by Lance on November 12, 2011
The Right Choice for a Nonprofit: Sharing Ideas for Success
The tickets we purchased were reasonably priced and very professional looking, which was great for our small not-for-profit group.
~ Britt C. Menchhofer, R.S., Northwest Ohio Environmental Health Association Planning Committee
The Ohio Environmental Health Association (OEHA) works as a state association, but has four district planning committees that provide education for environmental health professionals and advocates for the profession. Each OEHA district plans its own events throughout the year.
The Northwest planning committee organizes an “education conference each fall that is offered to local sanitarians (specialists in sanitary science and public health) and other environmental health professionals and industry workers.” Attendees are able to network with other members in environmental health fields, and they are provided with opportunities to earn educational credits.
“In the past our district has had a raffle where prizes were available and tickets were purchased by attendees and placed into the buckets for the prizes. Prizes were usually items donated by individuals and businesses for the event. In the past few years, it has been harder to get businesses to donate prizes for the raffle,” Brad told me.
For that reason, the Northwest Planning Committee needed to rethink its fundraising strategy. It looked to the Northeast Planning Committee for advice.
A Reverse Raffle
“We decided this year to try a reverse raffle to raise more money and also be able to reach more people because the tickets could be sold prior to the event and to people other than attendees. Our Northeast district has a reverse raffle and gave us the details on their raffle.”
The Northwest district learned from the Northeast’s district’s success and adopted its fundraising strategy.
In the most common version of a reverse raffle, tickets are sold as they would be in a regular raffle, but the goal is to not have your ticket drawn. Instead, tickets are drawn in a reverse order. The losers are the ones that are drawn early, and the winners are the remaining tickets. For this raffle, the grand prize was $500, and $25 for every twenty-five tickets sold.
The money from this reverse raffle went to the George Eagle scholarship fund. “The scholarship fund aims to provide one graduate and one undergraduate scholarship each year for individuals studying a field of Environmental Health.”
Everyone is Responsible
In order for the reverse raffle to work, all the planning committee members needed to be on board. Each was asked to sell at least ten tickets each. “The tickets were marketed through email and mailings related to our conference. Asking people face to face is one of the best marketing strategies.” The organization employed both digital and physical mediums in order to reach its intended audience and did not downplay the importance of word of mouth sales.
Unfortunately, some of the tickets were not sold, and the fundraiser fell a little short of its goal, but, “[We] were still able to give a significant amount back to the scholarship fund,” Brad explained. And for that reason, “the event was a success.”
by Lance on October 31, 2011
A Little Transparency: Creating Customer Confidence by Inviting Customers Behind the Scenes
The ticket legitimizes our event; it makes it look special with a specific date and time and the incorporation of our photos & logos on the ticket as well.
~Paul Komorowski, Seaway Window
Custom printed tickets can mean so much more than “Admit One!” Take, for example, the case of Seaway Window, a replacement window company in Northwest Pennsylvania. In the business for over 50 years, Seaway is always looking for new and interesting ways to expose its products to customers.
To show off its process and products to its customers, Seaway Window invites them onto the factory floor. “Our Event is an Open House. We open our factory for tours of one of our production lines showing how a double hung window is made. The purpose is to get people to come to the factory and see how our windows are made, thus making them confident in choosing our company for their replacement window project,” Paul told me.
For the factory tour, Seaway uses the General Concert Ticket. This ticket can be printed in several flashy colors. It has space for event information as well as custom images.
For the factory tour that took place on October 8th, the Seaway team chose orange as a background color and included images of the factory and the company logo. Besides featuring a detachable stub and individual numbering, the ticket has discount information printed on its opposite side, which can be a handy reference for customers attending the event.
“We do not charge people to come to our event; it is free. We use the tickets to legitimize the event. Plus if they go through the factory tour, the tour guide will sign the back of the ticket for a discount applied to their project.”
For Seaway the ticket serves as a valuable form of advertising. It gets customers through the door and helps to incentivize customers to purchase replacement windows through them.
How does Seaway keep the public informed about its factory tours? “We use a multi-media approach. We use TV, radio, signage, print, direct mail, newspaper, and we use the ‘Open House’ ticket that I order from TicketPrinting.com to promote this event.” Seaway uses an all avenues approach. Rather than settling for one form of advertising, it utilizes a number of different outlets to build a buzz around its factory tours.
Paul urges others to, “Use a multi-media approach to drive people to your event.”
Those who attend the factory tour at Seagate have a good time, no matter how they learned about the event. “The best part of the event is the actual factory tour; people love to go though it,” Paul said.
by Lance on October 25, 2011
Charity Dance Event to Prevent Suicide
The tickets were really professional looking. I would definitely use the service again!
