Thread: fundraising ideas?

the nonprofit dance group I'm on the board of (middleeastarts.org) is bringing yousry sharif into town this october for a big theater show and workshop weekend. if you've ever put on an event like this, you know how crazy expensive they are to pull off! we need to come up with about $6000 before the date. we're working on applying for grants, and we host a workshop day with local instructors with a nice dance concert that night to help raise money. we've got an ebay store where people can donate things and we sell them. some people donate money outright. I personally host workshops throughout the year and donate a percentage of my cut. we even do a bake sale at our workshop day. :)

but we need more ideas! I've thought about a silent auction in conjunction with some event or another, and a shimmython or something like that, where dancers can collect sponsors and compete for a prize (anybody ever do anything like that? how did it work?).

I would LOVE to hear your ideas! thanks in advance. :)

The silent aucti9on works really great....we have done this several times in our community and it always rocks and raises good money. We had one of our local "belly dancer hubby's" even offer himself as a "boyfriend" for a day with the stipulation that all hugs are non-committal - it was a hoot and he raised some good money!

A shimmyathon sounds great - and exhausting.

One way of raising funds is to visit all of the local mid-east restaurants and offer them ad space on the flyer's. Make them full page ads - they need to provide everything ready to print - keep them moderately priced. Advertising space can always bring in extra dough at little to no cost to you - other then some time and printing expenses.

Check with some printers. Sometimes they will print programs free or at cost in return for ad space. Also, a good raffle can produce great $$ when the prize is donated.

thanks!

we already do sell program advertising. and we do usually have a "door prize" (we're a nonprofit so a 'raffle' is considered gambling and is therefore illegal for us).

the other gals in my group are hip (har, didn't even intend that as a pun!) on the idea of a shimmython. now we just need to brainstorm how it will work and where/when to hold it...)

Elisa,

I'm out of town at the moment, but let me know if there's anything I can do to help. When you do the bake sell I can make lots of stuff. I love baking! I'm also certified as a level one cake decorator Go figure...

I'm hoping to hold an afternoon swap meet and costuming sale to raise funds for our theatre show. Afternoon tea (a la very British) with a film show perhaps. Modest entrance fee and % take on sales.

If you have ladies who can offer pampering: make-up sessions, aromatherapy,massage, tarot readings, nail bar..have a pamper day.