I will admit, I'd prefer that they raised the dues sooner, so the increase didn't seem as large, but one dollar a month per child to be a member of THE organization of this sport isn't going to break anyone. Even if the budget is tight, there are priorities. If bowling is a priority, then you find a way, even if it means fundraising to raise the money to sanction. As a YABA mom, who also must raise funds for school activities, BVL, and you name it, I'm fast becoming the queen of finding ways to NOT stick it to the same few people over and over again. My biggest peeve with most fundraising is that groups keep reaching into the pockets of their own.
Parents have enough to buy with the fundraisers for school, scouts, and now, of course, bowling.
If the goal is to raise funds for the group, it's nice to find outside sources to reach so that you're drawing from a larger pool. My first suggestion is a garage sale. I'm sure by culling closets and garages an organization can get great donations from the families in junior leagues. Baby clothes were the biggest draw at our WBA garage sale last fall. We asked a bowling center on a busy street to allow us to rope off a few parking stalls on a Saturday morning, and advertised to the community at large.