Fundraising for Community Choral Groups: What Everybody Needs to Know
How Does a Choir Raise Money?
What is the best type of fundraising for community choral groups? While other types of fundraising might bring in the money needed for robes or other supplies, many choirs actually raise the money they need through fundraising that uses the talents of those in the group. In that regard, a choir might have an advantage in fundraising that many charities would not have.
Concerts
Many choirs sing at concerts to raise money for various charities. Why not do a concert to raise money for your choir?
If you know someone who would donate a venue for you to use, you’ll be ahead. If not, you need to figure the cost of renting a building into the amount of money needed. If your choir is well known in your own local community, you might raise a lot of money, even enough to offset the cost of renting a building.
Raise money by charging a small donation amount, perhaps $10, to see the concert. Another option is to collect free will donations at the concert instead. More people might attend, and you might raise more money, if you give discounts to senior citizens, students, or even the military.
Send out press releases about the concert to local newspapers, radio stations, and television stations. If your choir is part of an organization which has a website, you might want to publicize the concert there. In addition, make certain the members of your choir tell all their friends and relatives about the concert. They may even be willing to sell tickets, if you are selling tickets before the show.
You could sell food or drinks at intermission. If you wanted to raise additional funds, you could even ask local businesses to donate food or other items for a raffle.
Other Ways to Use the Talents of Those in Your Choir to Raise Money
There are many other ways choir members can use their talents to raise money.
How many people in your choir would be able to give basic music lessons to those in the community? You could publicize their availability with a press release to local newspapers, radio stations, and television stations. Organization and choir members could let their friends and relatives know of the availability of the services, and that any money raised would be for the benefit of the choir, for whatever purposes those in the group decide on. Charge whatever seems like a fair hourly rate. On the other hand, you could just accept donations. Many parents would willing pay for singing lessons for their children from the accomplished singers in your group.
Other ways to raise money for your choir would be to ask singers who are willing, to perform for donations at parties, receptions, and other events. Choir members could split into separate groups to fit each occasion better, such as quartets, jazz groups, or whatever. You could publicize the availability of those from your choir in the same way did for the music lessons. Once again, you charge what you consider to be a fair hourly rate, or ask for a donation.
Music-A-Thon
If you’re trying to raise money for a choir, forget about having a dance marathon as a fundraiser. Why not have a Music-A-Thon instead?
If you can find someplace where your group can sing for free, or for a minimal charge, that is the start. Next, determine how many songs or hours you would perform, and how the show will run. Groups which have done this type of fundraisers in the past have done 100 different songs, in shifts. You could do a different type of music each hour. You could draw names and have those people sing solos or in various types of groups, such as male quartets, female groups, jazz groups, country groups, or rock groups.
One way of making money is by having those in the group collect pledges before the event. You could accept donations from those who come to your event. As with other ideas mentioned in this article, you want to publicize this event in the same way.
Publicizing Your Event With a Press Release
As mentioned before, publicize your event with a press release sent to local newspapers, radio stations, and television stations. If you do not feel qualified to write a press release, an excellent resource showing you how to do so can be found in the brighthub.com article, Entrepreneurs Send Press Releases to Grab the Media’s Attention, by RCampbell.
It may be that if you search for someone to write a press release, as described in the article, you might find someone who would do it for free, because it is for charity. On the other hand, maybe someone in your group is qualified to write the release, and you don’t know it.
Why Do a Typical Fundraiser for Your Group, if it is a Choir?
In conclusion, typical fundraisers, such as garage sales, art auctions, and spaghetti dinners might raise all the money you need for your choir. Because your group is a choir, however, the best fundraising for community choral groups technique might involve using your group’s talents. You might have more fun, and you might even raise more money.
