Thank you so much for your wonderful ideas!
Yes, there will be a swimming pool in the backyard and the party will be opened to friends and their guests. The backyard is hugh but flat so matchbox race maybe difficult. I would like to have the party in October. People can still hang out in the backyard before it gets too cold.
This will be my first time planning a fundraising party so I am open to any ideas and suggestions.
I was a mentor 2 seasons ago...so what can I say but Thankyou--Thankyou very much!
The pool makes a perfect venue for a miniature Reggatta.
All you need are toy boats---OR---have them make boats (you supply the supplies or something)
See if you can get donations for your food.
You may even hit Wal-mart up for a gift card to help cover supplies!
Since the party is your fundraiser event, local business should be able to help you out! Make sure to use Team in Training letterhead. You can create your own as long as your regional office provided you the clip-art logo's.
Another thing you can do---a grown-up field day.
Do teams and create a bunch of silliness!
"Charge" for individuals and 2-person teams. Match up your solo folks into teams.
Have sack races, dizzy izzy (where you spin with your head on a bat...not my favorite, but it can provide some fun.), 3-legged races, et cetera!
Or--you may not "charge" at all....have a raffle during all of this (Get some prizes or restaurant gift certificates donated!).
(***by "charge" I mean--entry fee is a $1 donation!)
So on your "field day" or regatta...
Ways to raise money while not "charging" your guests for any of the fun and festivities--make sure you have a family member helping you with this!!! You don't want to lose site that you are entertaining at a party!
You can also have a "pool"...
You know the ones....where you have all your possible scenarios!
Do maybe a $5- per square--half goes to LLS and the other half to the winner. Do NOT tell people what your present training pace is...that would take away the fun!
Set up a grid with the finish times from the record.....on up to the course maximum. Since there is really only one scenario it will be a one-sided grid.
2:00
2:01
2:02
up to 7:00
Include a grid for 7:00 plus
and for a DNF just in case you might get sidelined. (would hope this isn't the case--but unfortunately it is a possibility. Then you can razz whoever purchased that square about their lack of confidence in you.
But the choice is yours!) If you want....make the range tighter for your realistic finish based on your current training--then take it down to the second. Base the winner of this pool on either your chip time or official time, but make sure they know.
Then include a square for BEFORE "TIME" and AFTER "TIME to cover anytime you finish outside of the range you selected.
Set it up in realistic increments based on how many will be attending. The more increments you have, the less you can charge per square. covering all 60 minutes for all 7 hours....would be 350 squares about. If you charged $2 per square..what money you could make!
Make it like HUGE-- (like those united way thermometers) just so that it is visible. Open the grid to those who can't attend your party either. (make sure you know how to contact them. If you do it so they fill out a name label with their phone number/e-mail--then they can just stick it to the board. They get as many labels as they purchase.
(This is a play on the post about Bingham's Maritime marathon where they don't select first place--the winner will be the person who came closest to their pace prediction).
If you do that with a raffle--you have the potential to make about $1000 if not more just from one party if you know lots of people you can invite. And I would invite EVERYONE you wouldn't mind having over. (church, work, school, friends, your TEAMMATES!!!!! (yes in our area we attend and support each others fundraisers!!!)
Do what you can to get items donated for your party---you'd be amazed what you can get if you just ask and then shop frugally.
Make sure you have donation buckets to collect pocket donations or if someone decides they want to just write a check. (Writing it to LLS is preferable, but if they write it to you, don't worry about it. Just make sure that when you turn in your own check that you let them know where the money came from. The same as if someone made a cash donation.
If you have a child and opt for the field day event---maybe they can do a lemonade stand.
Who can turn down a cute kid selling lemonade?
For more intimate gatherings.
Wine and cheese tastings (you would charge a fee for something like this as it is somewhat difficult to get the alcohol donated).
A hosted dinner: My church does this for their Haiti Missions--they call it Hearts out to Haiti. What you do is you host a dinner and those you invite agree to donate something like $25 to attend the dinner. You just make sure that your investment into the meal comes in less so that you have money to give to charity. (i.e. otherwise you could just donate out of your pocket!!!!)
Remember---make sure folks know about company matching!! Many do not. They get the forms from THEIR employer if their employer does this and the employer submits it to LLS who verifies the donation and then you have doubled that donation.
Hope this helps--if you want I'd be happy to brainstorm with you via e-mail. I'm not participating with TNT this season--but that doesn't mean I can't help someone who is.
Also make sure you get your website set up. Put it in a signature in your personal e-mail account. Sometimes you will get a surprise donation that you didn't expect.
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