Money Talk: Money available! :o)

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Money available! :o)

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Theater Administration
Forum Name: Money Talk
Forum Discription: Questions about fundraising and promotion
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2062
Printed Date: 9/20/24 at 7:58pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Money available! :o)

Posted By: Nanette
Subject: Money available! :o)
Date Posted: 10/04/06 at 8:06pm

A friend who was a Boy Scout leader told me about this one ...

Wal-Mart gives away money to worthy causes! I visited one today and asked about getting some stuff donated, or reduced in price, to help out my children's theatre troupe and was asked to fill out a short form describing what I needed and who would be benefiting. By the time I got home, an hour later, there was a call from the store saying I was approved for $25.00 worth of merchandise!

I was told it's best to ask early in the fall as they only have a certain amount to give away and once it's gone, it's gone. Hope everyone else who can use a little for this and that at the theatre is as lucky. Every little bit helps! :o)

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In a world of margarine, be butter!

Replies:

Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 10/04/06 at 8:47pm

This is always a good idea Nannette!
As most Companies have what I think you bods call a ?Community Chest? for donations - always worth investigating & giving a call.
What ever our needs for the theatre, we contact suppliers & initially request, not as begging, but to be able to purchase products at their cost or special discount prices.
This works great in most cases & can save the theatre heaps for materials.
Also in a few cases they contact us to either give them a lot price or donate gear if we could use them, on products that are damaged or they are about to chuck out. Get a lot of useful gear this way!
Also we become a known entity within the company & it always helps to drop a few comps on them now & then.

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Joe
Western Gondawandaland
turn right @ Perth.
Hear the light & see the sound.
Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"}
May you always play
to a full house}

Posted By: castMe
Date Posted: 10/04/06 at 9:20pm

Hit 'em up folks. Wal-mart makes gazillions.

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Investigate. Imagine. Choose.

Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 10/06/06 at 12:29pm

We have "heard" that many coorporate types; Walmart, Burger King, etc.. etc... have a fund that they are to use to promote general good will in the community by sponsoring things like this... We have had a couple of banks in the area sponsor shows or portions there of in the past..

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Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."

Posted By: tcpmatt
Date Posted: 10/08/06 at 11:30am

A few more to add to the list:

Pizza Hut has fundraisers that they do for 501c3 groups. You get a % of the sale.

Target does donations

The key to walmart is to put it in about 2 months before you need something, explain what you are doing and who will benny from it all. Even some towns will give money to support community organizations, its worth a try.

I have been very sucsessful getting over 18, 000 for our theatre group in a 3 year period of time by just applying for grants and pounding the doors at the major stores and even a membership champaign

Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 10/09/06 at 9:24am

Walmart was very cooperative in donating craft materials for our summer theater camp this year... I guess it is out there, if your willing to look.. at least on the small scale...

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Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."

Posted By: alexander2008
Date Posted: 11/13/07 at 7:00am

Hi,

I'm Newbie here and impressed with this thread.

Good bye

www.debtxfactor.com - alexander

Posted By: Nanette
Date Posted: 11/13/07 at 8:04am

Another one to try is Dollar General. You have to write a letter to corporate, but they will give hundreds to local organizations.

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In a world of margarine, be butter!

Posted By: vickifrank
Date Posted: 11/13/07 at 10:43am

Lowes and Menards (and HomeDepot?) have grants for local community organizations. You have to write the grant, but they ought to consider it favorably--after all most theaters go through the lumber and paint. So you are customer and a community organization.

Posted By: Linda S
Date Posted: 11/13/07 at 2:06pm

I have found that most business, large and small, have a certain amount of money to give back to the community. Banks, restaurants, lumber companies, hadware stores, furniture companies, doctors, law firms, shoe companies, car dealerships, plus lots more have all given generously to our little theater. Recently some of the larger companies have said that the local branches have to become more diverse in support community projects. They have been thrilled that we approached them because they had to find a community organization that was not a sports team to give money to. When a large bank opened a branch in town they approached the theater with a $500 check. They wanted people to see that they were supporting the community. It never hurts to ask.

Linda

Posted By: Cravens
Date Posted: 11/03/08 at 6:35pm

We work with our local lumber yard, they tend to give better discounts.

But Target has an online way to apply for money. There is usually a little money from the city for the arts as well. We do a lot of IN KIND - product for advertising space. Printing our show program is cost effective.

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Tracy
www.longmonttheatre.org

Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 11/03/08 at 11:03pm

We just got a timely Grant from the state government, to purchase equipment.

Some how I managed to get the City council to back the grant on a $/$ basis & didn't realise it? Mainly because they lost some where, our

$50 000 equipment budget, I had asked for, on our theatre refurbishment. They still have not found it yet?

However because the City submitted a letter of support, for our grant application. They mentioned the $ for $ contribution they were prepared to make.

the department of the Arts grant panel discounted our application by $10 000, because our total money, could be $100 000 in total, so they gave us $40 000, which we are grateful for & now a lot better off.

Back on topic if you can find some one to focus on grants all the time, It is a worth while exercise, especially if they are a 'DIVI'' {diviner] & can pick up on the smell of money.

There are diamonds buried in your own back yard, it's a matter of using your reusable resources to dig them up - your own membership!

Find out what the members & family do for a crust & can use their foot in the door.

Even the most unlikely member, you will find, can come up trumps.

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[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}