Fundraising the Fun Way

The first stage is to make sure your organization is registered with the Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission and it hasn’t or will not expire before your event date. Making a call in the beginning will save you a lot of hassle later on. Be sure to have a copy of this registration on hand. We will need it later for completion of paperwork.

There is a very simple scale associated with the size of your event: More Guests = More Money = More Work. If you want to make $30,000 at the door, you’re going to need 300 guests. On the other hand however, this means you will need more tables and a larger venue, which will in turn cost you more. As a result, you will need more donations and more (or bigger) sponsorships. We find most organizations are comfortable in the 100-150 guest range but do not let that stop you from going bigger! Bigger is better but your ultimate goal should be finding a balance. You can always increase the guest capacity next year!

We highly recommend 1 table for every 10 guests at your event. Since casino tables on average seat 7 players, this ratio gives you the absolute best value. You want as many people playing as possible, but not everyone will be there to play the entire time. Some people are going to mingle and some are going to watch. Many will break for food, or go to the bathroom, or get a drink and may get caught up in the mingling. We call this the “vacancy factor” and already account for it in our recommendation. For example, at a 10 table event for 100 people, there will be roughly 70 seats for players at any given time; allowing 30% of the people to engage in other activities without hurting your fundraising.

Now that you know how many guests you are anticipating, it is time to book a venue and a casino vendor (hey, that’s us!). Since this is a fundraiser, the main thing you want to focus on is value: how much do you get and at what quality per dollar? There are vendors and venues willing to give you bottom dollar deals but sacrifice quality. On the other hand, there are top-of-the-line companies out there that will charge you an arm and a leg. Your two-fold goal is to raise money and to allow your guests a great time. As a result, you want value. This is what NJ Casino Night offers to you and your guests: great value and smiling faces! Don’t forget to ask about our non-profit discount.

Depending on the venue, food may or may not be included. Be sure to ask about this as well! We highly recommend doing a buffet or just having hors d’oeuvres during the gaming. A sit down dinner tends to break the atmosphere of the casino and stall the associated income. If one is necessary, do it before or after the tables open or close. This ensures maximum profit from the casino itself.

At the bottom of this page, there is a “Potential Income Calculator” to help manage your costs vs. expected profit. Once you’ve made a decision on the venue, vendor, and food, you can enter them into that calculator or a similar tool to give you a better idea of costs and profits so far.

The one fundraising idea that should be taken to heart: Have all your expenses covered before the doors to your event open. Get the prizes donated; get the tables sponsored; have your guests pay in advance. If you do this, you are guaranteed to turn a profit. From then on, whatever income you get the night itself will be a great bonus.

To get sponsors, think of your casino night as a marketing opportunity. This exciting event is pulling hundreds of people into one place. You can sell that to many businesses as a way to advertise. Put their ads on display in your event’s booklet, by the prize tables, the sign-up or rebuy table, or even on the casino tables themselves. Put the ads wherever appropriate for the type of ad and level of sponsorship. Most businesses would be happy to help their community while also getting to market themselves (and they get a tax break too!). Don’t forget to reach out to more than just local businesses. The owner of that McDonald’s down the street is also a member of the community. You may even get lucky and score a big time sponsor like Coca-Cola or Budweiser!

Don’t forget to log these numbers in your profit calculator!

This is where that profit calculation spreadsheet is going to come in most handy. You’ve logged the cost for the casino tables, venue, and food and now you’ve taken into consideration the prize donations and sponsorships. All other costs should be covered by this step. Let’s say, hypothetically, for your 100 person event, you still are at negative $1,000 (don’t get nervous! this is before any guests have signed up). If you want to break even at the door, you have to charge at least $10. If you decide to charge an average door price of $75, you’re going to make $6,500 just at the door! And there is still plenty more to be made from rebuys, 50/50s, specials, and all your other activities.

We don’t recommend charging less than $40/person at the door because it is a fundraiser and you can’t raise money if you’re giving things away. We’ve seen the ticket price upwards of $150. This entry price usually includes food and their first $1000 in funny money. It can also include alcohol if you are doing an open bar.

The rebuy price is the conversion rate of real money to funny money. Throughout the night, your guests will need to get more funny money in order to keep playing. We find it’s very simple and effective to do $20 for another $1000, but are certainly willing to do it differently. You can also consider selling raffle tickets directly. The cost of tickets directly will vary based on your rebuy rate and your chips-to-raffle ratio. Your Event Manager will be able to assist you with this.

The last thing you’ll need to plan are other fundraising activities for your guests! Why limit the options to one thing when a casino night pairs so well with a lot of different ways to raise money? Here are just a few of them we have seen:

• 50/50 Raffle
• Silent Auction
• The Money Grab
• The Chance Wheel
• The Lucky Key
• Hole-In-One Golf

There are many other activities that could enhance your casino night fundraiser. Being creative pays off! If you’d like to learn more about any of the additional activities, your representative will be happy to explain them. Some of them we may be able to offer for free!