FUNDRAISER IDEA #1: MOVIE NIGHT

SAMPLE EVENT

Horrorfest

  • We hosted two October movie nights as part of a “Halloween Horrorfest” event
  • We obtained the movie and the rights to show the movie from www.swank.com
  • We showed one movie (a thriller) on the High School field for High School audiences
    • Admission was $1
    • We sold pop, coffee, candy, and popcorn
  • We showed the other movie (an animated Halloween themed movie) in the parking lot of a local family restaurant for younger kids and families
    • Admission was $1 for kids and $2 for adults
    • We sold cookies, hot cocoa, coffee, pop, and candy

    We obtained movie screens from the local Park and Recreation organization for both movies. 

    We gave a short speech before each movie about UNICEF’s cause and about the 22,000 children who die every day from poverty.

We thanked all our donors on the screen before the movie started.

Who Helped with Our Event:

  • The local United Nations Association gave us a grant for the price of renting the children’s movie and the cost of getting permission to show it.  UNICEF is a branch of the United Nations.
  • Student Council gave us a grant for the price of renting the high school movie and the cost of getting permission to show it.
  • The Park and Recreation Association loaned us the inflatable movie screen free of charge. 
  • Local stores provided concession items free of charge or at a reduced fee
  • Club members and community members paid for concession items that were not provided free of charge
  • Club members worked the event and spread the word
  • A local hardware store provided barriers to cordon off the areas
  • A local restaurant let us use their parking lot to show the family movie
  • The High School kids and other community members attended the movie nights and helped support UNICEF
  • High School jugglers provided pre-movie entertainment for the family movie night
  • The High School let us use their field to show the movie for High School students

OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHTS

BLUE PRINT

  • Figure out your movie audience (Elementary School kids, High School kids, Adults, Families, etc.)
  • Select a location (Pick an alternate rain date or indoor place in case of bad weather)
  • Have a theme for your movie night (Halloween, Sci-fi, romance, etc.) that fits the audience
  • Pick a movie based on the audience and theme
  • Go to www.swank.com or some other organization that licenses movies.  Obtain the rights to show the movies.  Pay for the rental.
  • Obtain a large movie or projector screen
  • Publicize the event.  Include location, time, date, and your cause.  Use the following for your advertising:
    • school newsletters and websites,
    • posters around the school (in approved locations) or the neighborhood,
    • school bulletin boards,
    • local newspapers,
    • local parenting magazines for Elementary School audiences,
    • Facebook for High School audiences
  • Sell snacks and beverages (Get local businesses & community members to donate these)
  • Set your admission price based on the audience (High School students may pay less than families)
  • Set up the projector a few hours before the movie
  • Barricade off the area where you will be showing the movie
  • Decorate it to make it look like a special event.  Use balloons or posters
  • Have music playing before the movie
  • Use the event to increase awareness about your cause.
    • Give a short speech about your cause before the movie
    • Include information posters or brochures in your decorations
    • Include information about your cause in the advertising
  • Thank everyone who donates, participates, and attends!
     

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR MOVIE NIGHT!

What worked at our event:

  • Everyone who attended thought the event was fun
  • We raised money
  • Because all the supplies & concessions were donated, all the proceeds went to our cause:  UNICEF
  • We had a good turnout at the High School movie night
  • The people at the family movie night bought lots of snacks
  • We raised awareness for UNICEF and our club
  • Club members got into the event
  • Everyone in the club got practice with community relations and publicizing events
  • People were looking forward to next year’s movie nights
 

What didn’t work at our event:

 
  • The family movie night was not well-attended
  • We didn’t publicize the family movie night enough
  • Some people tried to sneak in to the High School movie night without paying
  • Primarily underclassmen attended the High School event, few upperclass members came
  • The family night was cold (since it was October in the upper Midwest)
  • The family night conflicted with other area Halloween activities
 

Tips:

 
  • Ask companies/organizations to donate the movie screen and snacks
  • You need to get permission from your school or from wherever you are showing the movie
  • Get permission early and ask for free use of the facility
  • You are LEGALLY REQUIRED to get permission before using movies for fundraising; get a grant for the fee if possible
  •  Publicize family movie nights in local newspapers; community websites; school bulletin boards, newsletters, and websites; posters and bulletin boards around the community; and local parenting magazines
  • Publicize High School movie nights on Facebook (preferably get a popular senior to do the publicizing for you) as well as on posters around the school and in school websites/newsletters
  • Use the event as a podium for informing people about the cause (hand out brochures, make a speech)
  • Rope off and guard the area so nobody sneaks in without paying
  • Host the event when the weather is good & have an alternate rain location or rain date
  • Choose a genre/title that will appeal to the crowd you are trying to attract
  • Have music before the movie and make the event as fun as possible
  • The popcorn maker is not worth the money unless it is rented to you free of charge and the popcorn is donated