Could use your help with ideas
09-23-2015, 07:51 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Chester County., PA
Posts: 156
Could use your help with ideas
Our quilt guild makes a quilt that we raffle off for the benefit of a local charity.
Our problem is that for the last 2 or 3 quilts, it has been like pulling teeth to get our members to take and sell the raffle tickets. Most of the members who take them, buy the tickets themselves. We also have the quilt displayed and sell tickets at the various quilt shows in the area. However, we have a terrible time getting members to volunteer to man the display. We are a pretty large guild, with over 100 members.
This is our major charity fundraiser, so it is important that we maximize the profits for the charity. Do any of you lovely people belong to guilds that do raffle quilts? How do you get people to sell the raffle tickets? Any suggestions would be appreciated, even if they are way out of the box. I am the chairperson, so this is a big issue for me and I am willing to entertain all suggestions. Thanks for all your kind ideas.
Our problem is that for the last 2 or 3 quilts, it has been like pulling teeth to get our members to take and sell the raffle tickets. Most of the members who take them, buy the tickets themselves. We also have the quilt displayed and sell tickets at the various quilt shows in the area. However, we have a terrible time getting members to volunteer to man the display. We are a pretty large guild, with over 100 members.
This is our major charity fundraiser, so it is important that we maximize the profits for the charity. Do any of you lovely people belong to guilds that do raffle quilts? How do you get people to sell the raffle tickets? Any suggestions would be appreciated, even if they are way out of the box. I am the chairperson, so this is a big issue for me and I am willing to entertain all suggestions. Thanks for all your kind ideas.
09-23-2015, 08:09 AM
#3
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: MN
Posts: 24,406
How much does the raffle quilt usually bring in?
If - as a guess - the quilt brings in $3000 dollars, and you have 100 members - that would be $30 per member- maybe they would be willing to have a raise in dues of $30 per year? or a one-time per year "direct donation" to whatever the fund-raiser is for?
(This might be a hardship for some members.)
For some people, just donating the $30 directly into a fund is a lot easier than making the quilt, donating the quilt, and selling tickets. Are the materials for the quilt paid for by the guild or by the members?
Sometimes when one "does the math" on a cost of a donation to be sold - it would be a LOT less expensive to just hand over the money. (Example: Selling homemade cookies that cost $0.50 to make for $0.25.)
In general, what are the economic circumstances of the community right now? It may be that the people feel guilty asking for money for something when almost everyone is scrabbling to make a living?
How much are you asking per ticket? I am willing to "throw away" a dollar to two now and then - but that's about it.
If - as a guess - the quilt brings in $3000 dollars, and you have 100 members - that would be $30 per member- maybe they would be willing to have a raise in dues of $30 per year? or a one-time per year "direct donation" to whatever the fund-raiser is for?
(This might be a hardship for some members.)
For some people, just donating the $30 directly into a fund is a lot easier than making the quilt, donating the quilt, and selling tickets. Are the materials for the quilt paid for by the guild or by the members?
Sometimes when one "does the math" on a cost of a donation to be sold - it would be a LOT less expensive to just hand over the money. (Example: Selling homemade cookies that cost $0.50 to make for $0.25.)
In general, what are the economic circumstances of the community right now? It may be that the people feel guilty asking for money for something when almost everyone is scrabbling to make a living?
How much are you asking per ticket? I am willing to "throw away" a dollar to two now and then - but that's about it.
Last edited by bearisgray; 09-23-2015 at 08:17 AM.
09-23-2015, 08:22 AM
#4
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Lake Elsinore, CA
Posts: 15,144
This is a perpetual problem with most guilds. Many guilds, especially smaller ones, don't do raffle quilts because of the work involved in selling tickets. Some guilds require that the members donate a certain number of hours per year, in addition to paying dues, but I don't think this is quite fair since some members are unable to help out (physical limitations, work schedules, family issues, etc.) and they should still be allowed to be part of the guild. Some guilds have a drawing at the end of the fundraising, with each member's name being entered once for each hour served. (I won a quilt that way, but the possibility of winning didn't influence the number of hours I put in for the event.) Some guilds only do a raffle quilt every 2nd year, so the members don't get quite as burned out on the work involved.
