FUNDRAISING

SIMPLE FUNDRAISING STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES

BASKET OF CHEER: A simple way to make $800.00: After you have recruited your bartenders, give two raffle tickets to each bartender.  Have your bartenders sell two tickets for $20.00 each to friends, family, and co-workers in the weeks leading up to the event.

  1. Ask each of your bartenders to bring a bottle of wine to the event. Use those bottles to fill a wicker basket with about 9-10 bottles of wine. The night of the event each bartender will arrive for their shift with a bottle of wine, the other half of the raffle tickets with the purchaser's name and phone number on it, and $20.00 for each ticket.

  2. At 7:30 pm (or the half-way point in the event) have a drawing for the Basket of Cheer.

  3. At 9:00 pm (or the end of your event) have a second drawing for a second Basket of Cheer made up of 9-10 bottles of wine from the later scheduled half of your bartenders.

  4. If each of your 18 bartenders and you as the Organizer and a helper each sell two tickets, that's 40 tickets sold at $20.00 - or $800.00!

  • Tip: Have your bartenders sell their raffle tickets prior to the event so that they arrive for their shift the night of the event with a bottle of wine, the other half of their raffle tickets, and the $20.00 for each ticket already in hand. If you sell the tickets to the people in attendance the night of the event, then donors are only taking cash that would go into the tip jar and then they buy a raffle ticket and consider that their donation.

MATCHING DONATIONS: Think about approaching certain businesses or bartenders and asking them to match the first certain amount of tips raised at the event. Perhaps they would be willing to match the first $250.00 or any amount you choose.  In exchange maybe they get their logo on a t-shirt or signage at the event.

ANGELS: Angels are people, businesses, or organizations that you can approach and ask for financial support. Church or religious groups, foundations, wealthy individuals, businesses, Rotaries, and similar organizations can all be types of angels. Consider the ability to approach organizations such as these when selecting your bartenders.

SPONSORS: Approach local businesses to see if they would be interested in a sponsorship - you can offer to put their logo on a flyer, t-shirt, signage at the event, etc. You can even insert their logo into the personalized messages that your bartenders forward each week.

SILENT AUCTIONS: Ask your host venue to dedicate a few tables or an area where you can have a silent auction. Task volunteers to help acquire items such as sports tickets, artwork, jewelry, vacation home rentals, sports memorabilia, and the like.

RAFFLES- 50/50: A raffle or 50/50 is an easy way to make extra money. Consider asking your bartenders to work in 30 minute shifts selling tickets to their supporters.

PERCENT DINNER SALES:  Consider asking the host venue that if in exchange for you promoting the event at their location would they donate 10% of dining room sales where the guest would write the name of your event on their bill or credit card slip. This would not be 10% of the total restaurant sales- this would only be 10% of the dining room sales where the name of your charity is written on the bill by the customer.