Bingo fundraising events have been around for decades. That’s because people love to play bingo and charities can earn several thousand dollars in a single bingo night. Many nonprofit organizations, clubs, and schools have annual basket bingo events. There are some organizations whose basket bingos have become so popular and lucrative that they host basket bingos two or three times a year.
While your organization can earn up to $5,000 for one night of basket bingo, it takes a lot of work and preparation behind the scenes to host one of these fundraisers.
So what is a basket bingo fundraiser?
Basket Bingo is just like regular bingo except the prizes are all baskets. Most of the shoes are Longaberger shoes. The baskets are filled with products such as Longaberger accessories, gift certificates, candles, scrapbooking supplies, beauty products, gourmet foods, etc. Each full basket can be worth several hundred dollars. This is a great draw for your fundraiser.
The typical basket bingo fundraiser lasts three to four hours. Celebrating them on a Saturday afternoon or evening are good times.
The elements of a typical Basket Bingo fundraiser are:
admission tickets
Admission tickets are generally sold for $20.00 at the door or $18.00 in advance. For this price each participant receives a book of Bingo sheets valid for 20 Bingo games. You can sell additional game books for $5.00 each. Some people will buy extra sheets to increase the odds of winning each bingo game. You may also have a couple of special bingo games that people pay extra for. You should try to sell between 100 and 200 tickets. If you sell 125 tickets for $20.00 a piece, you will earn $2,500. By holding raffles and selling food during the event, you can generate more money for your organization.
raffle prizes
In addition to the prizes for each bingo game, you can also hold a raffle for a special prize. You can pre-sell raffle tickets and sell more during the event for an amount like $1.00 or $5.00 per ticket. To maximize your earnings you must advertise the prize and pre-sell tickets. It does not require the winner to be present during the drawing. The raffle prize does not have to be a basket, but it should be a good prize with a high dollar value. Longaberger wrought iron tables and accessories are good for raffle prizes.
Cash prize raffles. 50/50 raffles are also a great way to raise more money during a basket bingo fundraiser. With a 50/50 raffle, tickets generally sell for $1.00. At the end of the drawing, a ticket is raffled and the winner receives fifty percent of the total amount collected from the sale of the tickets. The other fifty percent of the pot goes to his organization.
Gate Prizes
You may also have door prizes that you hold raffles for during the event. Give everyone who purchases a ticket to the event a raffle ticket for each prize. Door prizes are usually small items.
Food and Refreshments
Snack Bars and Concessions. Since the event will last three to four hours, you should have snacks available for purchase. Some basket bingo events serve a buffet lunch for which attendees pay extra. You can raise more money by making food donations. You may want to provide a free drink to everyone who purchased a ticket. Bake sales are also good sources of income during bingo fundraisers.
Professional Bingo Caller and Bingo Supplies
A professional bingo caller is recommended because it takes a person with bingo experience and equipment to run a bingo night. You will also need a master of ceremonies who is in charge of making announcements and keeping the activities moving.
The prize baskets
You will need to have a unique gift basket as a prize for each bingo game. Longaberger sneakers are good to wear because they are collectible. There are many Longaberger basket collectors who would not otherwise be bingo players, but will attend your event for a chance to win a basket. Many Longaberger baskets are also created with a purpose, making it easy to fill them with items based on a theme. To earn money from your fundraiser, you must donate the baskets and prizes. You can contact a local Longaberger sales representative who can sell you the shoes and advise you on how to refill them. Raising the money to buy the shoes, or have them donated, and filling them will take time and money. If your organization is a school, you can assign each class a basket theme and ask students’ families to send in items to fill the baskets.
Realistically, it will take a couple of months of work to put together a basket bingo fundraiser. You must first decide if you will be able to assemble a team of willing and able volunteers. After you’ve assembled your team, you need to get the word out that you need basket, money, and prize donations. You must also select the location and date for the fundraiser. Then you’ll be well on your way to a successful basket bingo fundraiser.