~Patricia Pupek, Event Organizer
On September 17th, the Western Massachusetts Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention held a Zumbathon to raise money for their annual “Out of the Darkness” Community Walk held in early October. Zumba is a combination of Latin dance, music, and exercise. It is meant to be fun and motivational and provide a great workout. A Zumbathon is a charity event hosted by a licensed instructor or instructors.
According to Patricia Pupek, the fundraiser was a great success with, “about 100 people, which is great, considering we put this together pretty quickly. The best part of the event was the enthusiasm of the people who attended, and the fact that we were able to get the word out about our organization to so many people.”
Raising awareness is one of the main goals of the organization. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is “the only national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research and education, and reaching out to people with mood disorders and those affected by suicide,” The AFSP hoped to raise $50,000 at the Community Walk event to fund a number of local initiatives. The Zumbathon helped put them on their way.
For the Zumbathon event, the AFSP chose the General Admission Concert Ticket. The colorful ticket had plenty of room for event information plus space for two logos. The images chosen included a life preserver and the Zumba emblem. This provided attendees with visual imagery to accompany the event. The ticket featured a detachable stub as well as individual numbering.
How did Patricia and her team sell tickets to their event? “We sold tickets by word of mouth, posters in our workplace, we posted our event on Facebook, and we had four Zumba instructors who all work at various gyms and health clubs in Western Mass. They promoted the event at the health clubs, put up signs everywhere.
“Also, I gave out a stack of tickets to each AFSP volunteer in our chapter and asked them to sell as many as they could. Some people bought a ticket even though they knew they could not attend the Zumbathon, but wanted to give a donation.”
The AFSP really covered its bases with this event using every available resource. From sharing the news one on one, creating printed resources such as posters to relying on “ambassadors” to spread the word on the organizations behalf and utilizing social media, as well as professionally printing custom tickets, the AFSP was able to reach individuals in many different ways. In turn, it was able to raise the profile of the organization and the cause.
What advice does Patricia have for those planning a similar event?
“Start planning and marketing the event a couple of months ahead. Use Facebook- it works!”
by Lance on October 17, 2011
A Fundraiser for Spinal Muscular Atrophy
TicketPrinting.com gave us the ability to be professional, and offered us the tools we needed to make our event into a great one! Thank you for making our event a success!
~Charlotte Dunn, Co-Founder and President of Fighting For Damion
Just five months old, Damion Antonio Carbello has already touched countless lives. Born in May 2011, Damion was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), “a genetic disorder that is carried by 1 in 90 people and affects 1 in 2000. SMA is the number one genetic killer of toddlers and infants in the world.”
“Fighting For Damion is completely not for profit, and our sole goal is to help this little family with medical bills, and Damion’s needs, to make things just a little easier,” Charlotte Dunn, Co-founder and President of Fighting for Damion explained to me. She founded the organization with Vice President and Co-Founder Rachel Kessleski when they learned their dear friend’s son had been diagnosed with the disorder.
The organization’s most recent event was a benefit get together sponsored by Scale’s Grill and Deck Bar to raise money for Damion and also raise awareness of SMA. The group “held a Chinese auction, a 50/50 raffle, featured live entertainment and a dinner buffet. One hundred percent of the proceeds went to a secure account strictly for baby Damion.”
For the event, the organization chose the Blue and White General Admission Ticket, a simple but professional ticket with plenty of room for event information. The event ticket featured the details of the event on the front, as well as a logo and slogan on the back. The tickets were individually numbered and featured a detachable stub, which can be used to track attendees and keep account of the raffle.
“Because we are just starting out, we have set our goal very small and I am pleased to say we greatly exceeded it.” Charlotte told me.
To get the word out, Charlotte and her team relied heavily on Internet and radio advertising, “We advertised greatly on all social networks, and local radio stations. We also pre-sold the tickets that your company printed, which [were] a big hit! We also list every event and detail on our website, www.fightingfordamion.com.”
Some event planners choose to focus only on one method of advertising, which means they may reach only one audience. By using more than one channel of communication and reaching out to an online audience, as well as one that might hear about the event from a more traditional route, the team maximized its message and reached more potential attendees.
Another effective method that helped with ticket sales is offering a presale discount. “We offered our tickets to anyone who would listen for $10 presale or $15 at the door. We advertised them the same way we advertised our event,” Charlotte said. “It worked very well in my opinion. If you can get the word out there on as many sources as you can, your event will sell itself.”
