Open Forum

Hello all!

After just completing my 2nd year in the classroom with our first production and participation at district and state festivals under wraps, I'm looking forward to next year. 

I am trying to stay ahead of the game. I've already secured rights for our fall one act and spring musical. 

Now, I need to pick your brains… what do I do about fundraising?! Where do I even start? My administration has given me permission to do what I’d like… Now, with so much choice, do you have any tips? What's worked best in your community? Anything I should avoid? 

I appreciate your advice! 

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Molly Busby
Theatre Instructor
Teague Middle School
FL
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Hey Molly, this is Cory Wilkerson, the Education Director here at EdTA.  There are a couple of resources on the Learning Center site which may be helpful to you.
First, check out this great article "Fundraising Using 21st Century Skills" by Krista Carson-Elhai.  Krista is a theatre educator from California who recently retired from a hugely successful program largely supported by fundraising efforts.   Next, free to members, don't miss Spencer Lau's webinar "Fundamentals of Fundraising".  Spencer is a theatre educator from New Jersey and a frequent contributor who trains others with his awesome fund raising tips.  

Hope this helps you get started!

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Cory Wilkerson
Education Manager
Educational Theatre Association
PA
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Hi Molly,

Fundraising is always an interesting feat. We tried many things over the years but what has worked best for us is having a donor program with a specific event geared towards potential donors. We've done this for several years now. We "wine and dine" them and perform a variety of one acts (many directed by our senior students) to showcase off our talent and the professional performances we are famous for. Basically, we host a free dinner theatre type event where we serve appetizers and drinks. Then at intermission, we feed them dessert while they are hearing from myself or another director about the financing it takes to put on the various productions we do (we have four major productions each year). This is where we put out the donor plea with incentives like free tickets, backstage tours and early access to purchase tickets for different levels of donations. People are free to donate whatever they can (or nothing at all) but we do have those incentives for everything from the the $100 - $5000 levels (six levels in all). We also have the option for those that have business to purchase ad space in our programs. This has worked out great for us and we get much of our funding in that one night. Then we don't have to worry about fundraising the rest of the year. This kind of "one and done" approach is much more preferred by everyone, parents and community included. The community isn't getting bombarded with multiple fundraising ventures throughout the year like selling butter-braids, candy or gift cards. And it's easier for the theatre staff since you only have one fundraising event to worry about during the year you can focus more energy on your productions and competitions. 

I work at a high school and realize that middle school is a little different but you can probably implement a similar donor evening. If you'd like more info on the specifics of our donor program and how this evening works for us please feel free to reach out. I'd love to help.

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Jillian Lietzau
Lutheran High School
CO
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One of our easiest fundraisers is bagging for tips at our local grocery store. It requires almost no prep (we put out signs that we had made letting the customers know who we are and what the money goes toward), and we typically make $800-1200 a day. We try to schedule a day in the fall and another in the spring.

Lori Bush
Director of Theatre Activities
Pike County Middle School
Pike County High School

Sent from my iPhone


Original Message:
Sent: 5/31/2022 11:49:00 AM
From: Jillian Lietzau
Subject: RE: Fundraising

Hi Molly,

Fundraising is always an interesting feat. We tried many things over the years but what has worked best for us is having a donor program with a specific event geared towards potential donors. We've done this for several years now. We "wine and dine" them and perform a variety of one acts (many directed by our senior students) to showcase off our talent and the professional performances we are famous for. Basically, we host a free dinner theatre type event where we serve appetizers and drinks. Then at intermission, we feed them dessert while they are hearing from myself or another director about the financing it takes to put on the various productions we do (we have four major productions each year). This is where we put out the donor plea with incentives like free tickets, backstage tours and early access to purchase tickets for different levels of donations. People are free to donate whatever they can (or nothing at all) but we do have those incentives for everything from the the $100 - $5000 levels (six levels in all). We also have the option for those that have business to purchase ad space in our programs. This has worked out great for us and we get much of our funding in that one night. Then we don't have to worry about fundraising the rest of the year. This kind of "one and done" approach is much more preferred by everyone, parents and community included. The community isn't getting bombarded with multiple fundraising ventures throughout the year like selling butter-braids, candy or gift cards. And it's easier for the theatre staff since you only have one fundraising event to worry about during the year you can focus more energy on your productions and competitions. 

I work at a high school and realize that middle school is a little different but you can probably implement a similar donor evening. If you'd like more info on the specifics of our donor program and how this evening works for us please feel free to reach out. I'd love to help.

------------------------------
Jillian Lietzau
Lutheran High School
CO
------------------------------

Hi Jillian,
I'd would love to get more information regarding your "one and done" fund raising approach!
sbrown@ghsd.k12.ca.us
Thanks enormously!
Sonja Brown

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Sonja Brown, Theatre Teacher
Thespian Troupe 839
Galt High School
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-02-2022 07:07
From: Lori Bush
Subject: Fundraising

One of our easiest fundraisers is bagging for tips at our local grocery store. It requires almost no prep (we put out signs that we had made letting the customers know who we are and what the money goes toward), and we typically make $800-1200 a day. We try to schedule a day in the fall and another in the spring.

Lori Bush
Director of Theatre Activities
Pike County Middle School
Pike County High School

Sent from my iPhone



Original Message:
Sent: 5/31/2022 11:49:00 AM
From: Jillian Lietzau
Subject: RE: Fundraising

Hi Molly,

Fundraising is always an interesting feat. We tried many things over the years but what has worked best for us is having a donor program with a specific event geared towards potential donors. We've done this for several years now. We "wine and dine" them and perform a variety of one acts (many directed by our senior students) to showcase off our talent and the professional performances we are famous for. Basically, we host a free dinner theatre type event where we serve appetizers and drinks. Then at intermission, we feed them dessert while they are hearing from myself or another director about the financing it takes to put on the various productions we do (we have four major productions each year). This is where we put out the donor plea with incentives like free tickets, backstage tours and early access to purchase tickets for different levels of donations. People are free to donate whatever they can (or nothing at all) but we do have those incentives for everything from the the $100 - $5000 levels (six levels in all). We also have the option for those that have business to purchase ad space in our programs. This has worked out great for us and we get much of our funding in that one night. Then we don't have to worry about fundraising the rest of the year. This kind of "one and done" approach is much more preferred by everyone, parents and community included. The community isn't getting bombarded with multiple fundraising ventures throughout the year like selling butter-braids, candy or gift cards. And it's easier for the theatre staff since you only have one fundraising event to worry about during the year you can focus more energy on your productions and competitions. 

I work at a high school and realize that middle school is a little different but you can probably implement a similar donor evening. If you'd like more info on the specifics of our donor program and how this evening works for us please feel free to reach out. I'd love to help.

------------------------------
Jillian Lietzau
Lutheran High School
CO
------------------------------

Hi Molly,
We have an Eagles Club in our town, (small town), and they love helping us with fundraising.  They have hosted spaghetti dinners for us, where my students perform. they have provided everything, including desserts for a dessert auction where the bidding gets crazy.   They just got hold of me yesterday and have said that they want to host a Mystery Dinner for us in the fall.  If you have a Lion's Club or Eagles Club nearby you may want to talk to them because fundraising for the community and schools is one thing that they do.
We also did a clothing drive for Value Village/Savers, where we collected donations and took them to Value Village.  They paid us for the items donated, (by the pound).

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Jennifer Babcock
WA
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You need to attend the Grants 4 Schools Conference. Susi Epperson teaches them. She hosts them in every state. Provides all the tools and resources you need to get started funding your classroom.
https://www.grants4schoolsnetwork.com/

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Laura Grady
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