How To Do A Magical Fundraiser

What type of events do you host as fundraisers? If the answer is none then you may want to rethink that. Im not saying you need a black tie gala but what about a magic show? You can check in Craigslist or ask family and friends who knows a decent magician and start calling to find what they charge. If you live in a small town you may have to look to the metro area you lice closest to but you should not have to pay for travel expenses.

Let the entertainers know that you are hosting an even as a fundraiser and you thought a magic show would be a good idea. Get their rates for the show and compare. Think of how many people you can get to attend, being conservative with your number is always good so you dont lose money. Perhaps you can charge for individuals and for families. You may consider selling refreshments as well which can bring in a lot of extra money.

There are all kinds of add-ons you can use as well as refreshments. Grab your own cheap magic tricks from one of those bulk buy companies such as Oriental Trading and sell wands and other magic paraphernalia before and after the show. Offer pictures with the magician for $5 and tell the guest you will print and mail (or have your printer handy right then and there). You can also make arrangements ahead of time and see if the magician will teach one magic trick to those who want to sign up for that. Put your magic hat on and see what else you can come up with. I bet you could make hundreds of dollars if you play your cards right ;)

Make sure to advertise your event is as many places as possible. Use Craigslist, local radio stations and print, if you can afford that. Use a local Twitter channel as well as FaceBook and other social networking sites. Send out an email to your supporters and organization members and ask everyone to forward on. And dont forget YouTube. Make a quick video and see if you can get a picture from the magician to include. You can even offer tickets in advance for a small discount. Make sure you always mentioned that there are only a certain number of seats to prompt people to buy quickly. If you think you can sell out, then you may want to consider adding a second show, perhaps an evening show and a matinee.

On a side note, if you are a magician and looking for a gig or just getting started and trying to gain exposure, why not call on some local non-profits and churches and see if they would be open to doing a fundraiser. You could meet a lot of folks and this could propel your business to the next level. This may end up being an annual event for you if it goes well.



If you feel like this tip is interesting or helpful, you can check out the other fundraising ideas I have in the fundraising section of my blog. I have been helping my church and other groups do fundraisers for around ten years now and I am always looking for ways to make them more creative and profitable.