Jack of All Spades

Planning A Fundraiser

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ASSEMBLE A COMMITTEE

You need to start by getting a committee of people together (perhaps the wedding party, family members, or close friends) to help organize the Fundraiser as it is way too much work for one or two people. It takes about two months to plan a typical Fundraiser which includes time for ticket sales. If this is a Stag and Doe, usually the Committee would consist of the Wedding Party and they should understand that it is customary for the Wedding Party to pay for the Jack and Jill. Sometimes the Bride and Groom are invited to these meetings to make plans for the Fundraiser, other times they are not. Either way, pick people who are responsible enough to take the upcoming tasks seriously.

Pick an appropriate method of updating other Committee Members - whether it be over email, meeting in person once per week, creating a Facebook Group or Page, etc. Assign clear tasks to each Member so that everyone understands their responsibilities.

PICK A DAY

Most people choose a Saturday night to hold a Fundraiser, however Friday nights can get you a better deal on some DJ’s and Halls. Midweek Fundraisers are okay, but people have commitments with kids and work so you may not get as good of a response. If this is a Wedding related Fundraiser, the wedding couple usually has their Stag and Doe between one and three months before the wedding. This allows a good lead-time to generate needed funds and does not interfere with bridal showers or preparations for the ceremony and reception.

DECIDE HOW MANY PEOPLE TO EXPECT

To come up with a number of people that you can expect to show up to your Stag and Doe for example, start making a list of family, friends, coworkers, neighbours, etc. Pick anyone who knows the couple, wedding party members, or the bride and groom’s parents or family. Get your committee to review the list because chances are, you forgot a ton of people. Keep in mind that some people will just buy a ticket for support but do not intend to go to the event. Once you have your list, expect that 60% to 70% will show up. You also have to decide if you want the public to know about it too to generate some extra cash. If so, you could post a free ad online with kijiji or craigslist or through Facebook's Events or Pages. Be weary of Facebook though because people will confirm they are coming but they may not have bought a ticket from you yet, so don't count on their "confirmation."

Decide how much you are going to charge your guests for admission while you are at it. This varies from town to town, and depends on the average age of the people you expect to come. However, you can think about charging around $10 per person or $15 per couple. This number would be higher if you were offering a dinner. Take this final expected number of guests and multiply it by the cost you are thinking of charging for Admission Tickets and this total should cover the cost of the hall, DJ, and food. The rest they say is gravy!

CHOOSE A LOCATION

Now that you have your date and number of guests in mind, it is time to choose a hall. Keep in mind that if you have many out-of-town guests that you expect to come, you will want to pick a location that is easily accessible from highways, and possibly close to a hotel. If you have guests scattered from Toronto to London, pick an in-between location so that you can hopefully maximize your turnout.

Once you know what part of town you are looking at, start Googling for local places! Start making calls or emails, and ensure to ask these questions:

  • Do they have your preferred date available
  • What is the maximum number of people their hall can hold
  • Do they allow gambling and 50/50 draws for a Stag and Doe, do they have a gambling license
  • Do they have catering available, and if so, is it mandatory to use their catering service, and does the hall rental come free if you purchase their food (some halls offer this)
  • Can you bring your own food
  • Is there a kitchen for me to prepare food
  • Can you bring your own alcohol or do they run the bar
  • Are there any restrictions on games
  • Are there any restrictions on decorations
  • Are there any restrictions on music (is a DJ allowed, can I bring a home stereo, do they have hookups, etc)
  • What is the time you can arrive to set up; time you have to leave by
  • And of course, what is the cost, how much is the deposit, and what is included in the cost

If you are happy with what they told you on the phone, you should now go see it in person. Make sure you get a tour of their kitchen if you are using their catering services. You can tell a lot about the place judging by the cleanliness of the hall's food preparation area. Everything must appear clean and organized, do not be afraid to open a fridge or two. Ask for references from previous events catered by this hall.

Also check out their bathrooms, as this speaks volumes. Are soap and paper towels in both the men's and women's washrooms? Do the washrooms look and smell clean? It seems obvious, but many people forget to look for these things. You want your guests to feel welcome, have some good food, and feel like they are in a clean environment so that they will stay alllllll night and spends lottttts of money!

Some halls have different sized rooms to choose from. The hall has to make sure that they obey all fire codes and their hall will accommodate your party size, so be honest with your number of guests you expect to come. You want your guests to feel comfortable in the room, and when a room of 100 people feels like 20, then your room is too big, and people will be less likely to go play games or dance since they will feel self-conscious. On the other hand, when the room is filled with 20 people but it feels like 100, then the room is too small, and people will feel closed in and will not want to stay and keep spending money. Take the hall’s advice, as they will know by experience what room may be most suitable for you. Remember, if a hall holds 200, you should be okay if your expected number of guests is 250, as many guests will only stay a couple of hours and some may not come at all.

START SELLING TICKETS

Find people who are outgoing, good in the field of sales, who are popular and know lots of people, are not afraid to ask people for things, etc. to sell your Admission Tickets. You should get family members to sell to family members and their friends; friends to sell to their family and friends; coworkers to sell to coworkers and their friends, etc. Do not have just one person selling the tickets - get many people selling them, as it is a lot of work and you will sell more this way.

Do not count on people showing up at the door either just because you told them when it would be – always sell tickets in advance. Many people will buy tickets just to show support, but will have no intention of going to the event. You may want to consider using a ticket spreadsheet to keep track of who is selling which numbered tickets. Encourage as many people as possible to pay upfront, which will help prevent you from confirming an inaccurate number of guests with the hall.