If you have any downtime, make sure you have something active going on. While things are being figured out have a special item draw. Maybe put envelopes with the number 1 through 10 on the bottom of 10 random chairs before folks arrive. Then let those specific 10 participate in a special drawing.
Suggestions Org Banquets/Events
- Thread starter NDGuy
- Start date
timmymac24
WKR
Agreed with the above post. I coached high school football for several years and we had to have golf tourneys with a banquet to raise money annually. Keep things moving along. Nothing worse than dragging the raffle portion out for hours. I went to an RMEF banquet locally and took my wife and kids. It went on forever and took the fun out of being there. There is no reason to have these events last four hours or more.
Blackdirt Cowboy
Lil-Rokslider
We do a reverse raffle for our county fair association. We sell 250 tickets for $100 with the option of buying insurance for $40. The ticket entitles two people to a ribeye steak dinner, open bar, with beer and booze, all you can drink, and a live band/dance. The $40 insurance gets you a second chance if your ticket is drawn out. We draw all the tickets out until there are 10 remaining. When we get to the top ten, we auction off a chance for someone to buy one of the top ten tickets. The top ten ticket holders are placed in random order and given the chance to sell their ticket to the auction winner. Wether a ticket sells or not, we draw one out to get to 9. Then auction off the chance to buy another. We continue this until the the last ticket is drawn. The last ticket in the hopper wins $10,000. We make a 10% commission on any ticket sales. We also raffle rifles, pistols, really anything we can get donated. Its not uncommon to raise $20k in one evening and we are in one of the poorest counties in Texas. I know some folks in neighboring counties that have lots of oil money and their fundraisers like this will make $50-100k easy.
Don't make the ladies items all pink and frilly. Female hunters need quality gear just as much as the guys do.
How about raffling or auctioning a quality pair of boots, via a certificate from the maker.
I was in charge of choosing the guns for our 20 gun raffle board one year, get quality. One nice .22 is all you need.
We also have had a complete elk camp to raffle, not auction, I believe Davis supplied the tent and various other components of it. Great folks there and the camp was a big hit; tent, frame, stove, cots and smaller items.
Have some good raffles or games where big money is not needed to win it. Not everyone has big bucks to spend.
My favorite donation was a nice 7-08 for a youth surprise raffle or auction, we gun was cased and sold unseen til the auction was over.
Daisy BB guns always do well at our local auctions, seems the grandparents always are looking for affordable ways to get the kids started hunting.
How about raffling or auctioning a quality pair of boots, via a certificate from the maker.
I was in charge of choosing the guns for our 20 gun raffle board one year, get quality. One nice .22 is all you need.
We also have had a complete elk camp to raffle, not auction, I believe Davis supplied the tent and various other components of it. Great folks there and the camp was a big hit; tent, frame, stove, cots and smaller items.
Have some good raffles or games where big money is not needed to win it. Not everyone has big bucks to spend.
My favorite donation was a nice 7-08 for a youth surprise raffle or auction, we gun was cased and sold unseen til the auction was over.
Daisy BB guns always do well at our local auctions, seems the grandparents always are looking for affordable ways to get the kids started hunting.
Lots of bars. Keep the booze flowing! I was at a banquet of 500+ people that had one beer bar and a separate liquor bar across the room. What were they thinking? No less than 75 people in each line all night. Grab a drink then have to go stand in line again at the other bar to get your wife a glass of wine. What a disaster.
Have a quality ladies only raffle and maybe a youth raffle as well. Then additional ladies and youth gear throughout the event. Ladies like to spend money too and a guy can easily justify dropping coin on his wife and kids. Sitka, Kuiu and others are making a lot more women and youth gear. So go guns and gear. Jewellery type items are nice but save them for the silent auction.
