Fundraising Events for Many Ventures

I gained my experience as a fundraiser, quite by accident. I showed up at a PTA meeting, and offered my help as a volunteer. At the time, there was no one to manage the fundraising efforts of the school, so I was appointed. I had no idea what I was getting myself into at the time.

Luckily, there were many parents around who had had much experience fundraising for the PTA or other such groups, but had no interest in leading such efforts. I graciously accepted the challenge, though I was very nervous and unsure about what I had gotten myself into. Our first venture was with the coupon books that many are aware of these days. That one seemed fairly simple, and went quite well, and we were very successful at that one.

The next one was a bit more challenging. I was through a wrapping paper/candy sales company. That is when things got really interesting. The company we contracted with, made it very simple for us to be successful, and we were, to the tune of 5 figures. I ended up successfully raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for our school PTA over the course of 4 years, through simple fundraising companies with very decent programs. There were naturally many parents who objected to these activities. My challenge to them was for them to propose, organize, set-up and execute any other program of their liking that would yield the same or even similar results. Naturally, those complainers faded quite quickly into the background of our organization. It really amazed me however, because I was quite serious, and went to each and every one of them, and made the same request. Subsequently, my methods continued without the help of any of those parents, but more importantly, without the complaints.

A baked-goods sale is another easy method that is easy, and inexpensive to accomplish. Have participants donate baked products, which are then either sold outright, or raffled off. Another fundraiser along this line of hand-made articles is to raffle off a quilt that is made by a group of volunteers. This event raised over $1,000 in sales of chances to win. The quilt was made by approximately 10 of us working mostly individually at first, and finally all together in the last few finishing sittings.

Another good fundraising activity, which can be used by groups with a specific purpose, is a benefit gala and or dinner. These events can be used to promote the mission of the group, give recognition to individuals who support that particular mission or endeavor, and can be quite lucrative in the process. The event I was involved with was for a scholarship fund. The organizers created recognition awards for key community leaders, obtained celebrity entertainment for the evening, and presented the scholarship recipients with their certificates of honor.

The steps required are to first determine what type of budget is available to pay for any up-front expenses that may be necessary. A venue for the fundraising event should be the next step in this process, after determining the budget. If there is to be food served, which is highly suggested for events like this, a caterer needs to be chosen, and a menu needs to be decided upon. There should then be a list of potential entertainment options to choose from. This can be the showcasing of individuals involved in the group, or a well-known celebrity performer. There will then need to be recognition awards created and supported by community officials that could benefit by the activities of the group. This can be either one big award, or a series of smaller more specific awards of recognition. The actual certificate or plaque will then need to be designed, created and ordered. As this is a very involved and potentially expensive venture, it is recommended that a professional event planner be consulted, and or hired to handle all of these tasks. This will ensure the best possible outcome, especially if there is no one in the group that is at all familiar with planning and putting on such an affair.

Having a formal-type dance for youth can be another type of fundraiser that could yield a good turnout and profit. There are other things to consider when youth are involved, primarily things to ensure the safety of everyone involved. A prom-style harbor cruise mid-summer is another event suggestion I presented to and planned for another group. The events of this nature went quite well for this group. There was an excellent turnout, and with the security we implemented, everyone had a safe and fun experience.

There are many different ways to launch successful fundraising activities. The more creative one can get with the ideas, the more fun that will be had by all. The key to being successful is great organization. This usually requires having a good team in place to help with everything. Divide the affair into task sections and create a committee for each task, recruiting individuals talented in that field to help out and contribute to the committee’s efforts. For some tasks, it is best to hire professionals. The profit yield on successful, professional completion of some specific tasks is very well worth the expense of obtaining professional help and expertise. Not to mention knowing that at least that portion of the event will be carried out very well.

These are only a few fundraising ideas that I know to be successful, and fairly easy to implement, with the right assistance. I can be contacted through comments on this blog for specific information and possible assistance on projects. In closing, all profits from any fundraising will need to be reported to the IRS for tax purposes. It is an absolute must to keep all receipts, and very good accounting records of all activities.