Fund-raising is a vital part of running a marching band.
New percussion instruments for a marching band are expensive. They requires intensive fund-raising, although the business of raising money for any marching band is a continual one. It's needed for other instruments, uniforms, trips and all the other expenses of the band. In order to bring in money you need to offer items people want to buy. In many ways it's a form of marketing.
Instructions
1. Use the different times of year to your advantage for fund-raising. Offer items related to the various seasons, such as tea and coffee, or even baskets full of holiday goodies (cranberry sauce, cookies and more) around Thanksgiving and Christmas, seeds in spring and plant bulbs in autumn. Contact suppliers well in advance and look around for the best prices that will bring in the greatest profits; dealing with specialist fund-raising houses doesn't guarantee the best quality items and the largest amount of money to you.
2. Sell items for home and garden, as well as edible items like chocolate and tubs of frozen cookie dough, or even pretzels, which can be sold at school during lunch periods. Work with parents to organize a large yard sale or bake sale; if it's well-publicized and at the right time of year (spring is ideal) it can bring in plenty of money. Offer items for the car, such as mats or seat covers emblazoned with the marching band logo, which lets families show their support for the music. Develop a catalog of items, print on the computer and distribute; the more you have to offer, the more sales you'll make.
3. Arrange theme sales. As more people become ecologically conscious, a "green" sale can be very effective. Offer items like "green" cleaners, candles, goods made from recycled items and potpourri. Sell these in the spring or fall, when people are thinking of spring cleaning or as the days get shorter. Repeat the theme sales, using different items year after year; not only can they be good to raise money for percussion instruments, but also on an ongoing basis.
4. Selling discount cards, for restaurants and services such as photographic studios, can be a very profitable fund-raising scheme; you're offering something of lasting value that people will really want, so it's a winning situation for everyone. Choose the card partners carefully to offer a wide range of services and broaden the appeal of the fund-raiser. Offer the cards as a special promotion to buy the percussion instruments.
Tags: marching band, Offer items, percussion instruments, items like, theme sales