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Fund
Raising Ideas |
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Fund
Raising Ideas |
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Location, Location, Location
1) If your school, church or social
organization is planning on having a fund raiser at a location that is not already known
by the people you hope will attend, make absolutely sure that you get a location that is
highly visible. Many vacant grocery store parking lots on main roads are a good eye
catching location. When you approach the owners of such a location, tell them that you are
raising money for your organization and that you would like to use their lot for a
carnival set-up. Tell the owner that this is tax deductible and that their will be news
coverage there to honor them for their charitable deed. Wal-Mart is an excellent source
for set-up as well, because they are very neighborhood friendly and the traffic is
enormous at most Wal-mart's. The worst thing you can do is get a bad location to attract
attention. When you are in a good location and the rides are set-up, if the children see
them you will get the parents out to your event. Scout out your location in advance making
many contacts with execs of companies etc... don't just throw your event together on a
whim... make sure you plan it out completely starting with location. Fun Source also has
skydancers that dance 30 feet in the air to guarantee your event will be seen by those
passing by. |
Space and Power Needs
| 2) I have been in the party rental business for 7 years
and by far the worst events I have to set-up is when I get to the job site and the person
in charge does not understand that you need power and a layout in order to ensure a
precise and timely set-up. Regardless of which party rental company you decide to go with,
every company dreads dealing with the person in charge that does not have a clue as to
what he/she is doing. PLAN IN ADVANCE!!! Find out the dimensions of all the pieces of
equipment you are renting. Find out the power requirements of every piece you are renting
for your fund raiser or carnival. Fun Source is not responsible for power for your event.
Should you need generators, Fun Source does rent generators. Power should not be ran over
100 feet per item. If you have power issues, then it is advisable to rent a generator.
Remember you will have power cords for each piece of equipment, the blowers for the
inflatables are on the back of the units so try to position your inflatables as to contain
the extension cords to the back of the units. This will prevent any tripping hazards in
your event. Note- You need a level surface either on grass or concrete for set-up. Fun Source will not set-up an inflatable on sand or dirt. This causes extremely long cleanup time of our equipment after your event is finished. This includes volleyball courts, beaches, dirt infields etc... If your surface is unlevel, this is not only a dangerous hazard but also causes the inflatable equipment to move when the children use the equipment. Remember the more planning you can do, the better. Also, it is advisable to put one person in charge of the layout to avoid any confusion when we arrive to set-up your event. Usually each truck has approx. 6-8 deliveries a day and time is important to our drivers as we do not wish to make anyone late with their event. If you have further questions please do not hesitate to call us. |
Making Money at Your Event
3) If it is your intention to make money
from your equipment then follow our pricing guidelines when it comes to charging per piece
of equipment. If you want to make it affordable for your families and don't want
to charge as much as we advise you, then prepare yourself to lose money. This is
put in strong words as we have seen our customer lose money simply because they would not
follow our advise on this subject. I have been in this business a long while and I know
what parents will and will not pay. The following is a suggested price guideline to follow
when charging admission to our pieces of equipment:
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Staffing Your Event
There are organizations that you can call on to get volunteers for your events. The
Birmingham
Jefferson Civic Center has a list of organizations that work in their facilities to raise
money
you can call them and ask for their lists. Also, many high school bands as well as
athletic
boosters try to raise money for trips etc.. Try large churches that are trying to raise
money for
mission trips etc. Be very careful about using teens for your event, my experience with
teens
is they are very accustom to wandering, chatting with friends and not doing their job of
watching
the attraction they are in charge of. I would make it crystal clear that if they are not
doing
their job then they will not be paid. Remember, children's safety is the primary reason
for
having attendants at each piece of equipment.
Moonwalks |
1 volunteer |
| Mountain Climb | 1 -5 people depending on how many sides of the mountain you are running. You can run upto 4 sides therefor increasing your hourly output of riders. You need one volunteer for each side to belay the participants ensuring safe operation. Men and women can operate, however, the women should only belay the girls of average weight and younger boys 11yrs and down. Fun Source staff will give detailed instruction to volunteers after set-up. |
| Bungee Run | 1 volunteer |
| Tubs of Fun (24 riders per 5 minutes) | Fun Source provides 1 operator for this ride. You will also need at least 1 volunteer to increase speed of loading and unloading people. This will increase your hourly output of people therefor increasing your revenue. |
| Swings | Fun Source provides 1 operator. You will also need 1 volunteer to increase speed of loading and unloading. |
| Whirley Bird Ride | 1 Volunteer |
| Rock n Roll Ride | 2 Volunteers/ Men preferably |
| 8 Hoarse Carousel (9 and under) | 1 Volunteer/ older teen to adult |
| Trackless Train (16 persons per ride) | Fun Source Provides driver, You will need 1 volunteer to help in loading and unloading passengers. |
| Fire Engine (12 persons per ride) | Fun Source Provides driver, You will need 1 volunteer to help in loading and unloading passengers. |
| Roller Racers (Excellent Money Maker) | 1 volunteer |
| Noah's Ark | 2 Volunteers - 1 at beginning, 1 at ending of unit |
| Thomas 3 in 1 | 2 Volunteers - 1 at beginning, 1 at ending of unit |
| Bouncer Maze | 2 Volunteers - 1 in front, 1 at back of unit |
| Deluxe 3 in 1 Combo | 2 Volunteers - 1 at beginning, 1 at ending of unit |
| Titanic Giant Slide | Fun Source provides 1 operator. You will also need 1 volunteer to increase speed of loading and unloading. |
| 18' Backyard Slide | 1 Volunteer/ adult, no teens |
| Screamer Slide | 1 very Strict volunteer/ no teens |
| Water Slides | 1 volunteer |
| Wind Tunnels (Caterpillar, propella, puffy, fire) | 2 volunteers preferable |
| Sea of Balls | 1 Volunteer/ teen or adult |
| Bungee Bullride ( No one under 10years old) | 1 adult volunteer/ absolutely no children under 10 years old on this piece, you will be required to sign a waiver stating this. |
| Ladder Climb | 1 volunteer/ teen or adult |
| 60' Ultimate Obstacle Course | 2 Volunteers - 1 in front, 1 at back of unit |
| Velcro Wall | 2 Volunteers - 1 to help suit up and the other to operate |
| Bouncy Boxing | 1 volunteer |
| Pedestal Joust | 1 Volunteer |
| 33' Slip n Slide | 1 Volunteer |
| Dunktanks (EXCELLENT MONEY MAKER) | 2 Volunteers - 1 handling the throwers and the other in the tank |
| High Striker | 1 volunteer |
| Games | 1 volunteer |
| Sno Cones | 1 volunteer |
| Popcorn | 1 volunteer |
| Cotton Candy | 1 volunteer |
Ideas for Fund Raisers
Congrats on your choice to raise money through a carnival, festival or
party. I know that if planned properly,
a carnival can raise substantial amounts of money in a very short period of time. One more
idea that you may
want to look at to increase your revenue for your event. Many businesses, organizations
etc... are very willing
to donate items such as dinner for two, household items, manicures, haircuts, movie
rentals, free memberships,
even a moonwalk occasionally for noble causes. When trying to raise funds, consider either
a silent auction, or for
a $2 donation from each person, a raffle drum drawing of prizes for doorprizes. Approach
local businesses, health
clubs, restaurants etc.. about donating to your cause.Should your cause be a good one,
it's easy to acquire many
goodies from businesses. If you have any additional questions or feel I should add any
additional information
to this list, please email me at funsource@hotmail.com