Does your school, church, non-profit organization, or youth sports team need to come up with a creative and effective way to make money? Why not host an outdoor movie night? Everyone loves movies, and the outdoors, and combining the two only makes sense. Not to mention, movie nights present a host of creative and easily-incorporated fundraising opportunities, such as the following:
Sell Movie Tickets
The most obvious fundraising opportunity is, of course, selling tickets. People buy tickets to watch movies at indoor theaters, and won’t bat an eye at purchasing tickets for an outdoor movie screening. Especially if the cost is slightly lower than the $13 or so that the indoor theaters charge. You can sell tickets either at the door, or presale tickets. You can also give people a discount for a group purchase, to encourage a large audience–after all, with outdoor movies, the more the merrier!
Request Donations
You can ask for donations instead of naming a ticket price–either presale or at the door, or during intermission. For instance, having volunteers walk around the crowds before the movie can be a great way to increase visibility and encourage attendees to donate.
Sponsorships and On-Screen Recognition
Contact local businesses and organizations and ask if they would be willing to donate money in exchange for having their business or organization featured during your event–perhaps giving out free pens and small giveaways with their logos printed on them, or through on-screen advertising which will play before the movie begins.
Sell Raffle Tickets
Before your movie event, collect silent raffle items–throw together a movie-lovers’ basket, or get donations from local individuals or businesses who want to support your organization, and then sell raffle tickets before and during the movie event (not while the movie is playing, of course). At the end of the movie, you can say a few words about your organization, select the raffle winners, and send everyone home happy and eager for the next movie night and another chance to win.
Have a Concession Stand
Popcorn, cotton candy, cookies, candy, and soft drinks are all popular movie snacks. But you can also be creative with your concession stand, selling alternative foods (gluten-free cupcakes? Veggie wraps?) and mementos such as T-shirts or mugs with your organization logo prominently featured on them. Not only will you make money, it will remind movie watchers of your organization and encourage trust and loyalty between you and your patrons.
Picnic Dinners
Another option is to turn the movie into an entire picnic dinner event. Hire a caterer, order pizzas, or bust out some grills and start flipping burgers and hot dogs to sell for a set price. Picnics are a great way to get family and friends together. What better way to spend a clear outdoor evening than with a picnic than a movie?
Outdoor movies are fun and interesting, and a great way to bring people together–all fantastic characteristics of an effective fundraiser. Moreover, unlike a car wash or a bake sale, movie nights provide a myriad of opportunities. Clever and creative minds can come up with fundraising ideas, including but not limited to the suggestions above. For more information on fundraising concepts and how to set up your own movie night, remember to contact us.
So grab the popcorn and your cash box–the movie’s starting!
