I kind of wish I could quilt. An ex-boyfriend bought me a sewing machine for my birthday last year - and it was the perfect gift. But I've only used it once, because I've been too busy to dedicate myself to any major craft project. Especially one that involves learning how to work new equipment. (Just figuring out how to thread the thing involved about an hour and harassing my roommate's grandma.)
But I secretly suspect I will be involved with the 3-Day in one capacity or another for years to come. So, I asked a former Ms. America Tata how she handled a quilt raffle last year, JUST IN CASE I have tons more time next year. Here's how it went, in Shelli's own words:
My Mom makes beautiful quilts, so I decided to ask her if she would be willing to donate a handmade quilt for my raffle. Instead of making a donation she donated the materials and her time, so we raise funds that would be equal to or greater than the value of a home made quilt. Those of us who have been lucky enough to receive a quilt, made by loving hands, appreciate the time and effort that goes into it. She made a beautifully crafted Pink Breast Cancer Quilt.
It was so much fun to sell raffle tickets for this quilt. I sold tickets at work, to my neighbors, to family and friends. I even took the quilt to a family campout. This was a great place to raffle off the quilt. There were lots of people with us which made the event so much fun! I sold the tickets for $5 each or 5 for $20; everyone loves a bargain!! I didn't want the price to be too expensive. I figured it would be better to sell more tickets and hopefully make more money that way, than to discourage the buyer before they even got a good look at the quilt! I think the key is to raffle something that you and the buyers can be passionate about.
I really like Shelli's point about raffling something you and your buyers can be passionate about. A word to the wise, though: Check with your local municipality about their gambling laws, especially if you are raffling something of significant value. Some areas require permits and have specific criteria for how charity raffles must be structured to protect people from scams, and the last thing you want is the have a successful fundraiser shut down because you didn't plan ahead.
But I secretly suspect I will be involved with the 3-Day in one capacity or another for years to come. So, I asked a former Ms. America Tata how she handled a quilt raffle last year, JUST IN CASE I have tons more time next year. Here's how it went, in Shelli's own words:
My Mom makes beautiful quilts, so I decided to ask her if she would be willing to donate a handmade quilt for my raffle. Instead of making a donation she donated the materials and her time, so we raise funds that would be equal to or greater than the value of a home made quilt. Those of us who have been lucky enough to receive a quilt, made by loving hands, appreciate the time and effort that goes into it. She made a beautifully crafted Pink Breast Cancer Quilt.
It was so much fun to sell raffle tickets for this quilt. I sold tickets at work, to my neighbors, to family and friends. I even took the quilt to a family campout. This was a great place to raffle off the quilt. There were lots of people with us which made the event so much fun! I sold the tickets for $5 each or 5 for $20; everyone loves a bargain!! I didn't want the price to be too expensive. I figured it would be better to sell more tickets and hopefully make more money that way, than to discourage the buyer before they even got a good look at the quilt! I think the key is to raffle something that you and the buyers can be passionate about.
I met my goal and raised over $500 for my 3-Day Walk. I was also able to talk with a lot of people and hear their stories of why they wanted to support such a great cause.
I really like Shelli's point about raffling something you and your buyers can be passionate about. A word to the wise, though: Check with your local municipality about their gambling laws, especially if you are raffling something of significant value. Some areas require permits and have specific criteria for how charity raffles must be structured to protect people from scams, and the last thing you want is the have a successful fundraiser shut down because you didn't plan ahead.
Next week's Friday FundRAISER will feature advice on hosting a successful charity garage sale. And I'm hosting my last weekly giveaway this week. Details are here, but you can enter by commenting on this post, too. Be sure to leave an e-mail address or something so I can contact you if you win :)
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Can't wait to read your post about having a garage sale to raise money! I'm planning on holding one May 22 and need all the tips/advice I can get so that it's a success!