Though the weather didn’t cooperate, the event was still a success. “For me, the best part of the event was seeing everyone who came out having a good time for a great cause. Most of these people have no idea who this family is that they are helping, and yet they still come out to support and donate. It is truly amazing to see people put aside their busy life and help someone in need. ”
When you’re planning a fundraising event, a strong advertising and sales strategy will bring out many people who were unaware of your cause. You may find allies who come to believe just as passionately in your message as you do.
For those planning a similar event, Charlotte has this advice, “Plan ahead! Make sure all loose ends are tied a week prior to your event; it saves a lot of time and money. And remember to have lots of helping hands to help set up and break down!! That is truly the hardest part of any event.”
To donate to Fight For Damion visit FightingforDamion.com.
by Lance on September 23, 2011
From Tragedy to Triumph: A Literacy Event in Honor of Alex Johnson
“The tickets were beautiful and added class to the event.”
~Denise Johnson, Event Coordinator, Mother of Honoree
On September 17, The Alex Johnson Memorial Concert was held to benefit the Mississippi County Literary Council. The fundraiser included an artists’ reception, silent art auction, and a concert. It was held in memory of Alex Johnson, a student and a tutor at Northeast Arkansas College, where he volunteered for the literacy council. In 2009, Alex died in a car crash while traveling home from his college choir practice. He was 22.
Along with honoring the memory of her son, “the event was an effort to raise money for adult literacy in our county,” Denise told me.
In order to advertise the event “we used Facebook, posters, newspaper articles and ads.” The Facebook page for the event was frequently updated with information about the event. The page was a hub of information. Announcements were made when new art was donated for the auction. Information about the performers, The Reba Russell Band, Jo Jo Jefferies, and Lincoln Lane, were included. There were also links to interviews and articles that had been written in advance of the event.
Denise participated 
in interviews and a number of articles were posted online advertising the event.
For Denise the value of word of mouth advertising could not be overestimated. You can sell more tickets “one on one” than by advertising for patrons to go elsewhere and buy them.
For the ticket, the organizers chose the “Natural Riffs” design. This ticket features a warm color palette. An acoustic guitar and stage lights provide the backdrop for the event’s information. With sequential numbering and detachable stubs, these tickets help organizers keep track of sales and attendees.
The fundraiser was a success, ” Everything went very well. [The] highlight of the event was song sung by a former Miss. Co. resident and sister of the honoree.” Denise said.
by Lance on September 9, 2011
A Successful Athletic Booster Club Fundraiser!
You are awesome. Your product was perfect… plus you were cheaper anyway, even with the added 2 day delivery charge! Thanks so much! I also really like the reminder, so I don’t forget next year!
~ Leslie Pirl-Roth
I recently had the chance to catch up with Leslie Pirl-Roth to discuss her organization, The CW Athletic Booster Club’s, fall and spring fundraisers held in Robesonia, PA. “The CW Athletic Boosters club supports and helps fund ‘the extras’ for all school sanctioned sports here in the Conrad Weiser Area School District High School. The biggest event we fund is the Senior Banquet, where our students get a meal and a plaque! The event is one of two fundraisers (one in Fall, one in Spring) in which we sell BBQ Chicken, made by Kaufman’s, which is a huge deal in our little corner of the world. This is my second year being the ‘CHICKEN LADY’ … but I am also the secretary of our great organization!”
How did Leslie and her team get the word out about their fundraiser? They used several strategies from sharing news of the event through word of mouth to hanging posters, taking out print ads in the school paper, advertising on the school website and just selling the tickets themselves. “We depend on our student athletes to sell them, but we also buy extra chickens because when folks around here see ‘Kaufman’s chickens for sale,’ they will stop and buy some!” The biannual booster event is a real success. Leslie told me, “We make decent money to support our kids.”
For Leslie and the other boosters, the best part of the fundraiser is “seeing how many kids are willing to help us out when they don’t have to.”
Even when things didn’t go according to plan, there was a positive outcome. For instance, “One time we ordered extra chickens but ended up with about one hundred extra. Lots of chicken corn noodle soup was made for the concessions stand.”
“This year, I completely FORGOT TO ORDER THE TICKETS!” Leslie told me. “I was in panic mode, went on line, saw your site, saw your prices and figured out that it was cheaper to use your product anyway, even with a two day delivery charge! I especially like the reminder that I will get from you to order the tickets for our spring event. At any rate, we were ON TIME getting the tickets out to our kids to sell!”
What kind of advice would Leslie share with others planning a similar event? “Get kids to help, they’re young enough to do all the running around!”
by Lance on August 19, 2011
Giddy Up to a Great Event!
Ticketprinting.com “gave us a quality ticket with our logo on the back making it look really official. People buying the tickets really seemed to like that.”
