For the past two weeks, we’ve taken you through the steps of conducting a successful fundraising banquet. Today, with our final post on the topic, we explore ways to raise money at the banquet and also touch on some advice regarding guest speakers and entertainment.

There are several ways to raise funds for your organization at a banquet outside of the initial ticket sales. The opportunities are endless; all it takes is a bit of creativity and ingenuity.

One common way to make money is through a raffle. Sell the tickets at the front door as people enter the banquet, and announce the winners at the end of the evening. Prizes can include big-ticket items, like a vacation, or smaller items, such as the table centerpieces used at the dinner. Another fundraising option is to find a local photographer willing to donate his services for a good cause and take pictures of the guests throughout the evening. Have the pictures ready for purchase as the guests leave for the evening.

An auction using donated items from local businesses is one popular and enjoyable way to raise money. If possible, include a variety of items. Tickets to sports events or concerts, dinner gift certificates, and gift baskets all make great bid items. You can choose to host a live auction or a silent auction.  For a silent auction, place the items, or place cards describing the items, on a table. Each item should have a bid sheet in front of it, on which guests can write their bid for the item. One fun variation on this is to not serve dessert at the end of the meal and instead hold a dessert auction.

Designate a master of ceremonies, usually a prominent figure within your organization, to introduce speakers and entertainment, manage the auction, and announce any prizewinners.  Guest speakers can include local celebrities or leaders from supporting organizations. You will also want to provide entertainment for guests, such as local musicians to entertain between the speeches, a band or DJ for dancing, or even a comedian. 

We hope this bit of guidance will inspire you to plan such an event, if you are not doing so already, which will assist in diversifying your revenue base and potential.