Fundraising for Non-Profits

Fundraising for Non-Profits might seem like a huge challenge in this economy but it doesn’t have to be impossible. Most organizations, especially charitable ones, have had to rethink their business plans. People are holding tight to their pocket books and it takes a little more to convince them to loosen their grip. The recurring theme that I keep hearing is that people are looking for value in their expenditures and donations. People want to feel valued and respected for their support and patronage.
As a catering company, we have clients in both the for-profit and non-profit sector and we have had to learn to evolve with the economy in order to successfully serve all of them. Gone are the days of lavish fundraising dinners, and here are the times of budget conscious pasta feeds and spaghetti dinners. To caterers, this makes a huge dent in the bottom line during a time when the bottom line is looking a little more feeble than it has in the past.
To further challenge fundraising efforts for non-profits, they need to foot the original bill for dinners, concerts, rentals, etc. The hope is that enough tickets to the event will be sold and they will come out on the other end with a surplus of money to put towards their cause. This scenario has the potential to fall short of expectations and even become a financial liability to the organization.
Earlier this year, we had the pleasure of teaming up with The Dana Harris Full Recovery Initiative in order to help raise money for Dana’s continued recovery. After a few months of discussions and plans for a fundraising dinner, we decided to put plans on hold for financial reasons. Being the innovative caterers that we are, we decided to think outside the box for solutions. Our solution was to combine our already successful cooking classes with The Dana Harris Full Recovery Initiative and designate a class to benefit their cause. The result is the potential for successful fundraising and no financial liability for the non-profit. In this particular situation, Three Chicks Catering will be able to cover its’ cost by taking that amount from the ticket sales. The remaining profit goes directly to The Dana Harris Full Recovery Initiative. Win-Win.
If you would like to know more about this event taking place on Sunday June 28th, please click here.