Fundraising Guide

There are lots of different ways to raise money for commercial playground equipment. However, you have to consider different community dynamics to determine which campaigns will work better than others.
It might take a bit of trial and error to figure out what will work in your area, but fundraising for commercial playground equipment doesn't need to be one-and-done. It could also be necessary to run a few different fundraisers to get enough money to complete your playground project.
At Playground Equipment Pros, we understand the importance of community involvement in these efforts. To help you decide on the type of fundraiser, we've provided a list of key players and other factors to consider in order to choose the right strategy.

Types of Fundraisers

💰 Sales & Subscriptions

  • Magazine Subscription
  • Newsletter Subscription
  • Catalog Order Sales
  • Discount or Coupon Books

🏷️ Community Sales

  • Yard Sales
  • Car Washes
  • Donated Items
  • Gift Baskets or Packages

🎤 One-Time Events

  • Silent Auction
  • Spoken Auction
  • Music Performance
  • Talent Show
  • Drama Play
  • Comedy Shows
  • Gala
  • Art Exhibit
  • Fashion Show
  • Bingo Nights

🏃 Ongoing Events

  • Walk-A-Thon
  • Marathon
  • Relay Race
  • Athletic Tournament

🍕 Food & Phone

  • Food Sales
  • Food Wars
  • Phone-A-Thon

Setting Up a Fundraiser

1. 📊 Budget

These are the funds that will be used for planning the event, buying materials, and reserving any spaces. This may be based on what has been gathered between the committee or based on funds already available to you.

2. 🎯 Choose a Fundraiser

This should be a consensus among your committee and community, as they will be the ones helping or that you'll be reaching. At this point, you should start planning potential locations, dates, and avenues of planning.

3. 🏆 Goals

Having clear set goals early on allows you to adequately plan towards them. Examples of goals include:
  • The amount of money you'd like to raise
  • The number of people you'd like to reach or attend your event

4. 🤝 Make Connections

To reach people, you can visit in person, talk to them on the phone, or draft letters of inquiry to send out. These can be:
  • Business owners
  • Churches
  • Employers
  • Doctor's offices
  • Banks
  • Other community organizations
This is also a good time to present your fundraiser to your community to begin gathering resources and volunteers.

Key Players in the Community

Every successful fundraiser needs the right people in the right roles. Here are the four key players you'll want on your committee:

👑 Leader

Ideally, this person should be good with managing people, making decisions, budgeting, and having ideas. They are the tie-breakers and voice of reason, so they should be good with conflict.

💵 Treasurer

They should be advising the committee about how to handle the money so that the group adheres to the laws of your area. They also need to discuss how the resources can be allocated responsibly.

📣 Marketer

They give ideas on how to present yourselves to the public and gain attention for your cause and fundraiser. They should be considering and bringing ideas about flyers, social media, and community engagement.

📋 Logistics Manager

These are the people that make the event happen. They are the ones laying out the event plan so it goes as easily as possible. There might be several of these depending on the size of the event.