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Fundraisers: Are They Doing The Job?
I recently read an article about fundraising and what they actually raise for fire departments and it really makes you wonder: are we getting our money's worth?
Getting together for a fundraiser is certainly a great way to gauge public support, but let's face it; a pancake breakfast won't buy a thermal imaging camera. If you look at prices, cameras can cost $10,000. If you charge five bucks a meal, that's 2000 meals! Most likely, it will take a couple of years or more than one fundraiser a year just to get a camera.
Sure; you're putting your face in front of the public, but it's a lot of work to come up short on your much needed purchases.
So, my question is still: what do you expect from your fundraisers?
I'll be right over there.
TCSS.
Art
Getting together for a fundraiser is certainly a great way to gauge public support, but let's face it; a pancake breakfast won't buy a thermal imaging camera. If you look at prices, cameras can cost $10,000. If you charge five bucks a meal, that's 2000 meals! Most likely, it will take a couple of years or more than one fundraiser a year just to get a camera.
Sure; you're putting your face in front of the public, but it's a lot of work to come up short on your much needed purchases.
So, my question is still: what do you expect from your fundraisers?
I'll be right over there.
TCSS.
Art
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by turk182 on
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Ours seems to be doing the job for us we only get $1,000.00 a year from out township supervisors we mentioned about raising the fire tax and you would have though we asked for a million dollars.
We hold cash bashes, ticket sales, pork sandwich sales, and a year door to door fund drive to raise money to pay for our monthly bills and buy equipment.
It's alot of work but it is a necessary evil I guess to keep the doors open when you can't get the local leaders to up your funding.
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Permalink Reply by Phil on
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One of the easiest and most fun ways to raise funds is with a Comedy night. It is an easy way to raise money, a fun night out for everyone and can be done two or three times a year with excellent return for the investment. It takes a minimum effort to set up. can be done almost anywhere, and the ticket cost is tax deductible.... you can get more info at www.hometowncomedy.com an agency specializing in fund raisers for fire and rescue and community groups.
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Permalink Reply by Andy Entwistle on
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We rely on our fund-raising and just recently began to wonder what we'll do if it keeps drying up. Our Bingo revenue was down this past year and our recent chicken barbecue sold less than half what we did the year before. We rent out our hall and cater dinners and fill swimming pools, and we also run some 50/50 type games of chance during the year. We also run just a plain "please donate" drive in our district when we deliver the annual calendar. This money makes possible a lot of things the tax base does not - real stuff not social stuff. We find ourselves in the dilemma at meetings of recognizing that we need to raise more money while also recognizing that the 'effort' of the fund-raising is burning out firefighters - fewer are showing up to help. I don't play at the level of knowing why we get what we get from the town, so no comment there, but those of you who DON'T have to fund raise, say thanks to someone and count yourselves lucky.
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Permalink Reply by Tiger Schmittendorf on
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Hey Look -
We're not the only ones who think this might be an issue. Here's an article I received today from Jason Zigmont of VolunteerFD.org.
How timely....
http://www.volunteerfd.org/article/425572/
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Permalink Reply by Oldman on
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Tiger, you are not only smart, but you are fast too! I had just finished reading that article and was going to post the link. Guess I'll have to grease the wheels on my walker.
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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Yeah; that was one of the articles that I read.
But I also think that the "post 9/11" priorities have been replaced with complacency in our communities.
Thoughts?
TCSS.
Art
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Ah, but I didn't post the link because I KNEW that Tiger would.
What does that make me?
Clairvoyant?
TCSS.
Art
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Permalink Reply by anne potter on
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The point is that we must have fundraisers to surive.. They work but tiring.. the fist post.. I don't think it is much of a rant.. If you are luck enough to recieve enough contract money anf you are able to afford to drive more chrome than fire truck out of your station,new equipment all the time.. Your lucky,but smaller depts.. We have to make due on fundraisers to get the fire truck out the door..
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Permalink Reply by Moose on
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Another subject I both agree and disagree with. All of you make good points, this has been an educational and informative thread, thanks to tiger and mr bownas, and the others for their knowledgeable insight to this.
I know that our department gets the operational costs covered, without argument, such as monthly bills, fuel for the trucks, equipment maintenance etc. If we have a huge purchase being planned like a new truck or expensive piece of equipment, the Village always supplies SOME of the costs, which is better in some ways than being told "Not now, we have to buy a new Pickup truck for the highway superintendent, he wants a CD player for the winter"....
The fund raisers we have set up are designed to cover the offset of these purchases, and cover the play money we need for our annual banquet, summer BBQ, and other benefits. We have a few annual fund raisers like the County Fair. We have a booth for the week, and sell food and beverage and usually make a lot of money. Than we have the annual "Maple Festival" where they crown the "Maple Queen" and as if to surprise you we sell all you can eat pancake breakfasts with home made "Maple Syrup" that usually nets quite a bit. With these extra fund raising dollars we can buy stuff like TIC's, new carbon wrap bottles for our scotts, etc.
I also see these events as a way to open the eyes of the public and educate them as to what exactly we do as a volunteer dept and why our operational costs are so high. We do demonstrations, or have tables set up with an officer and some information to hand out, and answer any questions. This usually does a lot, and helps some one. One year we ended up providing a needy family with smoke detectors, and an escape ladder for their 6 kids located on the second floor of a farm house. So its good PR as well.
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Which part?
The cow vs. milk theory?
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