Ever notice how excited kids get every time a Hollywood movie studio releases their latest digitally enhanced, technologically amazing, animated film – or even when you walk through the door with an old DVD favorite? Here’s a thought–why not take that enthusiasm and use it to make money by hosting an ‘Afternoon Matinee Fund Raiser!”
Even small towns have a local movie theater and a business that would be willing to sponsor the snacks and beverages. The theater donates the space and the business reimburses them for all the goodies consumed. Ask the theater to obtain the latest and most popular film they can find—or two for a double feature—that appeals to all ages. Children never get tired of seeing their favorite’s films like, The Goonies, Wall-E, CARS, or Kung Fu Panda over and over again.
Sell the tickets at a reasonable price—anywhere from $4-6 each. People who buy the tickets can bring their own kids, give their tickets away, or even donate them to a children’s home, foster family organization or even a small daycare center. Just be sure that you know exactly how many people the theater can accommodate. If ticket sales soar, consider expanding the fund raiser an extra day.
Kids old enough can be dropped off with their friends ‘worry free’ because you will have plenty of volunteers around to manage the event. Having a sufficient number of adults for traffic control is the key to keeping this event organized and problem free.
Want to kick the event up a notch? Create a Hollywood red carpet experience. Find another sponsor to donate the cost of the red carpet and bunches of balloons to line the walkway. A couple of volunteers armed with digital cameras can take photos. Pick a character from the movie and costume another volunteer for a star photo-op. Raise a little more money by charging for the photo.
Advertise the Hollywood red carpet angle and encourage all attendees to wear snazzy, trendy sunglasses just like their favorite stars. Girls may want to dress-up for the red carpet. The boys? Ask them to wear their favorite movie tee-shirt, preferably the one without holes!
Get all the kids in your group motivated by asking them to design cardboard frames to put around any photos sold and all the posters advertising the event. Ask them to place the posters in store windows and around their schools, help with blowing up balloons and with generating ticket sales.
Another benefit of an Afternoon Matinee Fund Raiser is that you won’t have to worry about picking a rain date. If Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate, you can easily move the red carpet inside the front doors. This event could become so popular that the kids will beg to have one every year.