~ Michael Cooper, FBCYRA
On August 6th, the Fort Bend County Youth Rodeo Association (FBCYRA) held its Summer Series Raffle. Cash prizes were handed out to participants. First Prize was three hundred dollars. Second Prize was two hundred dollars and Third prize was one hundred dollars.
The organization chose the All Purpose Raffle Ticket design. The ticket is printed on high quality stock in black and white. It features the essential raffle information and number on the front side, and the FBCYRA logo on its reverse. The ticket has a corresponding detachable stub for participants to write down their contact information.
“We are a youth rodeo organization,” Michael shared with me. The organization’s website further describes FBCRYA’s purpose, as “a Junior Rodeo Association for kids up to 19 years of age. We provide a safe place for Fort Bend County’s Youth to have fun and experience the great sport of Rodeo.” The FBCYRA is dedicated to helping young people. As well as providing a rodeo experience for youths and young adults, the organization is committed to supporting scholarship by providing awards for those young people who compete in the Junior Rodeo.
“We have a raffle each year in conjunction with our summer rodeo series and end of the summer rodeo to help pay for the over $30,000 in prizes we give away.” Michael explained to me. The Summer Series Raffle is a fundraiser for the organization.
How does FBCYRA promote its raffle and sell its tickets? The young people who participate in the Summer Series and wish to participate in the autumn rodeo are required to sell raffle tickets. “Each contestant is required to sale $75. We target local businesses, family members and other within the community.” If FBCYRA members don’t sell the required amount of raffle tickets, they must secure an equal amount of outside sponsoring in order to be eligible for rodeo competition prizes.
Raffle sales are not only required but also competitive, which brings a spirit of fun to the process. The member who sells the most tickets wins a belt buckle at the end of the sales cycle.
Information about the raffle and the summer series was also available on the organization’s site and its Facebook page.
For Michael, the highlight of the Summer Series Raffle goes far beyond that one event. “The best part is just seeing how the kids grow through the summer and how their riding skills improve. It is neat to watch them compete however great to see the sportsmanship they show in helping one another out and cheer each other on.”
by Lance on August 11, 2011
A Hole In One! Annual Summer Swing Charity Event
“Healing through Sports Foundation (HTSF) is a non-profit, public-benefit organization having the purpose of funding cancer research, patient services, and education programs focusing on prevention. By communicating the benefits of regular participation in physical activity and sporting events, we believe we can make a difference.”
~ James Johnson, HTSF
This July the Healing through Sports Foundation held its 9th Annual Summer Swing Charity Event at the Tijeras Creek Golf Club in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. The event featured rounds of golf, a charity raffle, silent auction, cocktails, and a dinner buffet. Attendees could participate in a number of ways, from sending in a donation of a certain amount, buying raffle tickets, attending one or all of the events, to becoming one of the event sponsors.
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society was chosen as the charity benefactor. The mission of LLS is to “cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.” The goal of the Summer Swing Charity Event was to raise at least $15,000 for the cause of curing blood cancers.
Along with the golf tournament, the charity fundraising event featured a Helicopter Ball Drop Raffle. In this type of raffle, numbered tickets are sold to participants. Then numbered golf balls are dropped from a helicopter above a specific spot on the golf course. The winner is determined by how close to the target, usually a tee or hole, the numbered golf ball lands. Proceeds from the raffle go to the designated charity.
For this event, the organizers chose the Golf Tournament Raffle Ticket. The ticket features a bright blue sky, a well tended green and a golf ball waiting on a tee to be put into play. The ticket has room for information about the event and the raffle. An individually numbered, detachable stub allows organizers to keep track of tickets and prizes.
I asked James how the TicketPrinting.com raffle ticket benefited his particular event. He said, “It clearly communicated what our event was and what we were offering. Also, the quality of the product was outstanding!”
To sell event tickets, James and his team relied on several proven methods: “email, online, and in person.” Reaching out through an email list or listserve to individuals who have had contact with the organization can be very rewarding when it is time to sell tickets. It also pays to maintain an up-to-date online source to disseminate information about the event and sell tickets. Whether an event organizer chooses to maintain a website dedicated to the event or a Facebook Event page, information should be relevant and drive attendees to the event. Leveraging personal contacts can also be very important when planning a similar event. The power of word of mouth sales cannot be underestimated.
What advice did James have for other event organizers? “Have plan and stick to it. A clear roadmap is the key to any successful event.” Real planning and dedication make big events like this possible and successful.
by Lance on August 4, 2011
Beautiful Event, Beautiful Benefit
When Stacey Scott of Harper Monroe, a mobile spa service based in New York, wanted to host an Elegant Affair for Wellness and Beauty benefit to raise awareness of her business and funds for the Humane Society of New York, she chose the Red Rose design from TicketPrinting.com for her flyers and tickets.
