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Are you looking for new and out-of-the-box ways to grow and promote your restaurant? Then you should give restaurant fundraising a shot.
Below, we look at the benefits it can bring, as well as how you can fundraise as a restaurant and the most important things to keep in mind when organizing a fundraiser.
Restaurant fundraising is the process of raising money for a cause by organizing social events at your restaurant or in the community.
Restaurant fundraisers are also known as give-back nights or dine-to-donate, and they are an excellent way for the restaurant to help the community while attracting new customers.
Are you considering organizing a restaurant fundraiser but you’re still on the fence about it? Here’s why you should do it:
· Fundraisers are an excellent community outreach technique for restaurants. To establish your restaurant as a fixture of the community, you need to show people you care about contributing to the community’s greater good.
· You can attract a new crowd of people. Fundraising is a great way to kickstart your restaurant’s because it will bring customers to you, so you can get them to stay with your delicious food.
· Fundraising increases customer retention. As long as people have a good time at the event and enjoy your food, there’s no reason for them not to come back, especially if you support a good cause.
· You profit from the fundraiser too. Not all the profits you make while fundraising have to go to the cause, which means this technique can help you drive revenue as well. However, be transparent with the amount you’re going to donate so customers don’t think you’re trying to take advantage for your own benefit.
· It can be fun. Depending on the event you plan on organizing or supporting, fundraising can help you shake things up and get your restaurant out of its daily routine with a fun contest, game night, or costume party.
As a restaurant owner, one of the best ways to raise money for charity is to organize a big dinner at your eatery.
To ensure the success of your charity dinner, both regarding fundraising and the customer experience, sell tickets or tables that customers can buy to participate.
Invite the local media to help you promote the event, as well as local influencers or celebrities that can attract more people.
Consider hiring entertainment such as a band, stand-up comedian, or another local performer who can make the night more special.
To raise even more money on the night, contact other local businesses and ask if they’d like to donate some items or experiences for a silent auction. It’s great publicity for them too, and together, you can help the cause.
Not all fundraising events happen in person. You can also create a fundraiser online using a donation platform.
Choose a cause you want to support and create a slideshow of images and videos that showcase it to the public.
Make each new donation public to motivate others to support the cause as well as keep donors up to date on the fundraising goal on email and social media.
When organizing a fundraising campaign online, it’s vital that you choose a secure platform like Fundly that ensures people’s donations will be safe, so they don’t have any concerns about donating.
Charity fun runs are a popular way to raise money. You can either look into sponsoring a local fun run and setting up food and hydration stations with your restaurant branding, but you can also organize your own fun run.
A good way to make your restaurant stand out is to organize a charity fun run with your entire team. That way, they will be front and center and people will get to know them outside of the restaurant setting.
Putting a face to your brand is a great way to create a relatable identity that will make customers resonate and connect with you.
Themed events open up a new world of possibilities for your restaurant because there’s no shortage of themes you can choose from.
From food-related themes such as Taco Tuesday to decade evenings such as Rock the 90s or costume parties for popular fandoms like Star Wars or Harry Potter.
You can create special menu items in tune with the theme, offer prizes for people who dress up, and organize contests and trivia games, all with the goal of raising money for a local charity.
Raffles are a simple way to raise money. As opposed to events and sponsorships, this is a type of fundraising activity that you can do every day at your restaurant.
How? By selling raffle tickets at the counter and picking a new winner every day that you announce on your social media profiles.
This comes with excellent benefits for you too since you can tell people to follow you on social media to learn if they’ve won.
If you do it every day, it will become a staple of your restaurant, and it won’t just improve your reputation, but it will also bring in more and more people willing to donate.
Even if you decide to organize a restaurant fundraising event yourself, it doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. The more support you get, the better it will be for your restaurant and the cause you’re supporting.
Contact local businesses that might want to contribute, either by organizing the event with you, becoming a sponsor, or donating their products for an auction.
This will also help you forge long-term relationships with other business owners in your area, which leaves the door open for more future collaborations.
The key to a successful restaurant fundraiser is awareness. If no one hears about it, how are they going to get a chance to participate?
Promote the event well in advance to ensure it will be fully booked. Post about it on your website and social media, distribute flyers in the neighborhood, put out a press release, and email your restaurant contacts.
You can even try to contact influencers who might be willing to participate and promote the event to their followers.
Once the fundraiser is over, send attendees personalized thank-you notes, whether online or in the mail. This is a good way to express your gratitude and make them feel valued, which can lead to future contributions as well.
You can also write a heartfelt social media post to share together with photos from the event and thank the group as a whole. However, make sure you have everyone’s approval before you post the photos.
Restaurant fundraising is a creative way to promote your brand, get involved in the community, help people in need, and attract new and returning customers to your restaurant. Consider organizing restaurant fundraisers to grow your business while making a difference.
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