Dates/Location
·
Set date(s) after checking with major churches and
public events to make sure dates to not conflict with other major
events.
·
Book hall or hotel dining room.
Catering
Instructions
·
Meeting with catering manager to give instructions
and program outline
·
Desserts / Salads pre-set confirmed
·
Agreed upon time for entrees to be served
·
Set up time confirmed
·
Hotel or catering staff informed when to vacate
room for program
Program
·
Master of Ceremonies confirmed
·
Music confirmed with number of songs; instructions
given regarding role in program
·
Testimonies confirmed with instructions
·
Other program participants confirmed and instructed
·
Person making appeal confirmed and instructed
·
Program outline printed for program participants
Promotion
·
Order tickets and commitment cards
·
Select ticket committee chair (or co-chair)
·
Meet with ticket committee chair(s) 2-3 months
before the banquet and compile list of prospective committee members
(for a dinner of 300, at least 30 ticket committee members are
needed).
·
Send letters to churches asking them to put banquet
information in their bulletin.
·
Send news releases to newspapers and Christian
radio stations in the area.
·
Have chair(s) contact committee members and have
everyone attend a meeting 1 month before the event.
·
At ticket committee meeting:
-Ask people to take a minimum
of 10 tickets to give to interested friends and acquaintances and/or
to personally host a table at the banquet.
·
Have ticket committee give tickets away, but also
have them tell people that a free will offering and/or faith promise
or pledge will be taken.
-People accepting tickets must
fill out ticket stub (one per person, NOT one per couple) and give
the stub back to the committee member.
-Ticket stubs are then turned
or called into the ministry 7 days before the events.
·
Call in your final meal count to the hall or hotel
3 days before the event.
Sound
System
·
Check house system
·
Rent system (if necessary)
·
“Patch” system for media
·
Correct number of microphones
Media
·
Equipment / Spare parts
·
Rehearsal set up time set
·
Tape for covering cords secured, etc.
·
Master light switches located
·
Light and sound crew confirmed
Arrangements
·
Table decorations
·
Child care (if necessary)
·
Printed materials
·
Instructions for master envelopes (pledge
cards/envelopes) printed
Registration
Area
·
Hotel or hall instructed to set up correct number
of tables
·
Names tags completed
·
Volunteers assigned to arrive 1 hour early
·
Display area reserved
Event
·
Be friendly, take an interest in people, introduce
people to each other.
·
Start on time, stay on time, finish on time
·
Keep the program up beat.
·
Be sure to specifically ask for people’s
commitments. Articulate
the value and need for annual pledge or faith promises in addition
to any cash offerings people are willing to make.
CREATIVE
BANQUET IDEAS
Family
Camp Fundraising Banquets
Every
year during the family camp weeks at Forest Home’s (California),
they put on a fundraising banquet as part of the week’s events. Child care services are provided, the camp provides
outstanding candle light dinner and an upscale atmosphere, and
people are given advance notice that they will be asked to make a
financial commitment over the next 12 months for a specific project
(people are NOT asked for a current gift, but only for an indication
about what they would be willing to give over the next year).
Tens of thousands dollars are raised each year through this
at-camp event with up to 50% of the people making financial
commitments to be fulfilled within the next 12 months.
The
Un-Banquet
A
number of ministries send out annual invitations for an
“Un-Banquet.” The
ministry tells people they normally had a fundraising banquet in the
past, but now want to offer people the opportunity to participate in
an “Un-Banquet”. They
encourage people to send in a gift equal to what they normally would
have given at the banquet, plus the money they would have spent
paying for baby sitters and gasoline to get to the banquet.
Then they encourage the people to just stay at home and enjoy
their family. Many
people send in a gift and the camp does not have to go to the
trouble, expense, and effort of putting on a banquet.
Source:
Various articles compiled by Brian Kluth for the book, "Out of the Woods: Funding Christian Camps and Conference
Centers".
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Brian Kluth is a national and international speaker and writer
on Biblical generosity and financial matters.
He is also a church pastor and the founder of MAXIMUM Generosity, a public ministry dedicated to advancing Biblical generosity through inspirational preaching, leadership training seminars, writing, resources and the media. Brian’s written materials have been distributed to more than 350,000 Christian leaders in more than 100 countries .For additional materials or to contact Brian, email:
bk@kluth.org or visit:
www.kluth.org
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