Fundraiser ideas?

[HopefulInterest]

I have to host 2 fundraisers, and I need some help thinking of ideas. What sorts of things do you think are a good idea?

Thanks!!

[HopefulInterest]

Do you think a pasta dinner is a good idea? I was thinking that I could invite my friends, and some sisters, and charge something like $3 a plate or something like that. I love cooking, and pasta and sauce is really cheap!!

[33girl]

How much help will you have with this event?

If you don't have enough people assisting you things could end up like this.

[HopefulInterest]

I could probably get my housemates to help out (I live w/5 other girls)...but I'm not sure.

[ree-Xi]

Originally Posted by HopefulInterest

I have to host 2 fundraisers, and I need some help thinking of ideas. What sorts of things do you think are a good idea?

Thanks!!

Fundraiser for.......?

How much money do you need to raise?

Originally Posted by HopefulInterest

Do you think a pasta dinner is a good idea? I was thinking that I could invite my friends, and some sisters, and charge something like $3 a plate or something like that. I love cooking, and pasta and sauce is really cheap!!

How many people do you expect to attend?

Is it easy for attendees to get to the event?

What about parking?

How much money will it cost for the ingredients/space/plates/etc.?

How much money do you need to make after figuring in the cost to put it on (a.k.a. profit)?

How many people do you need to help?

We cannot give you ideas without knowing some specifics.

[HopefulInterest]

Originally Posted by ree-Xi

Fundraiser for.......?

How much money do you need to raise?



How many people do you expect to attend?

Is it easy for attendees to get to the event?

What about parking?

How much money will it cost for the ingredients/space/plates/etc.?

How much money do you need to make after figuring in the cost to put it on (a.k.a. profit)?

How many people do you need to help?

We cannot give you ideas without knowing some specifics.

Fundraisers for me as a sorority interest.

There is no amount I need since it's just for me to help cover the cost of orientation if/when I pledge/become a sister.

I'm talking about something extremely small (10-15 people max) since I basically have to do it on my own as I'm currently the only official interest of the chapter. I basically am planning on inviting my friends and sisters and that's it.

I was thinking about just holding it at my house on campus, so most people will walk, since most of my friends live on campus, and for any sisters who come, there is parking on campus available.

To give 10-15 people each a plate, the cost of food would be about $10 (4 packs of pasta and 4 things of sauce), and if I had each plate be $3, I could make $30-45 which means a profit of $25-35.

I could conceivably do it on my own, but of course, having help would make it easier.

[ree-Xi]

Originally Posted by HopefulInterest

Fundraisers for me as a sorority interest.

There is no amount I need since it's just for me to help cover the cost of orientation if/when I pledge/become a sister.

I'm talking about something extremely small (10-15 people max) since I basically have to do it on my own as I'm currently the only official interest of the chapter. I basically am planning on inviting my friends and sisters and that's it.

I was thinking about just holding it at my house on campus, so most people will walk, since most of my friends live on campus, and for any sisters who come, there is parking on campus available.

To give 10-15 people each a plate, the cost of food would be about $10 (4 packs of pasta and 4 things of sauce), and if I had each plate be $3, I could make $30-45 which means a profit of $25-35.

I could conceivably do it on my own, but of course, having help would make it easier.

Okay, I was asking the questions rhetorically. I didn't expect an answer. But since you did answer, I am kind of appalled.

I expected that it was for charity of some sort, but you are asking other people - namely, your friends - to fund your desired membership?

[SydneyK]

Originally Posted by HopefulInterest

I have to host 2 fundraisers

Originally Posted by HopefulInterest

Fundraisers for me as a sorority interest.

There is no amount I need since it's just for me to help cover the cost of orientation if/when I pledge/become a sister.

So, do you have to host 2 fundraisers to demonstrate some kind of skill in organizing such an event, or is this something you're doing because you need extra cash?

If it's the first, that's one thing.
If it's the second, I think it's a bit tacky to ask friends (and potential sisters) to fund your membership.

Originally Posted by HopefulInterest

To give 10-15 people each a plate, the cost of food would be about $10 (4 packs of pasta and 4 things of sauce), and if I had each plate be $3, I could make $30-45 which means a profit of $25-35

So, all you'll have is noodles with sauce? No salad? No bread? No drinks? No dessert?

[AZ-AlphaXi]

Originally Posted by SydneyK

So, all you'll have is noodles with sauce? No salad? No bread? No drinks? No dessert?

no plates? no napkins? no plastic ware?

[HopefulInterest]

Originally Posted by ree-Xi

Okay, I was asking the questions rhetorically. I didn't expect an answer. But since you did answer, I am kind of appalled.

I expected that it was for charity of some sort, but you are asking other people - namely, your friends - to fund your desired membership?

If you were asking rhetorically you shouldn't have said that you need more info in order to help.

