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Rae -
Over the past 23 years, our museum has held many fundraisers and are always
looking for new ideas. Every spring we hold a 5K road race and children's
fun run.  This event is well attended by museum members and running
enthusiasts.  Usual profit - $10,000.  In the early summer we hold a golf
tournament.  Few members attend.  Local golf lovers do.  We make a little
money with a cut of registration fees.  Where we really make the $$ is on
raffle tickets, a live auction, a hole-in-one prize tickets.  The golf
tournament nets the museum between $20K - $30K.  We used to run a fall
family concert which would bring in a profit of $8K - $10K, with ticket
sales meeting expenses and all profit coming from corporate sponsors and
ads in the playbook.  We suspended that event because it was very staff
intensive and not worth the payback.  
For many years we ran a typical "adult night out" semi-formal themed event
with titles like..the Mad Hatters Ball, The Ungala, The Prom, etc.  We
constantly tweaked the formula for the event...from full buffet dinner, to
desserts & champagne, to private dinners at board members and museum
friend's homes before the event, live music, dancing...to one event help at
an indoor skatepark....No matter what we did, where we held the event, how
much creative effort, time and marketing the museum staff dedicated to the
event, we always made the bulk of our profit in two ways: corporate
sponsorships for the event and raffle and auction items donated by local
businesses and friends of the museum.  We have temporarily suspended "THE
event" because we are gearing up for a capital campaign and move to a
larger facility, but we vow that if/when we do this event again, we will
focus on bringing in many more auction/raffle items and making the event
affordable for our core audience - people with families, not only those who
can afford a single ticket price of $95.  My advice - create an event that
appeals to those who already love your museum and will attend your event. 
Look at the true cost in staff time that the event will "cost" you.  Once
you have an event that works for you, repeat it at the same time every year
so people will know when to expect it and that it is on their radar.  And
finally, take some time to research the other fundraisers that happen in
your geographic area throughout the year to ensure that you do not
duplicate something that is already happening or diminish your chances of
success by competing with another non-profit fundraiser happening at the
same time.  
Good luck!

Jane Bard
Director of Education
The Children's Museum of Portsmouth (NH)


Original Message:
-----------------
From: Rae Alexander [log in to unmask]
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 07:15:21 -0700
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Fund Raiser


ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
****************************************************************************
*

PLEASE if you would share any ideas you get I would really appreciate
it!!!  We have been trying to come up with some new ideas.
Thanks, Rae Alexander

-- 
Rae Alexander
Director
North Coast Nature Center
707.464.3633
www.northcoastnaturecenter.org

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