Overview

Cory Ames had a clear, specific goal: a local volleyball team needed a volleyball training machine. Instead of asking friends and family for a straight donation, Cory turned to something the whole community already did every weekend: watch the Detroit Lions.

Using the GivingBlox Football Squares game, Cory set up a 100-square board for a Lions game, with a winning square at the end of every quarter.

The result: all 100 squares sold, the $10,000 goal was reached in full, and the team's training machine is paid for.

The Challenge

Cory needed a fundraiser that would:

• Cover one specific purchase with a known price
• Give supporters a reason to join beyond "please donate"
• Be easy to explain and easy to share
• Run itself, without spreadsheets, paper grids, or chasing people for cash

The Solution: GivingBlox Football Squares

Football Squares is the classic office-pool grid, moved online. Supporters buy squares on a 10 × 10 board. When sales close, GivingBlox randomly assigns a digit from 0 to 9 to every row and every column. At the end of each scoring period, the square where the last digit of each team's score meets is the winner.

Because the numbers aren't drawn until the board is full, there's no "bad" square to avoid. Every square has the same chance, which made buying quick: supporters could tap the squares they wanted or just pick a quantity and let the board choose.

Campaign Setup

• Game: Football Squares
• Team: Detroit Lions
• Squares: 100
• Price per Square: $100
• Goal: $10,000
• Winning Squares: After the first quarter, at halftime, after the third quarter, and for the final score

Cory enters the score at the end of each period, and the board shows who won right on the page.

The Results

Fundraising Impact

• Squares Sold: 100 of 100
• Total Raised: $10,000
• Goal Reached: 100%
• Supporters: More than 40 different names on the board

Many supporters bought more than one square, and several bought five or more, giving themselves extra chances to win.

Supporter Engagement

• Supporters followed the board as the game played out, watching for their numbers
• Four winning squares keep things interesting even when the game isn't close
• The board shows every buyer's name, so supporters can see who else joined in

Operational Wins

• No paper grid to pass around or photograph
• No cash to collect; payments went through online
• Numbers drawn automatically and fairly
• Winners shown on the board, so there's no arguing about who had the square

Why It Worked

A Specific Ask

Cory told supporters exactly what the money was for: one piece of equipment the team needed. Supporters knew what their $100 was doing, and it was easy to rally friends around a goal that concrete.

It Rode on Something People Already Love

Lions fans were going to watch the game anyway. Football Squares gave them one more reason to care about every quarter, and a reason to tell their friends.

A Fair Draw

Random numbers assigned after sales close mean every square is equal. Nobody has to wonder if the organizer kept the good numbers for themselves.

Campaign Snapshot

Organizer	Cory Ames
Cause	Volleyball training machine for a local team
Game Type	GivingBlox Football Squares
Board	100 squares at $100 each
Game	Detroit Lions
Squares Sold	100 (sold out)
Total Raised	$10,000

See Cory's board to check out the scores and winning squares.

Ready to Run Your Own Football Squares Board?

Whether it's one big game, a playoff run, or a whole season, Football Squares turns game day into fundraising day for your team, school, church, or cause.

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