Have quality rifles and gear and advertise this good stuff when selling tickets. People will spend a few more bucks on a banquet ticket and raffle tickets if they know they are walking into a room of good stuff. I went to 2 banquets this year and didn't hardly spend a dime because nothing interested me. Bought a few raffle ticket's just because I wanted to throw some money towards each organization. I was at a 3rd banquet that was loaded with premo items and was more than happy to throw my some money around for the opportunity of great gear.
Rifles: Think Tikka Superlite and up. Kimber, Christensen, Cooper, Barrett, etc. Let people choose their caliber when possible. For your couple top end rifles, they present much better thus bringing better money if they have a scope mounted on them. Don't forget a couple good bows and shotguns.
Optics: High end Vortex and Leupold. Meopta and Kowa are solid. Leica, Zeiss, or Swaro for a top end prize.
Get your hunt auctions locked in and advertised as far in advance of the banquet as possible. These hunts help bring in people and the people bidding on hunts are usually the ones with looser wallets. People also need time to research a hunt they might be interested in bidding on. Hidden costs or date restrictions that aren't made available until the event can be a deal killer.
Have multiple large maps of the floor layout. I hate seeing 12 people standing around one small poster inside the front door trying to find their table. Small map on each table showing how raffles and games are stationed around the room.
Get people checked in quickly. I was at a banquet that had one line for people who were sitting at purchased tables and a line for individual ticket holders. There were 50 people in the table line and only a handful in the individual ticket line. No workers jumped over to help out checking in at the table line. People can't spend money if they can't get in the door.
Oh, did I mention lots of bars.
Have a quality ladies only raffle and maybe a youth raffle as well. Then additional ladies and youth gear throughout the event. Ladies like to spend money too and a guy can easily justify dropping coin on his wife and kids. Sitka, Kuiu and others are making a lot more women and youth gear. So go guns and gear. Jewellery type items are nice but save them for the silent auction.
Have quality rifles and gear and advertise this good stuff when selling tickets. People will spend a few more bucks on a banquet ticket and raffle tickets if they know they are walking into a room of good stuff. I went to 2 banquets this year and didn't hardly spend a dime because nothing interested me. Bought a few raffle ticket's just because I wanted to throw some money towards each organization. I was at a 3rd banquet that was loaded with premo items and was more than happy to throw my some money around for the opportunity of great gear.
Rifles: Think Tikka Superlite and up. Kimber, Christensen, Cooper, Barrett, etc. Let people choose their caliber when possible. For your couple top end rifles, they present much better thus bringing better money if they have a scope mounted on them. Don't forget a couple good bows and shotguns.
Optics: High end Vortex and Leupold. Meopta and Kowa are solid. Leica, Zeiss, or Swaro for a top end prize.
Get your hunt auctions locked in and advertised as far in advance of the banquet as possible. These hunts help bring in people and the people bidding on hunts are usually the ones with looser wallets. People also need time to research a hunt they might be interested in bidding on. Hidden costs or date restrictions that aren't made available until the event can be a deal killer.
Have multiple large maps of the floor layout. I hate seeing 12 people standing around one small poster inside the front door trying to find their table. Small map on each table showing how raffles and games are stationed around the room.
Get people checked in quickly. I was at a banquet that had one line for people who were sitting at purchased tables and a line for individual ticket holders. There were 50 people in the table line and only a handful in the individual ticket line. No workers jumped over to help out checking in at the table line. People can't spend money if they can't get in the door.
Oh, did I mention lots of bars.
My advice...go to a RMEF banquet and do the exact opposite of what they do. Banquets that last 4-5 hours? No thanks. Allowing committee members to get shit faced drunk while trying to sell raffle tickets? No thanks. Committee members that are selling said raffle tickets, buying some themselves and at times, winning that same raffle? No thanks.
I get it, everyone wants to win/play but for me....if you are working the event, then work the damn event.
Sorry for the vent, my localish chapter is garbage and YMMV...
I get it, everyone wants to win/play but for me....if you are working the event, then work the damn event.
Sorry for the vent, my localish chapter is garbage and YMMV...
