Holiday Fundraising - Part 3
Carnival Event Fundraiser
Holiday fundraisers are all about timing. Schools, churches and youth sports
groups can schedule their fundraisers to coincide with a time when most people’s
spending increases.
Part One looked at Christmas tree and wreath sales as a way of raising funds for
non-profit groups. Part Two, explored a common but profitable holiday
fundraiser, catalog sales. In Part Three, we’ll see what it takes to throw a
holiday carnival.
A fundraising event like a holiday carnival can be labor intensive, so start
with your volunteer base. Delegate responsibilities to the committee chairs.
You’ll need someone in charge of ticket sales, decorations, advertising,
entertainment, food, and so on.
A holiday carnival is a great place to also host a silent auction, bake sale, or
large item raffle. These fundraising events within the event can draw large
dollars.
Depending on your expected attendee volume, you may consider raffling a 4 day
cruise, and MP3 player, a large screen TV, and such. Look to local businesses to
help defer the cost of the large item or items. Begin selling raffle tickets as
far in advance of the event as possible.
Along with raffle tickets, sell event tickets in advance and allow advance
purchased tickets to be picked up at the ‘will call’ table. Intersperse ticket
sale tables throughout your event location.
I once helped organize a carnival event for our elementary school. We made use
of the gym or multipurpose room, but also spread games throughout the hallways.
This allowed each classroom to host a game like ring toss or face painting and
spread the crowd out so we didn’t experience over crowding.
Cake walks at holiday carnivals are usually very successful. Since the baked
goods are donated, you can receive greater profit from each item. Sell smaller
items such as cookies and brownies at the bake sale, and use the larger items
like whole cakes and pies at the cake walk.
If you have the space, look into using a large inflatable game like giant slides
or obstacle courses. These can be rented for the day and are a large draw for
younger children.
Use your imagination for planning your fundraising event. Consider how many
people you might expect, as well as the age range. Tailor your games and events
to appeal to the masses. Keep it fun and your carnival will be a huge success!
Related Pages
How To Write Fundraising
Letters - Sample donor query letter and tips on writing your own donation
request.
Raising Funds By Mail - Five success
pointers for raising funds by mail for your nonprofit - How to use direct mail
to increase your non-profit fund raising.
Powerful Postscripts - Ten ways to
boost donation letter response rates - Add powerful postscripts to your
fundraising letters.
Increasing Donor Gift Size - How
to increase the size of donor gifts from your fundraising letters - Proven
methods for getting better donation response rates.
Sample Donation Thank You
Letter - Here's a sample thank you note and tips on how to thank each donor
personally for their contribution.
Jingle Bell Run - Putting together a Jingle Bell Run fundraising event - A fun fundraiser for the holidays for your cause.
Jingle Bell Walk - An easy holiday-themed fundraising event is a Jingle Bell Walk - Raise funds for your favorite cause with this fun fundraiser.
Christmas Fundraising Ideas - A group of Christmas fundraising ideas for raising funds before and during the holiday season - Product offerings and event ideas for fundraisers.
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