BIG EVENTS:
You probably know all about the "Pink & Black for the Ta-Ta's" event that our team recently put on. I planned about 95% of the event and towards the end, the rest of my team contributed the rest. It was a LOT of work... I literally thought about the event all day everyday. I got the idea for the event a couple days after I registered for the 3-Day (so in January) and have been working on it ever since. Don't get me wrong, it's been a LOT of fun, but equally as much work. Between securing a location and all the entertainment, to coordinating volunteers, to delegating tasks (and when they weren't completed, doing them myself), to spending an entire day setting up the venue, etc. Then there was the stress involved with last minute volunteers, people sneaking into our event, attitudes and friction between teammates, schedule modifications, etc.
I'll tell you though, the best part of this event was the tribute we did to survivors at the end. We had a gal sing "I Run For Life" while all the survivors gathered under the gazebo... then about half way through the song, our team walked up and gave them all hugs and stood up there with them. Everyone was in tears. I had chills all up and down my body. And to see those survivors... those women who have literally had to fight for their life... be the center of attention, if only for a few minutes... WOW! It was so powerful. Afterward, one of them told my mom it was the most fun she's had since she found out she had cancer. Another said she has never talked about her cancer with anyone until this event... she thanked me for giving her a voice.
We didn't make much money at this event but for what it meant for those few survivors, it was all worth it. Plus we reached out to the community and made them more aware of early detection and how it saves lives.
So I know you're dying to know how much we made. For the total event, we brought in close to $2,000. BUT, because most people on my team paid for things instead of getting them donated, plus our few last-minute expenses, we actually only made about $350 which then was basically split between 9 people. So again, not a great money maker, but it was a VERY special event and I look forward to doing it again next year!
If you want to see pix from our awesome event, visit www.gwendolyngracephotography.com and click on the "event proofs" tab. Then you'll click on "Ta-Ta Sisterhood" and the password is "tata2010". There's over 700 pictures, each and every one so beautifully taken... so there's plenty of ways for you to see how our event turned out! Feedback is always welcome!
SMALL EVENTS:
I've said it before and I'll say it again, carwashes and sitting in front of a store are the best fundraisers ever. We did a carwash yesterday in Maricopa for Cindy and in just a few hours (in the HEAT!) she made close to $200. When I've sat in front of Walgreens with a card table covered in pink ribbon goodies and a big donation jar, I've made $100-150 each day. I'm finding it's the simplest things that raise the most money.
Also, fundraisers at restaurants or home parties, where you get 20% of the total sales... that adds up quickly. I did a Rubios fundraiser at the beginning of the year and while I only made $45 from that, I really didn't have to do anything so it was really easy money.
I tried the "Blogging 4 Boobies" event which I figured would be a great idea. In theory, every blog that participated would donate $10 plus encourage at least ONE of their blog readers to also donate $10. I know of over 250 blogs and really hoped for a good turnout. Sadly, only 4 blogs participated and none of them donated. So I walked away from that with $0 raised. Luckily it wasn't a huge event so it didn't take much time to plan it, but I had hoped for a better outcome than that.
Another idea is putting a big change jar in your favorite store or restaurant. I have one in Fashion Bug right now and though it only makes $10-20 per week, again, it's easy money. All I had to do is drop of the jar and when I have time, I stop by to collect the change. Change jars really do add up quickly. My goal for the next month is to take change jars around to the fire and police stations here... not only will I get to have regular visits with those hunky heroes, I'll also get local heroes involved with supporting women.
So... there you have it!
Just because an event is BIG doesn't necessarily mean it's going to make a lot of money. Sometimes smaller really is better. It's a lot easier, takes less time and generally has the best financial outcome!
Happy Fundraising!!!
~*~ Beckie ~*~
It sounds like your Pink and Black event was a great success and the pictures certainly back that up. It looks like a fantastic evening and you should be proud of it!
ReplyDeleteThat said, to me, the issue you encountered is that it cost a lot more to put on this event than you and your teammates could personally afford, especially since your teammates expected to be reimbursed for their costs. Anytime you host a large event like that, there will certainly be a lot of expenses. That should just be expected. I'm sort of floored that if your teammates chose to spend their own money on the event that they would expect to get that money back.
In the future, it might be wise to ask each teammate to contribute a certain amount to the budget ahead of time knowing that money wasn't coming back. Then plan your entire event within that budget. That way, every penny that you bring in from donors can go to SGK. I'm sure your donors would prefer to know that their donations are going to the cause and not to the party.
Again, this is purely my opinion. However, given how great your event looks, I just want to help you be even more successful in the future!