The design features a close up of a red rose in full bloom with room for custom text and information. It provides the perfect backdrop for a beautiful event.
I had the opportunity to catch up with Stacey Scott to learn more about the event she hosted and some of the strategies she used to get her team engaged and sell tickets.
“We deliver spa services directly to the doorstep of our clients and host spa party events.” Stacey explained to me. “The purpose of this event was to help raise money for the Humane Society of New York and to bring more awareness about our business.” The event was held at the Royalton Hotel in Manhattan on Saturday July 23rd. Participants were treated to two spa services and a wellness consultation. Appetizers, desserts, and cocktails were provided, and take home gifts were given to attendees as well.
When a business hosts an event, a strategy for selling tickets is essential. Stacey’s team had to analyze what they would need for the event to be successful. “First, we set a profit goal and worked up a break even analysis and decided how many tickets we needed to sell.” Making sure team members are motivated to get the word out and sell tickets is also important. “Then the tickets were split equally between team members who were given “gift” incentives to reach their goal.”
How did Stacey’s team market the event? They used several methods, from reaching out to current clients to turning to social media. “We dug into our current client base (which is relatively small…we are a start-up) and reached out to them by cold calling. We sent messages on Twitter and Facebook and used our Constant Contact account to try and reach a larger audience.
“We were able to pull off a very lovely event and our guests seemed very happy. Highlights were the luxurious services provided by my staff…mani/pedis, facials, and conditioning hair treatments and cuts. The venue was top notch and the food and wine was awesome. ”
What advice would Stacey share with those planning a similar event? “I’d say that unless you already have experience throwing profit making events, you should plan several months ahead…work out a detailed financial analysis and set a contingency plan for what to do if ticket sales are less than what is expected.”
How did TicketPrinting.com help to enhance Stacey’s event? She was pleased that a variety of payment options were available and the professional air the tickets lent the event. “It gave a different option than buying through PayPal. It provided a very professional looking alternative than just receiving tickets in the mail.”
by Lance on July 25, 2011
Country At The Cabin: Vacaville’s First Country Music Festival
“Our ticketprinting.com experience was very good. I was impressed by the quality, speed, and ease of ordering… We got several compliments from the venue, other bands, and guests by the quality and professional look of the printed materials. It definitely made us look legit and like we knew what we were doing even though we didn’t.”
~Austin Jansen
On Saturday, July 16, Vacaville’s First Country Music Festival was held at The Elmira Cabin in Elmira California. Acts included 48 Straight, the Jesse Woodside Band, the Taryn Cross, and the Amber Snider Band. Free mechanical bull rides , dancing lessons, catered barbecue and drink specials were a part of the night’s festivities.
To promote Country at the Cabin, the organizers chose collateral from the Natural Riffs collection on Ticketprinting.com. The design features an acoustic guitar against a sepia background with stage lights, invoking the feeling of a country music venue. Natural Riffs collateral has space for logos and photos of performers and the text is customizable.
I recently caught up with Austin Jansen, promoter for the event and drummer for the Jesse Woodside Band.
I asked Austin about the role his organization played in organizing Country at the Cabin. “My organization is an event promotion company. We organize/plan music, fundraising, and special events based around music. The particular event we ordered products from you was a first (hopefully) annual country music festival held locally to our organization.”
How did Austin and the other organizers promote the event? They relied on more than one method to get the word out. ” We distributed our tickets between the bands, the venue, our Facebook page, a radio ad, an online tickets sales site, and several local businesses. We pre-sold most of our tickets through our bands and the majority of our tickets were sold at the door the night of the event.” Austin explained. ” We started selling our tickets 2 weeks before the event and started our radio ad 1 week prior due to budget limitations.”
What might he do differently next time, and what advice would he offer to others hosting similar events? ” If I could do it again I would start the radio ad 1 month prior as well as selling tickets earlier. Next year we hope to have a larger headliner and charge more for the event.”
What was the highlight of Country at the Cabin? ” The highlight of our event was how busy it got. We were concerned with low pre-sale figures that event attendance might be low, but we packed the house!
“My band had the largest crowd, and they were completely involved and loved us! My band also played the best we have ever played. Everything actually went pretty smooth.”
Country at the Cabin sounds like it turned out to be a great event! We definitely look forward to hearing about it when it comes around again next year!
The Right Choice for a Nonprofit: Sharing Ideas for Success
