Four Fun Fund-raisers Reap Financial Success

A successful fund-raiser reaps much more than income; it also generates publicity, fosters community relationships, and builds club fellowship. What's the key to this multi-faceted success? Based on their experiences, four Quota clubs in the United States agree on a single answer: cooperation. For them, working closely with one another and with community members ensured decreased cost to the club, greater participation of the community, and more brain- and man-power, all of which add up to one thing: increased revenue for supporting service and other club activities.

Read on to learn how each club made its fund-raiser a success by working with each other—and with their communities.

Flint Quotarians Shine—Even in the Dark

Mississippi Gulf Coast’s Seafood Success

Art Abounds in Traverse City

Denim Craze Takes Over Tulsa

Flint Quotarians Shine—Even in the Dark

Some might think sunny skies and warm weather are ideal for a nice round of golf, but Quotarians in Flint, Michigan, U.S.A. have proven otherwise. Their glowing golf balls, torches on tees and greens, candle-lined courses, and golfers in glow-in-the-dark attire make 9:00 p.m. an optimal tee time. The unique twist on a favorite sport has led to the participation of local golfers and non-golfers alike: the event also features breakfast, 50/50 raffle tickets, mulligans, a lucky number board, and a putting contest.

Day or night, though, a golf tournament is an expensive and time-consuming event. The club worked together carefully, beginning to plan seven months in advance and distributing work among five different sub-committees who met monthly to ensure maximum member involvement and even distribution of tasks. "Having separate chairs for the various components is also key, as it divides the overall responsibility," explained club president Kathy Holt.

In addition to planning, the key to any fund-raiser is minimizing the cost while maximizing the revenue. This is where the community came in. Flint solicited donations for a wide range of expenses: local businesses sponsored holes and provided door and team prizes; a local printing company contributed flyers and registration forms, and the area hospital donated U.S.$900 to help the Flint club reach its U.S.$5,000 goal.

The biggest star of all was the golf course, which donated the breakfast and the course. Flint Quotarians showed their appreciation with a Quota Community Service Award plaque, which is on display at the course and was featured in the local paper—a little extra publicity for Quota even once the event was over.

Cooperation with one another and the community made the night a success. Golf balls weren't all that shone at the tournament: Quota and the community did, too!

Mississippi Gulf Coast’s Seafood Success

Busy schedules and different lifestyles were no roadblock for the members of the Mississippi Gulf Coast club determined to hold a successful fund-raiser. Although active, the club, located in Mississippi, U.S.A., found it difficult to coordinate major events because of different schedules. The Quotarians recognized the problem and set their sights on a solution. "We needed the ability to work individually, at our own pace, at our own time," said past club president Vicki Miller, now governor of District 21.

They found their answer in the Gulf Coast's thriving seafood restaurant industry and its members' relationships with owners and managers of those restaurants. Club members collected complimentary meal certificates from 12 restaurants and assembled them into one grand prize: "Dinner for Every Month" for a year. A local printer donated tickets to the fund-raiser, named Dine-A-Bout, making it a low-expense initiative that every member could participate in.

Each Quotarian was responsible for selling a minimum of 20 tickets, but was challenged to sell more. A friendly competition grew among them, but the pressure of coordinating different schedules was alleviated. They could sell at their own pace, when they had time, and they chose to hold the fund-raiser during the holiday season, when they could sell tickets at Christmas parties, family gatherings, and other events. Separately, they each worked toward a common goal.

By the time the fund-raiser ended, the club had raised $3,100. On top of that, it had established relationships with 13 different businesses in the area—the printer and local restaurants—and had the opportunity to share Quota's mission with the hundreds of people to whom members sold tickets. Together, these Quotarians proved that with cooperation and commitment, any club can turn an obstacle into a success.

"It would be easy for any size club to copy this concept and adapt it to their community," said Vicki. "Most businesses appreciate the publicity and welcome the opportunity to help a worthy cause."

Art Abounds in Traverse City

Inspired by a similar event at the Milwaukee Art Museum, Traverse City Quotarians in Michigan, U.S.A., spearheaded their first annual Attic Art Sale last year. They decided to collect gently used art objects, clean them up, and sell them at a fund-raising event. Together, the club was able to find space, generate publicity, and prepare the materials and program for the big day, but they needed more than just their own used art to truly make the event a success.

Enter the community. Traverse City members not only donated their own art and picked up items at garage sales, but they also solicited donations from the public by advertising in the local Traverse City Record-Eagle, appearing on an area talk show, and contacting local resorts and hotels for unused artwork. Their phones rang off the hook, and soon members were driving all over town picking up the art and delivering it to the drop-off site.

Then the fun really began. Quotarians gathered with rags and cleaning supplies to prepare the art for sale. These gatherings were about more than cleaning, though. They gave the members an opportunity to talk, eat, and laugh with one another. "Our cleaning parties were fun and brought our club members closer to one another," said event coordinator and past international board member Patti Schaap.

The bonus? Not only did the club collect enough art to fill the hall, but every donor knew about the event. Engaging the community also meant their investment in the sale. This was clear on the day of the Attic Art Sale: a half-hour before the door opened, a line had formed. Once the shoppers entered, they had an opportunity to not only purchase items, but also win door prizes, enjoy donated cider and donuts, and learn more about Quota.

At the end of the day, Traverse City Quotarians had earned U.S.$5,771.20 in sales, but that wasn't all. They'd also gained increased visibility in their community, formed relationships with local businesses and residents, and had a great time with one another.

"The fund-raiser made our community more aware of Quota and what we do," said Patti. "It also brought our club together in a very positive way."

Denim Craze Takes Over Tulsa

Many people wear jeans daily, making denim an unlikely source of inspiration. However, the sturdy fabric was the foundation for Quota International of Tulsa's wildly successful Brunch and Book Review fund-raiser this year. Members of this Oklahoma, U.S.A., club chose to review the 1959 novel Grandma Wears Blue Jeans, and soon the entire event became a denim-infused day. Mary Helen Stanley, who shared the book with the audience, was decked out in jeans with her hair up in a scarf and rubber gloves on her hands. Meanwhile, the tablecloths were blue-and-white checked, blue jeans adorned bud vases and centerpieces, and attendees wore dungarees and fancy shirts.

The denim craze caught on long before the big day. The club's fund-raising committee began meeting monthly to prepare for the event, and when they shared their plans, other members were so interested that they started attending the monthly committee meetings to help as well. The club also involved a local school whose event planning class made centerpieces and programs and provided assistance with the silent auction.

Working together, the club and the class donned their denim and put on a fabulous event. Tickets were sold for U.S.$25, and attendees enjoyed not only Mary Helen's presentation, but also brunch, candle and centerpiece giveaways, and a silent auction that featured items the club assembled in themed baskets. By the time the day was over, the club had raised U.S.$5,700, which they will use to help children who need hearing aids.

Current club treasurer Tricia Gomez said that the involvement of all club members was essential: "The key ingredient to any successful fund-raiser is getting the entire organization to buy into the event before it even starts." However, she also acknowledged that cooperation means not only involving others but also supporting them along the way. The club gave its members ideas for silent auction items and suggestions for soliciting donations. This approach made the fund-raiser a success…and made denim anything but dull.

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