Every athlete on ralli starts at zero backers. The good news: your first five monthly backers are almost certainly people you already know. You don't need a media kit, a manager or 10,000 followers — you need five honest conversations. This guide shows exactly who those five people are, which membership tier each one realistically joins at, what that adds up to monthly and annually, and word-for-word scripts you can send today.
Why your first 5 backers mean the most
Getting to five monthly backers does three things. First, it proves the concept — to you and to everyone landing on your profile. A page with five backers feels alive; a page with zero feels like a gamble. Second, it creates momentum: each of those five becomes a promoter inside their own network. Third, it starts your rewards engine — your backers earn ralli rewards points™ from day one, and your milestones start releasing real funding into your season.
Your first five almost always come from five specific relationships: your parent, your uncle and aunty, your best friend, your previous coach, and your boss or employer. Here's how to approach each one — and what each is worth.
What five backers actually fund: credits, dollars and annual totals
On ralli, backers join at a membership tier, receive monthly credits, and allocate those credits to the athletes they back. 1 credit = $0.70 of athlete funding. So a Gold member's 100 monthly credits deliver $70 a month straight into your season. Here's how a realistic first five stacks up:
| Backer | Tier | They pay / month | Credits / month | Funding to you / month | Funding to you / year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | Gold | $99 | 100 | $70.00 | $840 |
| Uncle & aunty | Silver | $49 | 50 | $35.00 | $420 |
| Best friend | Bronze | $25 | 25 | $17.50 | $210 |
| Previous coach | Silver | $49 | 50 | $35.00 | $420 |
| Boss / company | Platinum | $249 | 250 | $175.00 | $2,100 |
| Total | — | $471 | 475 | $332.50 | $3,990 |
Five people you already know put 475 credits — about $332.50 a month, or $3,990 a year — directly behind your season. The remainder of their membership funds the rewards pool they earn from, platform costs and the Vault, so your backers are getting real value back rather than simply donating.
Not everyone will land on the tier below. A parent might start at Bronze; a company might come in at Gold. Use the table as a map, not a script — the point is that different people in your life can comfortably back you at very different levels, and you should ask each of them accordingly.
Backer #1: Your parent — Gold ($99/month, $1,188/year)
Who they are: The person already invested, financially and emotionally, in your sport. They've paid for boots, travel, fees and physio for years.
Why Gold: They're already spending at or above this level informally. Gold turns scattered transfers into one visible monthly commitment — 100 credits a month allocated straight to your season, plus ralli rewards points™ they earn as you hit milestones.
How to pitch it: Warm and direct. This is an invitation, not a cold pitch.
"Mum/Dad — I've set up my athlete page on ralli. Instead of the odd transfer for comp fees, you can back me monthly and actually see where it goes — my milestones, my results, everything. Gold is $99 a month and covers most of my travel. You'd be my very first backer, which would mean a lot. Can I send you the link?"
Pro tip: If $99 is a stretch, start them at Bronze ($25). The habit matters more than the amount — and their tier sets the benchmark everyone after them sees.
Backer #2: Your uncle & aunty — Silver ($49/month, $588/year)
Who they are: The family who ask "how's the sport going?" at every gathering and genuinely want an answer.
Why Silver: It's a real contribution without feeling like a second mortgage — $49 a month split between two people is coffee money each, and it gives them 50 credits a month behind you plus early access drops.
"Hey Uncle Dave & Aunty Sarah — I've launched my page on ralli where family and supporters back my season monthly. I'd love you two on board. Silver is $49 a month between you — you'll get my updates first, and every milestone I hit, you earn rewards too. Here's my page: [link]"
Pro tip: Send it one-to-one, never in the family group chat. A personal message converts; a broadcast gets lost.
Backer #3: Your best friend — Bronze ($25/month, $300/year)
Who they are: The mate who's watched you train before dawn, skip nights out and ice your knees on the couch.
Why Bronze: Friends your age need the entry tier — $25 a month is achievable, and it still puts 25 credits a month into your season with full community access and Vault redemptions for them.
"Oi — I've finally set up my ralli page. You know how much this season means. Bronze is $25 a month — about a coffee a week — and you actually earn rewards when I hit my goals. No stress either way, but you'd be one of my first five."
Pro tip: Ask them to share your page once they've backed you. A friend's post ("backing this legend — get around them") is worth more than ten of your own.
Backer #4: Your previous coach — Silver ($49/month, $588/year)
Who they are: The club, school or junior coach who built your foundations and saw your potential before anyone else.
Why Silver: Coaches back athletes for legacy, not spectacle. Silver is a meaningful, sustainable commitment they can hold across a full season — and it keeps them visibly part of your development.
"Hi Coach — everything I'm doing this season started with what you taught me at [club/school]. I've launched my athlete page on ralli where supporters back my season monthly and earn rewards as I hit milestones. Silver's $49 a month — it would genuinely mean a lot to have you as one of my founding backers. Here's the page: [link]"
Pro tip: Coaches talk to other coaches, parents and clubs. One backed coach often unlocks three more backers from the sporting community.
Backer #5: Your boss or company — Platinum ($249/month, $2,988/year)
Who they are: Your employer, or a local business you have a genuine relationship with. Local businesses love backing local talent.
Why Platinum: For a business this is a marketing line item, not a personal expense — $249 a month is small against a marketing budget, and it delivers 250 credits a month to your season, VIP experiences and a story they can tell their customers all year.