I would gladly pay out of pocket, but I'm required to do fundraising.

Originally Posted by SydneyK

So, do you have to host 2 fundraisers to demonstrate some kind of skill in organizing such an event, or is this something you're doing because you need extra cash?

If it's the first, that's one thing.
If it's the second, I think it's a bit tacky to ask friends (and potential sisters) to fund your membership.


So, all you'll have is noodles with sauce? No salad? No bread? No drinks? No dessert?

I have to host them to demonstrate organizational skills.

I may have salad or bread, and I'll have drinks, but I have a ton of juice and water already on hand, so I'm not counting that in cost (I ave about 4 things of juice of various kinds stored under my bed which is more than plenty).

Originally Posted by AZ-AlphaXi

no plates? no napkins? no plastic ware?

I was going to use the plates, cups and silverware that we have in the house. We probably have about 20 plates, 15 cups, and 20+ sets of flatware along with 4-5 rolls of paper towels.

[adpiucf]

You can also have a garage sale. Get people to donate items and sell them. Whatever is left over after the sale can be taken to Goodwill.

[adpiucf]

Originally Posted by SydneyK

So, do you have to host 2 fundraisers to demonstrate some kind of skill in organizing such an event, or is this something you're doing because you need extra cash?

If it's the first, that's one thing.
If it's the second, I think it's a bit tacky to ask friends (and potential sisters) to fund your membership.

It may be tacky, but it is something the organization is requiring, so I think she should invite the whole chapter so they can see how hard she has worked. And I think she should charge $5 a plate (you'll raise more money and you won't have to have tons of singles on hand to make change.).

And if people can't come, ask them to donate anyway, and you can give a plate away in their name or something since the idea is to raise money. If you do that, you can promote it to friends and family who live far away and want to help out. You can even start a fundraising site online with youcaring.com. (friends of mine are using that site to help raise money for another friend who has cancer. Insurance covers their medical expenses, but not the time missed from work, etc., so it is a great way to be able to contribute online, and the site doesn't take money from those donating unless they volunteer a contribution to the site).

[AZTheta]

It sounds like you really aren't asking us for fundraising ideas or feedback. You have made up your mind that you are going to do a "spaghetti dinner" and charge your friends to eat.

Not seeing how this is demonstrating other than rudimentary organizational skills, let alone fundraising skills. Fundraising per se is an event to raise money to benefit a cause. What you're proposing seems to be to benefit YOU (to offset membership costs). I suppose you can make a case for how you are a worthy cause, and I'm sure you'll explain it to me (how this is really fundraising).

[HopefulInterest]

Originally Posted by AzTheta

It sounds like you really aren't asking us for fundraising ideas or feedback. You have made up your mind that you are going to do a "spaghetti dinner" and charge your friends to eat.

Not seeing how this is demonstrating other than rudimentary organizational skills, let alone fundraising skills. Fundraising per se is an event to raise money to benefit a cause. What you're proposing seems to be to benefit YOU (to offset membership costs). I suppose you can make a case for how you are a worthy cause, and I'm sure you'll explain it to me (how this is really fundraising).

I haven't made up my mind in any way. It was an idea I posed, and I have stated how it would be executed if I did it. I don't see how you see me as not asking for ideas or feedback...

The definition of fundraising is: "Raising money for a cause or project", or "The organized activity of raising funds (as for an institution or political cause)."

So fundraising doesn't have to be something that benefits a cause, it can be benefiting a project (in this case, pledging the org) and hosting a pasta dinner would be considered fundraising because it would be raising money for a project, or if you want to stretch it a bit, an institution (the sorority).

[AZTheta]

First you post this:

Originally Posted by HopefulInterest

I have to host 2 fundraisers, and I need some help thinking of ideas. What sorts of things do you think are a good idea?

Thanks!!

Then, you post this:

Originally Posted by HopefulInterest

Do you think a pasta dinner is a good idea? I was thinking that I could invite my friends, and some sisters, and charge something like $3 a plate or something like that. I love cooking, and pasta and sauce is really cheap!!

And you spend the balance of the thread elaborating on your spaghetti plans and not responding to any other suggestions or ideas, which is why I wrote what I did (see the bolded).

Originally Posted by HopefulInterest

I haven't made up my mind in any way. It was an idea I posed, and I have stated how it would be executed if I did it. I don't see how you see me as not asking for ideas or feedback...

The definition of fundraising is: "Raising money for a cause or project", or "The organized activity of raising funds (as for an institution or political cause)."

So fundraising doesn't have to be something that benefits a cause, it can be benefiting a project (in this case, pledging the org) and hosting a pasta dinner would be considered fundraising because it would be raising money for a project, or if you want to stretch it a bit, an institution (the sorority).

Re: last paragraph. You're going to "donate" the money raised to yourself. Let's just be clear on that point.