It might be time to look for another fundraising idea, or raise the dues to cover part of the deficit. Perhaps the membership would like to stop the charity fundraising altogether and give to charity in another way, such as making quilts for a worthy cause, teaching quilting to children, etc.
It might be time to look for another fundraising idea, or raise the dues to cover part of the deficit. Perhaps the membership would like to stop the charity fundraising altogether and give to charity in another way, such as making quilts for a worthy cause, teaching quilting to children, etc.
09-23-2015, 08:32 AM
#5
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Knot Merrill, Southern Indiana
Posts: 5,781
I don't belong to a guild, but I have been very involved in dog breed and all breed clubs ... and it's pretty much the same story all over. The same people do the same work year after year.
Some of the best incentives that I've seen is to offer: reduced membership dues for X hours worked at an event, reduced (or free) admission to events that have a fee for X hours worked, a basket full of fat-quarters and/or quilting supplies for the member that sells the most raffle tickets (regardless of whether they were sold, or purchased by the member - they were still SOLD which means income), and finally .... paid dinner at a fine restaurant for all members who work at least X number of hours for the show (in any capacity) (the paid dinner actually attracted quite a few volunteers for us!).
It's also a good idea to collect the names of members who wish to work the show, then "assign" the duties to them as opposed to allowing them to pick-and-choose the function they want to perform. Don't assign the duties until the day before at the earliest (unless the assigned duty requires more advance notice).
Some of the best incentives that I've seen is to offer: reduced membership dues for X hours worked at an event, reduced (or free) admission to events that have a fee for X hours worked, a basket full of fat-quarters and/or quilting supplies for the member that sells the most raffle tickets (regardless of whether they were sold, or purchased by the member - they were still SOLD which means income), and finally .... paid dinner at a fine restaurant for all members who work at least X number of hours for the show (in any capacity) (the paid dinner actually attracted quite a few volunteers for us!).
It's also a good idea to collect the names of members who wish to work the show, then "assign" the duties to them as opposed to allowing them to pick-and-choose the function they want to perform. Don't assign the duties until the day before at the earliest (unless the assigned duty requires more advance notice).
09-23-2015, 08:48 AM
#6
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 11,276
The only idea that I can think of is the one they use for school fundraisers. The person who sells the most tickets wins a prize. I agree that many people don't want to burden others and just buy their tickets. It also sounds like it's an option for members to take tickets to sell. Maybe consider changing the charter so everyone has to take a small number of tickets? Or maybe, since this benefits a charity, you don't make and raffle a quilt. Just take the money you would have spent on the materials and ask for cash donations. Seems like our guild got better participation if we asked for quilts to give directly to the charity rather than a raffle.
09-23-2015, 11:13 AM
#7
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Chester County., PA
Posts: 156
Thank you so much for all your suggestions. We have been tossing around the idea of having members write a check directly to the charity and maybe giving them one ticket for each $5 they donate. And, Bearisgray, you are right on. We usually raise about $3000.
We do make and donate about 150 or so children's quilts to this particular charity each year. We have several other charities, but this is our largest recipient.
We do make and donate about 150 or so children's quilts to this particular charity each year. We have several other charities, but this is our largest recipient.
09-23-2015, 11:29 AM
#8
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: MN
Posts: 24,406
I think people are funny sometimes - myself included -
I will spend X amount on something I donated - and what it sold for was only a fraction of what the materials cost!
Example: Pillowcases - replacement cost of the fabrics would be around $14.00 - they sold for $5.00 - which does not include the time I spent making them!
I will spend X amount on something I donated - and what it sold for was only a fraction of what the materials cost!
Example: Pillowcases - replacement cost of the fabrics would be around $14.00 - they sold for $5.00 - which does not include the time I spent making them!
09-23-2015, 02:06 PM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 651
Why don't you ask your members how they would like to raise the $3,000, especially since many members are unable to assist in the selling of raffle tickets. And then discuss some of their ideas at the next meeting. This politely raises the issue of not everyone is participating and welcomes new ideas and suggestions. Some times members are craving change, while the group continues to do the same old thing.
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