Coming up with new and innovative ways to earn money for your organization or charity is not always easy. You likely want to do something that piques people’s curiosity that will also cover your costs and leave you with enough left over to put toward your cause.
Rather than opt for more traditional fundraising efforts like cookie sales, planning and setting up a casino fundraiser might be more effective in capturing donors’ attention. Fortunately, organizing a casino-themed fundraiser can be much easier than you might think. Learn how to get the process underway below.
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Get Expert Help
When you decide that a casino nights fundraiser is an effective way to raise money for your cause, seeking help from experts in this field may be one of the best decisions you make. Without having organized such an event by yourself before, having the assistance of a company that does this very thing for a living can often help the whole process run much smoother.
They can talk you through your fundraising options, help you choose games, and even help you decide the level of assistance you require from the company on the day of the actual event. While planning a fundraising event can typically be challenging for even the most organized committee, it’s undoubtedly made easier when you can rely on the assistance of experts.
Crunch the Numbers
Fun is a significant component of any fundraising event. You want to ensure that those in attendance are having a good time and feel that your cause is worthy of their charitable donation.
However, making sure you’re raising money while people are having fun is also essential. Before you get too involved in planning, take a look at the costs involved in your casino night and establish what you need to make to break even and start making a profit.
This can be as easy as predetermining how many chips you have based on the fundraiser type, the number of game tables and guests, and the ticket price. The number of chips may also influence how much money people spend, but no money is actually won from the games due to it being a fundraising event.
Instead, players are encouraged to purchase and win as many chips as possible, which they can exchange for raffle tickets to win prizes. Often, organizations and charities can reach out to businesses to donate prizes to make this fundraiser type even more lucrative.
Pick a Date and Venue
Set a date and pick a venue early on in your fundraising plan. This can be incredibly important as scheduling conflicts and other significant events may impact your ability to bring in the numbers you had anticipated to see.
Make sure you’re aware of public holidays, major sports games in your town, city, or nationally, and even special days like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or Valentine’s Day. The further away from other significant events your fundraiser is, the more likely it might be to draw in individuals and businesses who don’t have anything else planned.
When picking a venue, make sure it’s one that can handle the numbers you’ve planned for and has adequate space for guests to move around and use the gaming tables. Having facilities such as restrooms and food preparation areas, ample parking spaces, and possibly even a bar can also be important.
Establish a Fundraising Goal
Your fundraising goal is likely to earn as much money and exposure as possible, but getting more specific with that goal may allow you to reach it much easier. Decide how much profit you’d like to make, and see how that would be achievable based on the number of guests and specific donations.
Making such calculations may help you decide how to price your tickets and arrange entertainment to complement the casino games like poker and roulette. For example, you might make it a black-tie event with superior restaurant catering or book a well-known band.
Some of these extras can cut into your profit, but you may also find that you can increase your ticket price and welcome more guests as a result.
Select Games and Activities
As you discuss packages with your preferred fundraising event provider, look at the different games and activities you can incorporate into your package. You might have Craps tables, Blackjack or 21 tables, roulette wheels, and slot machines.
The incorporation of funny money may also be a drawcard, along with a photo booth for your guests to take their own humorous photos or a hired photographer. The more games you have, the more fun your guests may have and the more money you may earn for your cause.
However, alongside games, you can also incorporate activities to make things even more interesting for guests. Donation tiers for those in attendance may be a significant drawcard. The more they spend, the better chips they may receive.
Silent or live auctions on donated prizes may also be a worthwhile consideration, especially as it can be an additional money stream for your cause. At this point, you may also like to think about corporate sponsorships to cover some of your costs and come up with ways to make sure they are adequately compensated with entertainment as a ‘thank you’ for their charitable donation.
Finally, a casino night is not complete without casino players dressed in traditional gambling attire. Set a costume theme and organize prizes for those who go ‘all out’ with their clothing.
Don’t Forget the Logistics
A well-planned casino night is one that has an experienced host from the casino industry to help those in attendance with game rules, but there can be factors to consider outside the realm of gameplay. Think about food and beverages you’d like to offer and whether your facility allows the sale of alcohol or is a BYO environment.
Finger food is always appreciated at fundraising events, or you may like to offer ticket upgrades for sit-down meals to increase your profits even further. Offering courtesy coaches and recommending nearby accommodation providers may also be how you cover all bases to ensure a well-run and successful casino-themed fundraising night.
Setting up a casino fundraising event doesn’t have to be hard work. By creating a comprehensive plan with this information above, you may benefit from a straightforward and profitable affair that significantly helps your cause.
