Real Clubs, Real Results: How the Spartans Easily Raised $1,300 in 20 Days

When the fundraising just works

Julie Pasetti had a state championship to prepare for. Her daughter plays for the Southern Districts Spartans White, an Under 14 girls basketball team in Queensland. With the tournament a few weeks away Julie, as the Team Manager, needed to raise money fast.

For many team parents in this position, fundraising becomes another job on top of an already full plate. Selling chocolates or raffle tickets, chasing cash, tracking who has paid, sending reminders, updating spreadsheets at midnight. It eats into the time and energy that should go toward the kids.

Julie found Lucky Squares and ran three campaigns in the three weeks leading up to the championships. Together, they raised $1,300.

Three campaigns, one clear goal

The Spartans needed funds to cover the costs that had built up across the season and to pay for team lunches and activities while they were away at state championships. With the tournament approaching, Julie needed a fast, low-hassle way to get supporters involved.

Three campaigns over 20 days gave her exactly that. The platform handled the logistics: sales of squares, bank transfer options, automated confirmations to buyers, and real-time tracking of which squares had sold. Julie could share a link to a group chat and walk away. No spreadsheets. No chasing.

Julie appreciated how the platform managed prize money, saying "another benefit ... was not having an overhead/cost with the prize money to make up before we even started.

"The cash prizes factored into our overall profits on the easy to follow updates on the platform"

A commendable fourth at state

The Spartans arrived at the state championships as Southern Districts's third-ranked Under 14 girls team. By rights, that would normally place them in Division 3. Instead, they graded into Division 2 on the strength of what they showed on court.

They finished fourth.

The three teams that beat them were the top-ranked, premier teams from their regions, mostly made up of older top-age girls. Eight of the ten Spartans are bottom-age players who will play at Under 14 for another year. Fourth place, in that context, is not just a result. It is a statement.

The funds raised through Lucky Squares meant the team could focus on basketball. The costs were covered. The team lunches happened. The activities during the trip went ahead. The girls celebrated together.

Why Lucky Squares exists

"I built Lucky Squares because I saw firsthand how much time and energy volunteers spend on the administrative side of fundraising," says Jamie Stott, founder of Lucky Squares Australia.

"That time belongs with the kids, the coaches, and the community, not with spreadsheets and payment follow-ups. When a parent like Julie can run three campaigns in three weeks and raise $1,700 while still showing up for her team, that is exactly what Lucky Squares is for."

Real interest, real results

Since Julie's campaigns wrapped up, there has been genuine interest from others who saw what she put together. She has shared the Lucky Squares link with quite a few people looking to do the same thing for their own teams.

That kind of word-of-mouth, from one team parent to another, is how community fundraising spreads. Not through advertising but through results that speak for themselves.

The Spartans raised what they needed. The girls had their championships. Lucky Squares helped greatly reduce the administration of fundraising.

If your team has a season ahead and a fundraising goal to match, start your campaign here.