How To Host A Restaurant Fundraiser

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A restaurant fundraiser is a fun and simple way to raise money for special projects at your nursing home. Moreover, it’s an excellent way for employees and volunteers to get together and socialize in an informal setting.

Besides helping your facility, this event also benefits restaurants:

• It brings diners to the restaurant during typically slower times.
• It allows the restaurant to give back to their community.
• It introduces new guests to the restaurant. This is especially true of new establishments that are looking for publicity.

Here’s how a restaurant fundraiser works:

1. Contact local restaurants and ask if they’ll support your fundraising project. Some larger chains do this regularly and have a formal application process.
2. Together you’ll come up with a date and a time to host your event. Sales during this time frame are shared with your group.
3. The amount you earn varies between restaurants, but it runs about 10-25% of sales. Many give you a percentage only from their in-house diners, but be sure to ask if they’ll also include takeout orders or deliveries.
4. Ask if you can put up a sign with information about your fundraising project, along with a donation box near the cash register. Encourage guests to drop in their change if they pay with cash.
5. The best way to begin recruiting people to attend your event is through personal invitations. Then invite those people to bring a friend or their family. The next step is to encourage people to pass along the invitation via social media.
6. Some restaurants give you a percentage of their entire income during your allotted time, while others require that guests prove that they’re with your group. This can take several forms, such as coupons that are handed out in advance or an email to show on your smartphone.
7. You’ll want to recruit a few enthusiastic volunteers to arrive about 15 minutes before your assigned time. They’ll represent your organization throughout the event and thank guests for supporting your project.

After the event, be sure to set the stage for your next restaurant fundraiser:

• Send a note of thanks to the restaurant manager.
• Gather pictures of people having fun at the event and post them at work. This sparks interest in future events.
• Thank attendees and ask for feedback as to which restaurant they would like to visit next.

Have you ever raised money with a restaurant fundraiser? I would love to hear your suggestions in the comment section!

You can also check out lots of other money-making ideas in my fundraising archives.