Raising Money
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Printed Date: 6/08/25 at 2:24am
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Topic: Raising Money
Posted By: Guests
Subject: Raising Money
Date Posted: 1/27/01 at 4:13pm
Our group was just recently turned down for local governmental financial support, so we are on our own to raise funds, including the 150.00 fee necessary for our pro bono lawyer to file our 501 (c) 3 status. Just wondered what some of you have done to raise money for productions. We have already considered memberships (10.00 a year for a single) but really have nothing to offer as of yet. Car washes and donut sales have been suggested as has going from merchant to merchant, but we'd like to save that for advertising for programs. So what are *your* ideas?
Thanks
Bill
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Replies:
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 1/28/01 at 11:21am
We started out in Sept of 1999. We have never gotten any institutional financial support (although we do get some donations). Between 9/99 and 12/00 we did over $12,000 worth of business. We have done about a dozen readers theater productions, four full productions and several training programs. I didn't file my 501 (c)(3) until last fall. I filled it out myself and had no problem getting approval. It doesn't take a lawyer to file it. A CPA would be more like it.
When we started out, our first production was a full production of TO GILLIAN ON HER 37th BIRTHDAY. I agreed to put up to $3,000 of my own money into the production. We rented the local theater and went ahead with it. It was also my first directing stint (other than a one act at the end of a directing course). I produced the show. We made $1,000 on the show.
We have since done many more shows and we only lost money on one (about $80) - surprisingly, it was one of the best shows we put on. We do two full productions a year and the rest are readers theaters. We concentrate on involving new people and making quality productions. If the quality is there, people will come.
We work hard to get along with the main theater and not compete with them. I have been surprised by how many people are coming to us with requests to do shows for them. We do our readers theaters at local resturaunts. We just closed a Noel Coward play (readers theater) last night. The resturaunt was full and they sold a lot of dinners they might not have without the attraction of a play. Chapter Two (a full production) opens on Valentines Day in one of our resorts.
We have been asked to do shows on holidays and we have just been asked to do a dinner mystery theater. The local theater has asked us to put up a full production for them this summer. The secret is to start small - never have more money at risk than you can lose. And quality, quality, quality! You can do a readers theater for $250 or $300 for three shows (thurs, fri, sat) and do it in places that want you there and don't charge you for the space. We occsionally pay for a place to do our shows but that is the real exception rather than the rule. We charge $5.00 for the show. You break even with 15 to 20 people per show.
We have bought several thousand dollars worth of lighting, set materials and other technical equipment and have over $1,000 left in our bank account.
Let me know if I can help.
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 2/05/01 at 4:57am
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I listed some of our latest ideas and projects under the "LOST OUR LEASE" thread. Look for my latest reply dated 2/5/01. I think there is another thread which has been inactive for a while. Look for that one too because I think there are a couple of other ideas.
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 2/05/01 at 9:25am
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When our group started we plowed ahead without thinking. The cast agreed to pay for their scripts. We chose a play with limited set requirements. We were able to work out a deal with the owners of our venue to pay for the rental after the production. We put together a quality program and collected the advertising revenues prior to sending the program to the printer. We had a booth at a local octoberfest. We had kids games with prizes, face painting and sold baked goods, as well as raffled off tickets to our performances. We also applied for local cultural council grants. From a germ of an idea in someones living room, we managed in four months time to have a successful play under our belt and nearly $500 in the bank account. We have also used tag/yard/garage sales which can quickly generate a couple hundred dollars.
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 3/20/01 at 5:41pm
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Our community theater started this year with an ad book. We sold ads to local merchants for the year. Each show that we produce, we insert the program into the ad book. This being our first year we managed to sell about 36 ads. We also had a benafactor page with donors. We raised about $5,000 after printing and we printed about 2,000 books.
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 3/27/01 at 2:58am
We've had several successful fundraisers. One huge hit is our annual tricky tray. Getting the donations from local merchants is a big task, but from there .....it's easy.
We've also done some smaller scaled things i.e. breakfast with Santa; a haunted house, craft fairs.
The possiblities are endless. Best of luck to you and your company!
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 3/29/01 at 12:58am
Please explain "tricky tray".
Thanks
Bill
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 4/01/01 at 8:01pm
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 4/01/01 at 8:02pm
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 4/04/01 at 1:51pm
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you can always try getting corporate sponsors, or even local businesses. you can offer ads in a playbill or "sponsored by" status of a production or even an evening of a production. there are tons of grants out there if you are aggressive. and, yes, though they are not fun, a way to get your name out there for increased attendance would be a bake sale or sponsored walk if you could pull it off.
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 6/20/01 at 5:08pm
Has anyone ever found the answer to "WHAT IS A TRICKY TRAY ?"
enquiring minds want to know. Ruth
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 6/25/01 at 1:15pm
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One technique we have used with tremendous success is to put on special performances for local non-profits as fund-raisers for those groups. For instance, with our current production, we scheduled a special performance for Salvation Army. They pay us a flat fee ($500) and then they sell the tickets for whatever amount they want and keep the difference. They held an ice cream social in our gallery beforehand and held a silent auction as part of their event. It's good for us because it brings in people who might not find us otherwise, and it's sure money in the bank. Actors love to do an extra performance, and it does the sponsoring organziation good as well. Win-Win. Extra money for something you're already doing.
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 9/08/01 at 1:02am
One question. What is a "tricky tray" as mentioned in one of the replies to this topic of raising money? But here are our ideas:
1)Have a "coffee house" concert where you get a talented singer/guitarist to volunteer to perform. Serve donated cookies and coffee afterwards as a little "reception" for the artist. Be sure to put a "seeded" donation jar on the cookie table. We made between 2-3 hundred this way. Be sure to publicize it!
2)Find a local artist who will donate something for you to give away to someone at the final performance of your block-buster show of the season. Spend several months selling tickets on the item before the drawing. Quilts are popular as are pieces of one of a kind pottery or sculpture.
3) Serve refreshments at intermissions. Announce what the donations will be applied toward. Make sure it is something the people can get behind emotionally....We needed new restrooms and everybody knew it. When we made it known that that was our cause the money rolled it alot faster.
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