In the previous articles in this series, I've talked about the
ongoing search for fundraising event ideas that are:

1) easy to do
2) don't cost a lot
3) make a lot of money 

It's also been previously mentioned that there is no perfect
event, i.e. one that fits all three categories.  This article
follows with further recommendations for events that fall into
each category.

An example of a fundraising event that's easy to do is staging
your own amateur musical revue.  It's a must to get a support
package from a supplier that includes just about everything
you need.  A company called Christopher Allen Productions, aka
CAP Follies, supplies all the music, fantastic costumes,
scripts, and even a director!

Staging an amateur musical revue is a unique, exciting way to
accomplish your fund raising goals.  A CAP Follies is great for
commerce, community relations, and discovering the "hidden
talents" of participants!  First-timers are often surprised not
only by the amount of income a Follies can generate, but also by
the positive impact the project has on the entire community.

You need only provide contestants, a place for the performance,
and an audience.  Among the theme choices are Box Office Review,
Hooray For Follywood, Barnum's Animals, and Let's Get This Show
On The Road.

This is the type of fundraising event that brings out the ham in
everyone.  People look forward to repeating these each year. 

Find out more at http://www.capfollies.com/ 

A fundraising event that doesn't cost a lot of money is hosting
"A Night At The Races."  You re-create the atmosphere of being
at the racetrack with an all-inclusive event package. 

Rental includes horse races on video or 16mm films, official
racetrack programs, wagering tickets, daily doubles, play money
& a complete instructional guide. Your guests wager "funny
money" on the races and receive a "drawing ticket" or additional
"funny money" if they win a race.  At the end of your event, a
drawing or an auction is held for prizes.

Volunteers from your organization solicit prize donations from
local merchants.  You offer food and refreshments and make a
profit on the "donation fee" charged to attend your event.
Additional revenue can be accomplished by printing your own Race
Programs and selling advertising space.  Another interesting
idea is to "Sponsor-A-Horse" for prize drawings.
  
You have a choice of selecting Thoroughbred Racing, Harness
Racing or Greyhound Racing in the desired racing format.  These
"Racing Kits" contain enough supplies for an audience of 200
people to play the basic six (6) races within each Standard
Basic Kit.

Find out more at http://www.anightattheraces.com/

A good example of a fundraising event that makes a lot of money
is hosting a Bed Race.  A Bed Race involves rolling beds down a
local street and having local businesses, organizations, and
clubs sponsor the beds. Teams consisting of 5 members race in
two-bed heats until the winning bed is determined.

You're probably thinking that this fundraiser sounds like a bad
fit for all three categories - it would be an awfully large
amount of work, cost a ton of money, and probably wouldn't even
recoup expenses.  Well, you're off base and I'll tell you why.

First, there's a company called Bed Race USA that has this event
down to an art, if not a science.  They provide the entire
package - everything you need to host a fundraising bed race.
You get a detailed 100-page manual, the racing beds, event
banners, fundraising event t-shirts, and even a videotape to
show to prospective sponsors.

Second, Bed Race USA even comes to your community to help you
solicit major sponsors and bed race contestants.  Not only that,
they come four different times - 120, 90, 30, and 7 days prior
to the event. Your fundraising organization is still responsible
for various logistical tasks, but everything that you need to do
is spelled out in the manual.   

Third, this type of event lends itself to massive amounts of
free publicity, particularly if you enlist the help of a local
radio station or newspaper as a participant/broadcaster. 

Find out more at http://www.bedraceusa.com/

Your group can make a lot of money when all the ingredients to a
successful fundraising event are not only present, but pre-mixed
and ready to bake to perfection.

That's all there's room for in this article.  Look for further
follow-on articles in the fundraising event ideas series in the
near future.  And of course, you can always read all about it
in my book, Fundraising Success!

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Copyright 2004 - Kimberly Reynolds

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