Bowling for Bucks

Thinking of conducting a bowling fundraiser?  Then you've come to the right place!  

Tips Prior to the Event

1.  Decide on whether you will be having business members bowling or in some cases students or members from a group bowling.  Some businesses like to participate while some businesses like to donate.  Figure out what works best for the businesses you may be targeting before deciding.  Hint:  You can have some donate and others participate.

2.  Be sure this is a one day event and does not last longer than 4 hours.  The longer it takes the less businesses may want to participate as it takes away from precious work time. 

3.  Talk with Bowling Alleys for a Deal on the event since it is a fundraiser/charity

• Negotiate prices
• Potential donation of time for advertising and listing as official sponsor
• Promise of X amount of events throughout the year or annually

4.  Never be afraid to ask for free.  The worst they can say is "NO" and hopefully they can offer a discount instead.

For Businesses Participating at Event - Creating a Team

       

1.  Teams should be no more than 4-5 bowlers per team
2.  Handicaps should be set/predetermined for teams

• Teams to give an average per player
• Teams to bowl one game prior to determine handicap for each member or team (based on everyone else attending event or around a target number)

3.  Each team to donate the same amount of money per team

• Sponsorships can still occur for as long as you have additional services
• Advertising
• Official Sponsors of the event
• Additional services
• You might need to gauge your local community and business types for amounts

4. Competition

•  Bracket
• I recommend single elimination otherwise the event will take too long 
• Winner and Consolation Bracket
• Winner from each advances on
• Placings for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
•  High Score
• Each team bowls a round and the highest two teams compete for the title; 3rd and 4th highest compete for 3rd and 4th place (If you have 6 or more teams)
  
• Each team bowls two games.  Two highest averages compete in a single elimination game for the title.  3rd and 4th highest complete for placing

5.  Ongoing trophy for winners

• Winners get name added to trophy
• Winners hold trophy for one year and are asked to bring back at next tournament (this is an excellent hook for getting businesses back the following year)

6.  Announcement of Winners at Next Years Event

• Presentation and passing of trophy to the next winner (hook for coming back and offering an opportunity for those unable to bowl to still participate)

Businesses Supporting Event (Non-Participant)

1.  Create Sponsorship Levels for businesses to choose from (See Sponsorship Level Blog)

2.  Calculate the total number of teams you will need support for

3.  Create brackets or how teams will win

• Bracket (Refer to above)
• High Score (Refer to above)
• Pin Rewards (monies for every spare, strike, or even gutter)
•  Get donations for performance of bowlers based on previous performance
• Have students bowl two games prior to event
• Send results to businesses so that they can see how many strikes and spares they bowl
• Have businesses select a team to sponsor
• Ask for a suggested donation for every spare and strike they bowl on your fundraiser date
• Get businesses to sponsor a specific team (Without prior performance)
• Have each team take a picture and write a short writeup as to how the monies will help them
• Companies to select their team to support (Team selected will be known as the Businesses Name)
• Businesses then will attend and write a check for every spare and strike
• Get businesses to alternate their donations for every spare or strike from all teams participating
• Spare - Business 1 pays, Strike - Business 2 pays, Spare - Business 3 pays, etc.  The idea is that everyone gets participate and donate, yet doesn't have to worry about donating an arm and a leg.
• Remove the Hype - Have businesses donate money for every time students:
• Get a split
• Knock down an even/odd number of pins in the frame
• $1 for the team score (team of five or less students)
• Works best for businesses selecting a team
• Great way for businesses to cheer on students and give even more
• Agree on a minimum regardless of score (Like Wheel of Fortune)
• If they are really daring - Gutter Ball

Regardless of which idea you select, be sure to have businesses attend and then have a token big check (the type you see on television for donation) to showcase so that pictures can be taken and sent to local media.  You will find that no matter what event you are doing tiering sponsorship levels are always a great idea to gain further support from businesses. 

~ isle411 @ fundraiser411