge events raise money from relatives and neighbors without anyone selling a product.
Sponsor a piece of equipment
Local businesses like funding something visible: a set of team bags, a scoreboard, the new soccer goals. The priced list doubles as a sponsor menu: each item, its price and the recognition offered (a line in the program, a name on a sign where the district allows it). The sponsorship letter templates give you wording; for teams, the sponsor banner section covers recognition rules.
An equipment swap
A swap collects outgrown cleats, gloves, bats, balls and shin guards, sells them at low prices to families, and puts the proceeds toward new gear. It helps families as much as the program, because children outgrow sports gear long before it wears out.
- Accept only clean items in usable condition, and set a list of what you won't take: helmets, mouthguards, protective cups and other certified or personal protective gear.
- Price by category (all cleats one price, all gloves another) so checkout is fast.
- Run it a few weeks before a season starts, when families are shopping.
- Set aside a share of donated items for students whose families can't afford gear, and let coaches distribute them quietly.
- Decide in advance where leftovers go: a youth league, a charity or the PE closet. The same planning applies to a rummage sale's leftovers.
- Count the cash with two people and use the cash count sheet.
Dress-down days, spirit wear and service fundraisers also work for equipment; the general mix of family fundraisers, sponsors and grants for a project is laid out in combining fundraisers, grants and sponsors.
When families can't pay for gear
Team uniforms and personal gear are where cost keeps students from playing. A small fund, held by the school or the team's parent group, that quietly covers uniforms, shoes or participation fees for students who need it is one of the most useful things an equipment fundraiser can include. Name it in the goal ("and $500 so no student sits out for lack of gear") and let the coach or counselor decide who receives help, without publicizing names. Keep what a team raises pooled rather than credited to each athlete; the clubs and teams guide explains why. The swap's set-aside of donated gear does the same job for families at no cost.
Sources
- General Recertification Requirements and Recommendations, National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) (accessed 2026-10-30)
- Recertification: Questions and Answers, National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) (accessed 2026-10-30)
Frequently asked questions
What are good fundraising ideas for sports equipment?
A pledge event such as a jump-rope-a-thon or a walk, which turns activity into donations; sponsors who fund a specific item; a used-equipment swap before the season; spirit wear; and a grant from a local funder. Start with a priced list from the coach or PE teacher so donors know exactly what they are paying for.
Can parents donate used sports equipment to a school?
Often, for items like balls, cones, bats and gloves, if the PE teacher or coach wants them and the district accepts the gift. Protective gear is different: helmets and other certified equipment usually aren't accepted used, because their age and recertification history can't be confirmed. Ask the athletic director before collecting anything.
Who owns equipment a PTA or booster club buys for the school?
Generally the school or district, once the gift is accepted. That means the district may require its own purchasing process, records the items in its inventory and keeps them when staff change. Agree on the purchasing route and how the gift will be recorded with the principal before you buy.
How often do football helmets need to be recertified?
It depends on the manufacturer. NOCSAE, which sets the helmet standards, says the interval varies with each manufacturer's requirements, that even helmets unused the previous season may need recertification, and that helmets made before January 2017 should be recertified annually. Your athletic director and reconditioner can tell you the schedule for your helmets; budget for it every year.
Should PE equipment and team equipment be funded the same way?
Not usually. PE equipment serves every student during the school day, so it suits a parent group project funded by the whole school. Team equipment serves a smaller group and usually runs through the team's activity account or a booster club. Keeping them separate avoids asking families twice for the same need.