"Hi [Name] — as you know, I compete in [sport] alongside work, and this season I'm chasing [goal]. I've launched my athlete page on ralli where supporters back athletes monthly. I'd love [company] to come on as a Platinum backer at $249 a month — it covers travel and comp fees, and I'll proudly share the journey (and your support) with my network. Happy to chat for five minutes if easier. My page: [link]"
Pro tip: Offer something back — their logo on training gear, tags in updates, a mention in every milestone post. Small businesses say yes when they can see the story.
What your five backers earn back: a 12-month rewards scenario
Backing you isn't a donation — your backers earn ralli rewards points™ two ways:
- On allocation: every 10 credits allocated earns 1 point, credited instantly (triple during a 10-day launch window).
- On verified milestones: roughly 15% of everything allocated to you accrues into your reward pool. When a milestone is verified, a set percentage of that pool is released and split pro-rata across your backers, by credits allocated.
Let's run the numbers on a realistic year: your five backers allocate 475 credits a month (5,700 for the year), and you achieve four verified milestones — say a regional podium (35% release), two national-level results (50% each) and a national team selection (75%), spread evenly across the year. On those settings the pool releases roughly 755 points over twelve months, on top of 570 points earned on allocation — about 1,325 points shared across your first five.
| Backer | Tier | Pool share | Points from allocation (12 mo) | Points from 4 milestones | Total points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | Gold | 21% | 120 | 159 | 279 |
| Uncle & aunty | Silver | 10.5% | 60 | 79 | 139 |
| Best friend | Bronze | 5% | 30 | 40 | 70 |
| Previous coach | Silver | 10.5% | 60 | 79 | 139 |
| Boss / company | Platinum | 53% | 300 | 397 | 697 |
Two things jump out. First, milestones matter more than tiers — over half of every backer's points in this scenario come from you actually delivering results. Second, the bigger the commitment, the bigger the pro-rata share, which is exactly why a Platinum business backer sees real value coming back.
What each backer could redeem in the Vault
Points are spent in the ralli Vault on premium merch, memorabilia, vouchers and events. Based on the totals above, here's what a year of backing you could actually cash in for:
| Backer | Points after 12 months | Example Vault redemption |
|---|---|---|
| Parent (Gold) | 279 | $250 Nike e-voucher, or a $250 Ticketmaster e-voucher — with points left over |
| Uncle & aunty (Silver) | 139 | MVP Elite Heritage leather boxing gloves (125), or a $100 Nike e-voucher plus a ralli enamel mug |
| Best friend (Bronze) | 70 | MVP PRO Cabretta golf gloves (60), or a $50 Uber Eats e-voucher |
| Previous coach (Silver) | 139 | MVP PRO carbon fibre pickleball racquet (125), or a ralli premium baseball cap plus mug |
| Boss / company (Platinum) | 697 | $500 Nike e-voucher plus a $100 Ticketmaster e-voucher, or the ralli leather weekender (500) plus team merch |
Backers can also bank points across seasons and save toward the big-ticket Vault items — signed memorabilia, Wimbledon or Premier League hospitality, F1 Paddock Club. A Platinum business backer supporting two or three athletes for a couple of years is genuinely in that territory. Point costs and availability change as new Vault stock lands, and the release percentages above are indicative — actual releases depend on the milestone tier and your pool at the time.
Your first two weeks: the playbook
- Day 1–2: Finalise your profile — a strong photo, an honest bio, your first milestone goal. Nobody backs a blank page.
- Day 3–5: Pitch your parent and your best friend. Get two on the board before approaching anyone else — social proof starts at one.
- Week 1: Message your uncle & aunty and your previous coach, one-to-one, using the scripts above.
- Week 2: Approach your boss or a local business you have a real connection with. Lead with the annual figure, not the monthly one — businesses budget in years.
- We have no expectations of athletes posting every day — 5 minutes every fortnight to keep your profile up to date and active is all it takes.
Three rules that make every pitch land
- Always ask one-to-one. Group messages feel optional. A direct message feels personal — and gets answered.
- Name the tier and the number. "Bronze, $25 a month" is an easy yes. "Support me" is vague and easy to postpone.
- Show them what they get. Monthly updates, milestone moments and ralli rewards points™ earned as you achieve. Backing you isn't charity — it's joining your season with skin in the game.
Frequently asked questions
How much money do five backers raise for an athlete?
Across a realistic tier spread — one Gold, two Silver, one Bronze and one Platinum backer — five monthly backers hold $471 a month in memberships and allocate 475 credits to you. At 1 credit = $0.70, that's $332.50 a month, or about $3,990 a year of direct athlete funding.
Which membership tier should I ask each person for?
Match the tier to the relationship and their means: parents and close family at Gold ($99), extended family and mentors at Silver ($49), friends and peers at Bronze ($25), and employers or local businesses at Platinum ($249).
What do backers get in return?
Backers allocate monthly credits to the athletes they choose, earn ralli rewards points™ as those athletes hit verified milestones, and redeem those points in the Vault for premium merch, memorabilia, vouchers and events.
Do I need a big following to get backers?
No. Your first five backers come from your existing relationships, not your follower count. Five one-to-one messages beat a thousand passive followers.
What happens after five
Five backers is the tipping point. Each of those five knows ten more — your parent's workmates, your friend's teammates, your coach's club, your boss's customers. Thank every backer personally, post your milestones loudly, and invite backers to share your page each time you hit one. That's how five becomes fifteen, and how a grassroots season gets funded.
Your network is bigger than you think. It starts with five messages. Send the first one today.
Ready to start? Set up your athlete profile on ralli and share your page with the five people above — your first backers are closer than you think.