THE PLAYER & TEAM FUNDRAISING GUIDE 

A guide to sharing your team’s goals with your friends, family and colleagues.


EVENT DESCRIPTION

The OK Classic is a full-on, fun, and competitive co-ed, 14-inch softball tournament with a focus on inclusion. Off the field, we feature a festival atmosphere with fun for everyone. All together in benefit of the Warriors at Opportunity Knocks.


EVENT FUNDRAISING

This event is a softball tournament and a festival, but it is most importantly an important fundraiser for OK. We need your help to hit our goal, so that we can keep building our mission to create opportunities and communities that will support Warriors as they live, work, learn, grow and connect within their community.


The OKC uses a Peer 2 Peer fundraising platform that allows players and teams to connect their friends, family, neighbors, colleagues and community members to the mission as supporters. The platform creates a page for each team and individual player, offering templates, toolkits, and a headquarters for their efforts to raise funds and awareness.


We have prepared these resources as a guide to help teams, players and supporters make the most of the platform and our collective efforts.


FUNDRAISING GUIDELINES AND PAGE SET-UP

A key component of the OKC is fundraising. Opportunity Knocks is funded almost entirely by private donations, and the funds raised during the OKC is vital to our mission. Every dollar raised is another door opened for the Warriors, and we need your help in getting to our fundraising goal of $85,000. Each team has a minimum participation fee of $1,500, but have seen many teams go above and beyond in support of the Warrior mission.


Setting up your participant/team page allows you to share why the OKC means so much to you, help you spread the word, and can help you reach your personal and team fundraising goals. 


Setting up your page: Within your "Set up your page" tab, you can edit your display name on the site, adjust your personal fundraising goal, add a video to your page, and personalize your page. This is a great area to add any personal connection you have to OK, or an introduction to why you are playing in this year’s OKC. 

SOLICITING SUPPORT AND DONATIONS

Each participant has a unique network of supporters, friends, family and colleagues, all who might be interested in supporting your fundraising efforts for the OK Classic. This is a great way to share the event and OK’s mission with those in your network who may have never heard of Opportunity Knocks. 


USING ONE CAUSE’S TOOLS: 

Participants can also send emails soliciting donations directly from their account. To access these tools: 


  1. Login, and click on your profile. 

  2. Select manage campaign

  3. Scroll to the last option on the left side. "Raise $500”, (aka personal goal $) 

  4. Find the tools that allow you to self-donate to the cause

  5. Find the tools that assist you to ask your friends and family for donations through pre-drafted emails and messages that can be used on text & social platforms

  6. Please also take note of the ‘Thank You’ templates we created for your use 


Top fundraising teams and individuals will be competing for many honors:

  • First dibs on first game start time

  • Event day VIP Treatment

  • Awesome prizes

  • Access to reserved slots for any teams that raise $5,000 or more


To those that are new to the mission, asking for donations might seem a bit awkward, but below is a playbook for you to use in navigating this new endeavor. For that that are salty dogs, please read through to see if any of the new tools spark your play.


For additional technical support, CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ONECAUSE FUNDRAISING GUIDE


TEAM & PLAYER FUNDRAISING PLAYBOOK

Help us hit our fundraising goal & make a bigger impact!

Every team is asked to:

  • Meet the minimum team fee

  • Do your best to raise beyond that through creative fundraising

Here are easy, proven ways to raise funds quickly and have fun doing it:

1. Ask Your Circle

  • Share your team page with family & friends.

  • Post a Venmo/QR code on social media.

  • Send a quick text: “I’m playing in a fundraiser tournament! Can you chip in $10 to help us reach our goal?”

2. Host a Mini-Fundraiser

  • Restaurant Give-Back Night – partner with a pizza place, coffee shop, or brewery.

  • Guest Bartender Night – work the taps for tips at a local bar.

  • Raffle or Squares – sell football/sports squares, 50/50 tickets, or raffle entries.

3. Get Creative & Fun

  • Team Stunts – “If we raise $500, our shortstop dyes their hair.”

  • Pay-to-Play Rules – donors can “buy” fun twists (e.g., $50 to make a player bat opposite-handed).

  • Birthday/Anniversary Fundraiser – ask for donations instead of gifts.

4. Compete for Glory

  • 🏆 Fundraising MVP – individual who raises the most wins recognition & prizes.

  • 🥇 First to $1,000 – shoutout & reward for hitting milestones early.

  • 📊 Fundraising Bracket – teams face off in weekly fundraising matchups.

5. Make It Easy to Give

  • Share quick links, QR codes, or your team’s donation page.

  • Post regular updates with photos/videos.

  • Thank every donor — gratitude goes a long way!

⚾ The more creative you get, the more fun we’ll have AND the more support we’ll generate.  Let’s see which team can step up the most for the cause!


DONATION REQUEST TEMPLATE


Dear [Recipient Name],

On September 27th, I’ll be stepping up to the plate for the 2025 Opportunity Knocks Classic Softball Tournament. The OK Classic is a competitive co-ed, 14-inch softball tournament with a focus on inclusion. Off the field, the event features a festival atmosphere with fun for everyone. Opportunity Knocks empowers individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through life-enriching programs, community involvement, and employment opportunities. The participants, known as Warriors, are an integral part of this tournament.

Our team, [Insert Team Name] has committed to raising funds to support OK’s mission, and I would be so grateful if you could join us in this effort. Every donation, big or small, will help provide Warriors with the programs, resources, and community they deserve.

[Insert Donation Link]

Your generosity means the world—it fuels vital programs and makes every swing, catch, and run on September 27th even more meaningful. Thank you so much for considering a gift to support the Warriors and for cheering on [Insert Team Name] as we get ready for the big day. 

With gratitude,
 [Your Name]


A FEW EXTRA TIPS AND TRICKS

  • Another great way to connect with possible supporters is to simply invite them to come out on September 27th to enjoy the OKC in person. 

“If you can’t make it out to the OKC on September 28th, consider supporting the event through a donation to [insert team name].”

  • Tell friends and family about the competitive nature of the fundraising element - this is a great way to motivate supporters. 

  • Get creative - in recent years we have seen teams use corporate sponsors and hold events to reach their fundraising goals. 

  • Include a photo in your correspondence! Below are the Warrior Trading Cards, which show some of our MVPS in action.

  • Connect with the Warrior assigned to your team. They too, have a unique network of family and friends who are interested in supporting. 


  • Share updates on social media about your fundraising progress — people love to follow along and celebrate milestones with you.

  • Set a small challenge or incentive (like, “If I raise $100 this week, I’ll…”), it makes giving fun and engaging for your supporters.


  • Ask the OK Team for more support and or ideas.