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Last month, I posted an article about successful fundraisers hosted by several healthcare facilities. A couple of my readers wanted to know more about the Trivia Night fundraiser. (Also known as Quiz Night).
I love the idea of Trivia Night events because they’re so much fun. Plus, they go a long way in funding special programs and activities for your residents.
Today I’ll share my experiences with you. If you have other suggestions, I would love to see you post them in the comment section.
Preparing for the event
First, if you’re not familiar with a Trivia Night fundraiser, it’s merely several teams competing for prizes by answering trivia questions. I find that groups of 6 people work well.
You can either charge a fee per person or team. It usually works best to take reservations and collect payments in advance. This ensures that you’ll have the right amount of tables, supplies, and food. Another option is to charge a lower price to RSVP in advance and then sell any remaining spots for a higher fee at the door.
Take advantage of every opportunity to advertise your Trivia Night. Possibilities include social media, posters, your organization’s website, and word of mouth. Be sure to include the purpose of your fundraiser and how it will benefit your residents.
Finding a good emcee can make or break your event. Look for someone who will create a fun atmosphere. This person also needs to keep your event well organized and moving along at a good pace. You’ll also want to select a couple of judges in case there are questions about the validity of any team’s answers.
It’s fine to come up with your own trivia questions—just be sure to double-check that the answers are correct. You’ll want a mix of easy and challenging questions. If the problems are too easy, participants will get bored. And if they’re too complicated, people might become frustrated.
There are heaps of excellent trivia books that you can purchase online. These will save you a ton of valuable time. Plus, you can also use the resources for activities with your residents after your trivia event is over.
When setting up the room, be sure to allow ample space between team tables. Otherwise, the set-up might tempt players to steal answers from each other.
How to maximize your profit
Trivia Night is an excellent opportunity to create extra moneymakers. Consider a silent auction, food & beverage sales, guess the number of jellybeans in the jar, pop a balloon to win a prize, etc.
You can also ask businesses to help sponsor your event for a fee. In return, you might post sponsor signage at the event and announce the sponsor’s names at the beginning and end of the evening. You could also print the sponsor’s logo on each team’s answer sheet.
Another option is to ask businesses to sponsor rounds. For example, you can announce, “Tonight’s third round sponsor is (name of the business).” You might also want to share a bit of information about each sponsor.
You’ll want to offer fun prizes you’ve solicited from businesses. Then you can keep as much of your profit as possible. If you find it intimidating to approach companies for donations, be sure to review these tips.
During the event
Events usually last from 1 to 3 hours. I find that 2 hours is about right. Schedule a short break half-way through the game. Then guests can move around, get more food, and use the restroom. Playing energetic music during the break helps keep everyone motivated.
Begin the event by reading the rules aloud. One important rule is that outside help (i.e., cell phones) is not allowed. You’ll also want to clarify that the judges have the final say on whether answers are correct.
Next, you’ll hand out an answer sheet and a pencil to each table. Depending on your time frame, it’s common to ask around ten questions per round.
Between each round, teams pass the answer sheets clockwise to another table. The emcee reads the answers aloud, and a certain number of points (usually 2) are assigned to each correct answer. Then the answer sheets go back to their original table.
A fun twist to Trivia Night is to set a theme (sports, fabulous 50s, nations of the world, etc.) and invite everyone to come in costume. Or, each team can choose their own theme and dress accordingly.
Be sure to offer a variety of little prizes—not just a prize to the winning team. For example, you could have prize drawings between rounds. Or provide an award for the participant who traveled the farthest. You can even give prizes for random objects people brought with them, such as a pack of gum or a gas station receipt.
After the event
You’ll want to take pictures of people having fun at your event and then post them at your nursing home and on social media. Photos will spark interest for other people to attend future Trivia Nights.
Be sure to promptly thank everyone who helped out as well as the businesses that made donations. I also hope you’ll let people know how much money you raised and remind them of how this event benefits your residents. As a result, people will see that they made a difference by taking part in your Trivia Night.
It’s also important to get your planning committee together as soon as possible and evaluate the event. Record what went well and things that you want to change for your next fundraiser.
Are you looking for more fundraising ideas? Be sure to check out my fundraising archives.
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