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As I mentioned in the
previous article about fundraising event ideas, this follow-up article
will delve into specific packages offered by suppliers. All of these are
covered in my book, Fundraising Success!, so my comments will be
short and to the point about these pre-packaged event offerings.
The first article in
this series talked about the search for fundraising event ideas that are:
1) easy to do
2) don't cost a lot
3) make a lot of money
Of course, there's no
one answer, no one size fits all perfect solution, so we'll discuss
several supplier offerings for each of these categories.
Everybody loves
fundraising events that are easy to do. One of my favorites, that we
touched on in the previous article, is "Queen Almost for a Day". Dubbed
by the supplier as an event-in-a-box, this fun fundraiser comes with
everything you need except contestants and an emcee.
Of course, you'll
need some type of stage and seating for your paying audience, preferably a
school auditorium, but you can also make do with a large meeting room so
long as your contestants have some place to parade. The contestants dress
up in ditzy costumes that they throw together to commit serious
fashion faux paux.
The script stays in
the hands of the emcee, who introduces each participant with a hilarious
background story. The contestants only answer one question which allows
them to focus on milking their portrayal for additional laughs.
Adding to the fun,
male contestants strut their stuff to cheers and catcalls. The winner is
chosen by audience response and receives several goofy prizes that produce
even more hilarity.
All in all, "Queen
Almost for a Day" is a winner in the easy to do category. The cost for
the script and instructions is $125.
A fundraising
event that doesn't cost a lot is a "Mondo Yard Sale," usually coordinated
as a group effort and conducted in a high traffic location such as a
school or church parking lot. As with any yard sale, advance publicity is
as easy as putting up signs advertising the event.
Have your supporters
scavenge their closets, attics, and garages for unwanted items. Don't
bother with individually pricing anything. Just place it out for display
with other similar items and get what you can for each piece.
A multi-family yard
sale like this will draw Saturday morning shoppers in droves, so be ready
to start early. Expect your first customers at the proverbial crack of
dawn.
Having a good mix of
items is helpful as not all your buyers will be searching for the same
things. Popular items include furniture, tools, clothing, and toys.
You can increase your donations, volunteers, and net proceeds by offering
a percentage split with donors of large ticket items. They get rid of the
old lawn mower and when it sells for $40, they keep $20.
Don't forget to
engage in a little give and take with your customers. Part of the fun of
a yard sale is bargain hunting, so make sure all your sellers understand
the art of making the deal.
In our category
of fundraising events that make a lot of money, consider the charity golf
tournament. This combines a fun activity with your needy cause in a way
that allows you multiple opportunities to raise money.
The first profit area
is adding a markup to the standard greens fees. An extra $25 per head can
add up quickly in a large tournament. As a nonprofit organization, you
can also obtain a discount on those fees that can be as much as 50% on the
right course on a normally slow day.
Another way that you
can make money is to have your participants seek sponsorships from family
and friends. This can be as simple as asking for a donation of $1 a hole
or something a little more complicated like an amount per stroke or a
donation when their foursome wins a hole in a best ball format.
You can also seek
sponsorships from local businesses in a way that allows them to promote
their business such as signage at the tee and green identifying the
company who is sponsoring that particular hole.
For larger events,
you can work with suppliers who can include hole-in-one prizes, vacation
packages for the winners, etc. These firms specialize in coordinating and
conducting these types of events, so working with one allows your group to
focus on increasing participation and pledge activity.
We're out of
space in this article. The next installment in our series on fundraising
event ideas will provide another batch of fun events to choose from that
are low in cost, fun to do, and make a lot of money.
Isn't that what your
next High School Fundraising event should be?
School Fundraising Event!!
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About The
Author: Kimberly Reynolds is
the author of
Fundraising Success, a
best
selling ebook on fundraising. You can read
more of
her
fundraising
ideas on her website, FundraiserHelp.com. |
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