BimmerFest becoming a charity event too...

A minor change from what we've done in the past, we decided
last week that we are going to donate proceeds from a raffle
this year (to a charity that we have not yet decided upon).

Our vendor/sponsors are being asked to kick in product,
gift certificates, ...etc., and we are going to sell raffle tickets
to win the goods. So far the vendors have been very cooperative
with their tentative committments. Now we just have to decide
who is going to get the money. My first thought was the
Susan B. Komen organization. Anyway, we are going to have
a meeting about this and other Bimmerfest issues tomorrow.

Just today I connected with Vincent at iforged.com.

Check 'em out - http://www.iforged.com/index2.html.

I am proud to announce that they have graciously offered
a $500 gift certificate towards a set of wheels....


Anybody have any other suggestions for charities??

Great idea Jon!

I've done a few fundraisers for chairties through my art business (in fact I have one coming up the 29th of this month, yikes!), and I've helped coordinate several fundraisers at an elementary school. Your fundraiser is much different than any one I have ever done, but I'll share my findings anyway - take them or leave them.

I've found that local charities draw much more interest than national ones. Not that there is anything wrong with national charities, but people are more likely to contribute if they think their small contribution will make an impact and not be put in some 'general fund'. i.e. $5 doesn't have much impact on an organization that grosses $200 million/year, but it sure goes a long way when given to a struggling abused family of four or a small ward for local burn victims. I have found the rule of thumb for small fundraisers to be: the more specific the better, and the smaller the group is receiving the donation the better. For fundraisers where people will only be donating $5 for a raffle ticket, it doesn't make much of a difference if the organization/family/etc. is a 503c (non-profit) or not. Typically very few people intend to write-off donations of this size anyway (at least this is what I have found).

It also helps if you can find an organization that will send someone out to the event. NOT to sell their cause (grrrr - emphasize this to the organization: no beggers! I speak from experience), but to represent their organization and the cause. It's also nice because then people can ask questions if they want. It makes it more personal to the people who attend and they tend to donate more freely. At one fundraiser I worked on about ten people that were going to actually receive benefit showed up and it made a huge difference.

Last but not least, if you let people know ahead that you will be announcing the total donations received, then people tend to give more because they see instant results. This is especially true if you have a 'growing bar graph' that you update every so often so people can watch the donations coming in.

As for specific charities, I don't know what's up in that area. Through my business I have done fundraisers for the Children's Hospital of Orange County (big but local), the American Brain Injury Foundation, The Sheepfold, and my next fundraiser will be for a local home for neglected and abused children. I usually keep my ears open and my eye on the paper for local families or organizations in need.

Anyhow that's all I can think up for now. I hope you find something helpful somewhere in that mess I just spilled out.

--SONET

Originally posted by Jon Shafer
My first thought was the Susan B. Komen organization.

Susan G Komen Foundation.

That's really cool though....

Fantastic idea and you should be commended for doing so. I think Sonet is right on target, do it local where more impact can be made.

Again, Jon great idea *applause emicon*

Originally posted by Jon Shafer
My first thought was the
Susan B. Komen organization.

I think the Susan B. Komen organization would be a great choice. The BimmerFest is our way to celebrate the cars and the company that means so much to us. I don't know of a better way to show our appreciation of BMW(NA) then to support the charity that means so much to them.

Maybe you can get BMWNA involved with the BimmerFest by matching our contribution?

Originally posted by x_ti_c
I think the Susan B. Komen organization would be a great choice. The BimmerFest is our way to celebrate the cars and the company that means so much to us. I don't know of a better way to show our appreciation of BMW(NA) then to support the charity that means so much to them.

Maybe you can get BMWNA involved with the BimmerFest by matching our contribution?

Susan G Komen Foundation

Good idea about the matching though... I wonder if they'd go for that...

Originally posted by SONET
I've done a few fundraisers for chairties through my art business (in fact I have one coming up the 29th of this month, yikes!),

Art business????? Now you're scaring me SONET

Bimmerfest - Charity raffle - Komen Foundation & BMWNA

It all sounds like a winner to me.

After several meetings today with Sara Cutter, I believe that
we have settled upon the charity. It's a local one that caters
to underpriviledged elementary school children...

Btw, the Bimmerfest vendors are really stepping up this
year with their contributions!

Originally posted by Jon Shafer
After several meetings today with Sara Cutter, I believe that
we have settled upon the charity. It's a local one that caters
to underpriviledged elementary school children...

Great choice.

If there's anything I can do to help please let me know.

--SONET

Originally posted by SONET
Great choice.

If there's anything I can do to help please let me know.

--SONET

Can you bring a bunch of hot Asian models with you to come
help sell raffle tickets??










(j/k)

SONET, I will talk to you later about this.

Thanks for offering to help!

Originally posted by Jon Shafer
Can you bring a bunch of hot Asian models with you to come
help sell raffle tickets??
(j/k)

Why'd you tell him you were joking - he might have been able to pull it off!


Good choice for the charity

O.K. I am as serious as a heart attack!@

Originally posted by Jon Shafer
Can you bring a bunch of hot Asian models with you to come
help sell raffle tickets??

I've got room in my car for a few if you can get'em dude...

Great choice. definitely for the children. It would really be great if some of the children can be there. That way they can see people care about them. Also, they can see that with hard work and dedication they too can someday enjoy the finer things in life no matter what their situation is. That everybody wasn't born with a silver spoon in their mouth but worked for what they got. I know i did.