A Super Bowl Square fundraiser is a popular and engaging way to raise money, combining the excitement of the Super Bowl with a simple game of chance. Participants purchase "squares" on a grid, and winners are determined by matching the last digit of the Super Bowl teams' scores at various points throughout the game.
The Basics of Super Bowl Squares
At its core, a Super Bowl Squares game uses a 10x10 grid, totaling 100 individual squares. This grid represents all possible combinations of the final digit of the score for each team.
Setting Up the Grid
- Grid Creation: A blank 10x10 grid is drawn or printed. One Super Bowl team is assigned to the rows (often horizontally along the top) and the other team to the columns (vertically down the side).
- Selling Squares: Participants purchase one or more squares, writing their name or initials in their chosen squares on the grid. Each square typically costs a set amount, which contributes to the prize pool and the fundraiser's proceeds.
- Assigning the Numbers: This is a crucial step that occurs after all 100 squares have been sold. The numbers 0 through 9 are randomly assigned to the spaces along the top (Team A) and side (Team B) axes of the grid. This ensures fairness and prevents participants from picking squares based on "lucky" numbers. It's often done by drawing numbers from a hat and placing them sequentially.
Playing the Game: How Winners Are Determined
The game unfolds during the Super Bowl itself, with winners typically declared at the end of each quarter, halftime, and the final score.
The core of the game revolves around matching the last number in each of the teams' score to the numbers on the grid. Participants then find the square that intersects those two numbers to determine the winner.
For example:
- If the Kansas City Chiefs are playing the San Francisco 49ers.
- At the end of the first quarter, the score is Chiefs 17, 49ers 13.
- You would look at the last digit of each score: '7' for the Chiefs and '3' for the 49ers.
- The winning square for that quarter would be the one at the intersection of the Chiefs' '7' (on their assigned axis) and the 49ers' '3' (on their assigned axis).
Crucially, if the Dolphins were playing the Giants and the score at the end of the first quarter was Dolphins 33, and Giants 24, the winning square would be at the intersection of the Dolphins' '3' and the Giants' '4'.
The Fundraising Aspect
The beauty of a Super Bowl Square fundraiser lies in its simplicity and effectiveness for raising money.
- Fund Allocation: A portion of the money collected from selling squares goes directly to the fundraising cause, while the remainder makes up the prize pool for the winners.
- Prize Distribution: Organizers decide beforehand how the prize money will be split among the different winning intervals. Common distributions include larger prizes for halftime and the final score, with smaller prizes for the first and third quarters.
Example Payout Structure
Here's a common example of how prize money might be distributed in a $1,000 prize pool (assuming each square costs $10 and all 100 squares are sold, with 50% going to the cause and 50% to prizes):
| Event | Prize Amount |
|---|---|
| End of 1st Quarter | $100 |
| Halftime | $200 |
| End of 3rd Quarter | $100 |
| Final Score | $600 |
| Total Prizes | $1,000 |
Tips for Running a Successful Super Bowl Squares Fundraiser
- Clear Rules: Establish and communicate all rules upfront, including square cost, number assignment process, payout structure, and how winners will be notified.
- Promote Widely: Share the fundraiser details with friends, family, colleagues, and community members to ensure all squares are sold.
- Transparency: Be transparent about how the funds raised will be used for the cause.
- Online Tools: Consider using online Super Bowl Squares platforms to manage the grid, collect payments, and assign numbers automatically, simplifying the process, especially for larger groups. Learn more about general fundraising ideas to maximize your efforts.
By following these steps, a Super Bowl Squares fundraiser can be a fun, easy, and effective way to generate funds for any cause. It taps into the excitement of one of the biggest sporting events of the year, bringing people together for a good cause.