String&stick
WKR
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2018
- Messages
- 1,062
Helped run a local chapter of NWTF and I have sat on the state board. A few things that people always commented they liked were as follows.
1. A packet/brochure either with the invite, or a couple weeks ahead of the banquet showing the main prizes. Doesn't have to be all of the prizes but most.
2. Off site bidding, last few years we have had off site bidding for a few items, it comes with a fee but we have seen it add to our revenue.
3. Split the pot kids auction. Depending on the size of your banquet you trim the ages to make it fit to where you have 12 to 24 kids. Have a small give away for those that don't get to participate (hat, magazine subscription, something to hold their interest). If you have 12 keep them separate, if you have 24 pair them up. Split siblings where possible! Number them off write it in two pieces of paper. Then auction the kids(their number) to the highest bidder! Winning bidder gets the number from those kids each time. Once bidding is over, put second set of numbers in a hat and draw. Winning kid/kids get a cheap gun or a lifetime hunt permit bidder that won those kids gets half the proceeds from the bidding. Is normally a great money maker.
4. Activity specific items. Wild turkey federation banquets every year I put a package together with a nice decoy, decent shotgun, some calls, and a vest. . . Always made money on that raffle. For mule deer it could be an optics bundle, lightweight camp setup, whatever just a nice setup that guys would want.
5. Have women's hunting gear but have some non hunting stuff too. Every year we get a piece or two of jewelry from a local jeweler for our silent auction, they always go well for the non hunting wives.
6. Meat processing stuff - last few years these have gone over well as well - grinders, sausage stuffers, or gift cards to local processors.
biggest advice is this, make sure your price of admission is making some money after food costs! To many banquets lose $3-$5 a plate and it kills earnings! Provided an alcohol option, it's great if you get a cut, but we have done venues where they get all the booze money - in exchange we ask for free or reduced venue rental! But you want a good time for all.
And make sure you educate on the organization, it's goals, and what it's doing locally. We always have a paper at every seat showing dollars spent in the state, and dollars spent within a 50 mile radius typically going back up to 5 years. Most people are shocked to know we paid for some things
1. A packet/brochure either with the invite, or a couple weeks ahead of the banquet showing the main prizes. Doesn't have to be all of the prizes but most.
2. Off site bidding, last few years we have had off site bidding for a few items, it comes with a fee but we have seen it add to our revenue.
3. Split the pot kids auction. Depending on the size of your banquet you trim the ages to make it fit to where you have 12 to 24 kids. Have a small give away for those that don't get to participate (hat, magazine subscription, something to hold their interest). If you have 12 keep them separate, if you have 24 pair them up. Split siblings where possible! Number them off write it in two pieces of paper. Then auction the kids(their number) to the highest bidder! Winning bidder gets the number from those kids each time. Once bidding is over, put second set of numbers in a hat and draw. Winning kid/kids get a cheap gun or a lifetime hunt permit bidder that won those kids gets half the proceeds from the bidding. Is normally a great money maker.
4. Activity specific items. Wild turkey federation banquets every year I put a package together with a nice decoy, decent shotgun, some calls, and a vest. . . Always made money on that raffle. For mule deer it could be an optics bundle, lightweight camp setup, whatever just a nice setup that guys would want.
5. Have women's hunting gear but have some non hunting stuff too. Every year we get a piece or two of jewelry from a local jeweler for our silent auction, they always go well for the non hunting wives.
6. Meat processing stuff - last few years these have gone over well as well - grinders, sausage stuffers, or gift cards to local processors.
biggest advice is this, make sure your price of admission is making some money after food costs! To many banquets lose $3-$5 a plate and it kills earnings! Provided an alcohol option, it's great if you get a cut, but we have done venues where they get all the booze money - in exchange we ask for free or reduced venue rental! But you want a good time for all.
