How many times a week does your phone ring, with calls asking for free games or monetary donations? With schools, cheerleaders, scouts, sports teams, and charities - it can seem endless. With non-customers soliciting donations, I felt I was leaving money on the table, so I found a way to turn a nuisance into an opportunistic revenue stream for our center.
Whenever the phone rang or received a visit regarding donations, I asked if the fundraiser had just 5 minutes to learn how I could help them raise even more money toward their goals. This approach works well for any type of cause, project or brand working to raise funds.
Depending on the fundraising goals, I would suggest one or more of the following formats. Here is how they work:
- Gift Card Transactions - I would sell $20 gift cards toward my center to the organization for $15, and they net $5 per sale.
- Bowl-A-Thon - the group solicits sponsors to donate per total ins knocked down in a three-game event.
- Rent the Center - charge a flat fee for a private three-hour event. Very popular with adult softball teams and youth travel sports teams.
Due to my sports coaching background, I consider being proactive with teams and other organizations one of the best ways to promote a grassroots following to any center. Parents are usually more than happy to promote fundraisers with budgets of $4,000-$5,000. On average, each player would get 15 tickets to sell at $20 apiece. During the event itself, I also offered raffle tickets for sale and conducted silent auctions.
With Rent the Center, it's a win-win for both your business and the partnering organization. You’ll be surprised how the word spreads, and how many additional fundraisers you’ll book from attendee’s word of mouth. Next time the phone rings with the opportunity to help others, remember this is your chance to unlock potential customers and life-long partnerships that bring the community together.