Help me, im a volunteer!

beakerjoe

Hi gang,

Just thought Id post this here that Id most likely get a better response here.

Im organising a fund raising race night event and on the night im hoping to have a raffle. Just wondering about spot prizes and which companies/ business are best to get donations from ??? Where would I find best success???

HomelessMidge

beakerjoe wrote: »

Hi gang,

Just thought Id post this here that Id most likely get a better response here.

Im organising a fund raising race night event and on the night im hoping to have a raffle. Just wondering about spot prizes and which companies/ business are best to get donations from ??? Where would I find best success???

Local stores and that. People you know. Ask friends family any unwanted gift sets/ wine/ vouchers and stuff lying around.

You would be surprised at the amount you could get.

Donkey Oaty

beakerjoe wrote: »

fund raising

Tell us more about this - for what cause?

beakerjoe

Donkey Oaty wrote: »

Tell us more about this - for what cause?

Football team iin Dublin , I have it planned to take the day off work on Friday and go around to as many places as i can. I just have no experience doing it, was wondering who tend to be most helpful, like what types of business ...off licences, pharmacys, butchers I imagine

thegreatgonzo

Ask everybody. You never know what you might get. Stores that have multiple branches might not be so helpful as head office might do the allocating but it's worth asking anyway. I organised a few fundraisers before and I got stuff from hardware stores, supermarkets and vouchers for different stuff like a beautician or a night at the greyhound races.

Donkey Oaty

beakerjoe wrote: »

Football team iin Dublin

So a very local, community, sports organisation - sounds like your strategy is the right one. Do you know of any businesses etc that have helped out in the past?

thegreatgonzo

beakerjoe wrote: »

Football team iin Dublin , I have it planned to take the day off work on Friday and go around to as many places as i can. I just have no experience doing it, was wondering who tend to be most helpful, like what types of business ...off licences, pharmacys, butchers I imagine

I had no luck with one well known chain of off licences, they told me their head office decided who got what and only at Christmas. Local businesses might be more into it since they might like a bit of publicity.
Two of the biggest supermarket chains in Ireland were quite generous to me so I was able to get some nice boozy prizes there.
I never thought of asking the butcher:D

yeppydeppy

the man from del monte?

Greenmachine

Try canvassing a few local businesses. My brother did this some years ago when he organised a wine tasting evening. Guy who owned the shop donated six different wines at two bottle each attended the event and directed people on how to taste etc. You need to use your social network, you might be surprised at what you can achieve.

anncoates

Most local businesses will throw in a prize of some sort, no matter how small, in my experience.

Just go around and ask them in person.

thegreatgonzo

If you are just going to the shops/businesses on this particular day the person you need to speak to might not be there. I'd leave some information about the event with them and arrange to come back again. I had to make a couple of call backs but I was mostly successful.

beakerjoe

Donkey Oaty wrote: »

So a very local, community, sports organisation - sounds like your strategy is the right one. Do you know of any businesses etc that have helped out in the past?

Ive contacted everyone who was involved last year and have had about half reply via letter/email.

Ive had limited success with letters and emails, it sems to be "send out 100, get one positive response" situation so far. So Ive just been whipping out the letters and hoping something sticks.

Thanks to all who replied. Knew I could count on AH boards to help out

Banjo String

I'll donate your raffle music.

Ticket number one, one, ONE.

whitewave

I'm really glad you called it a fundraiser rather than a charity event...drives me nuts when people ask you to buy a raffle ticket or support their "charity" then when you ask what charity, they mention a sports team or club!

I'd suggest trying shops that aren't chains and are run by locals, they'll be more inclined to help something in the area and alot of chains wouldn't have the authority to give gift vouchers/prizes etc without running it by regional managers etc. Good luck!

kneemos

beakerjoe wrote: »

Ive contacted everyone who was involved last year and have had about half reply via letter/email.

Ive had limited success with letters and emails, it sems to be "send out 100, get one positive response" situation so far. So Ive just been whipping out the letters and hoping something sticks.

Thanks to all who replied. Knew I could count on AH boards to help out

Thanks.It wasn't difficult.

ScumLord

Every business should be considered they're all, always, looking for self promotion.

Contact them through their facebook page if they have one. They're in jumping on bandwagons mode when logged in there. So tell them about all the great facebook publicity they'll get and how you'll share their generosity with all your facebook friends.

Lisha

In my experience a lot if place will request a letter for their records ESP if they are a chain with a head office.
Try hotels got a few weekend s away and dinner vouchers once.
Lidl and Supervalu can be great .

Best of luck with it

Edit to ad
When we do race night we offer business the chance to sponsers a race with another business . Makes it more affordable.
If you are doing last race as an auction race announce this well at start of night to give people chance to form syndicates .

beakerjoe

Lisha wrote: »

In my experience a lot if place will request a letter for their records ESP if they are a chain with a head office.
Try hotels got a few weekend s away and dinner vouchers once.
Lidl and Supervalu can be great .

Best of luck with it

Edit to ad
When we do race night we offer business the chance to sponsers a race with another business . Makes it more affordable.
If you are doing last race as an auction race announce this well at start of night to give people chance to form syndicates .

If you could PM me the names of said hotels that would be help. Have sent letters out to a few big hotels (well hotels I know outside of Dublin) so hoping for some feedback as it would be great to get a nice top prize. Last year, the lad running the race night bought a hotel voucher on groupon as we had no top prize.

beakerjoe

After a good few weeks of struggling from business to business for spot prizes and donations, ive finally managed to get about 8 spot prizes (each prize is like a hammer of different things, cinema tickets, shocolates, wash sets, vouchers etc..) All i need to top everything off now is a top prize such as a weekend away.

Now i took Lishas advice and emailed almost every hotel group within the country to no joy, any one any more suggestions on how to acquire such a prize?

Thanks again to everyone who has given advice

Annasopra

beakerjoe wrote: »

After a good few weeks of struggling from business to business for spot prizes and donations, ive finally managed to get about 8 spot prizes (each prize is like a hammer of different things, cinema tickets, shocolates, wash sets, vouchers etc..) All i need to top everything off now is a top prize such as a weekend away.

Now i took Lishas advice and emailed almost every hotel group within the country to no joy, any one any more suggestions on how to acquire such a prize?

Thanks again to everyone who has given advice

Any local hotels?

beakerjoe

Not really, Only hotels near the club are all big chains and their head offices and teh hotels themselves have been unable to donate anything