And make sure you educate on the organization, it's goals, and what it's doing locally. We always have a paper at every seat showing dollars spent in the state, and dollars spent within a 50 mile radius typically going back up to 5 years. Most people are shocked to know we paid for some things
sounds super similar to my local chapter. It was bad enough for me to decide I didn’t need to be a member anymore. Add in that the chapter leadership was full of convicted poachers and that they do nothing for elk except raise money for national...
I’m not sure what the best way to accomplish it or if it really fits with fundraising goals but look for ways to keep it enjoyable and affordable for the common guy that shows up. I’ve been pretty putoff at banquets when you get a wealthy guy or two that decide to make it all about them and start flashing money, bidding everything up and buying huge amounts of raffle tickets to basically guarantee they will win stuff.
Hey man I get your point to an extent but at the end of the day, the entire point of these orgs is to raise money for the creation & preservation of wildlife and their habitat. Since a lot of orgs can't do it on donations alone we have to have auctions & raffles. In my chapter banquet, we always have a silent auction, door prizes, and smaller/general raffles with cheaper ticket prices.
Another thing I don't think people realize is we have to buy most of our prizes outright, we don't get a lot of things donated for free. So we have to sell as many tickets as we can. If we lower the ticket cost then your odds will go down anyways as more people will buy them. If we have a set amount of tickets we have to make money on the raffle so the ticket price is usually more money.
When we buy guns, trust me it's not an insane deal like 50% off or something. Typically we shave at most a few hundred off the sticker price. Which for a $700-850 rifle means we get it for $500-700. If we only sell 60 $10 tickets we basically bought a rifle for someone and got nothing in return.
Try to put things in perspective of what the raffles are for, the way I look at them is I am donating to preserving what I love to do and having the chance to win some cool shit. I think that beats writing a check as a straight donation.
Sure seems like many that complain about how these events are run should put up some time volunteering to see how much work goes into these events. Complaining about a VOLUNTEER drinking or buying raffle tickets is a joke. Those people have every right to donate their hard earned money and enjoy themselves just like everyone else. I help with a couple different organizations and do it for free on my own time, no kickbacks, special treatment or anything else. If you don't like something, step up and help plan and organize rather than complain!
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I think one way to meet halfway on something like this is to have games where it may be $10 to play but you have a chance to win more tickets. I know our Grouse banquet they play "high/low" with cards and I think they put 6 cards face down you flip the first and then guess if the next is higher or lower. Guess wrong you are out and then guess right and you move to the next card and the tickets you win grow progressively the more you guess correct. I saw guys dump a couple hundred on this and get like 30 tickets and saw a couple people spend $30 and get around 100 tickets for raffles.
Just a few things:
1) make sure you have some raffle items for the ladies (gift certs for major retailers like Nordstroms, spa, luxury/destination hotel).
2) Have something for the kids, be it raffle items or a small gift package to keep them busy at the table. We've even rented a video shooting booth in the corner.
3) Higher end guns and optics are a way of setting your event apart.
4) Another things we have done is identified a specific project that needed funding, sis a very quick presentation on it, and then asked for donations. We would have the donors stand and the runners would take out forms to complete to memorialize the donation. In one instance we had a well-heeled support offer to match up to $10,000, which seemed to make other people more willing to open their wallets knowing that for every dollar they contributed that $2 were going to the project.
1) make sure you have some raffle items for the ladies (gift certs for major retailers like Nordstroms, spa, luxury/destination hotel).
2) Have something for the kids, be it raffle items or a small gift package to keep them busy at the table. We've even rented a video shooting booth in the corner.
3) Higher end guns and optics are a way of setting your event apart.
4) Another things we have done is identified a specific project that needed funding, sis a very quick presentation on it, and then asked for donations. We would have the donors stand and the runners would take out forms to complete to memorialize the donation. In one instance we had a well-heeled support offer to match up to $10,000, which seemed to make other people more willing to open their wallets knowing that for every dollar they contributed that $2 were going to the project.
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