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 Expert
Posts: 1516
 
Location: Illinois | We're trying to save our local riding club this year and build it back up to how it was a few years ago. We used to have 300+ members and sponsors from everywhere, but the last few years membership has been well under 100. We do fun shows that are geared towards kids and family fun, with awards for points at the end of the year. We also rent the grounds out for other activities. But we're trying to come up with ways to bring in some money that are a little out of the normal box. We were going to do a Poker Ride, like a poker run for bikers but state law requires a gambling license, extra insurance, and a lot of paperwork. So we're trying to come up with more ideas for fundraisers. We have a local restaurant donating a percentage of profits one night for us, we have tried the bake sale idea, donation boxes at events & 50/50. We're trying to come up with money to make facility improvements and then put into awards. Any ideas for fundraisers would be greatly appreciated. | |
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
 
Location: The best kept secret in TX | JLazyT_perf_horses - 2018-03-15 10:19 AM We're trying to save our local riding club this year and build it back up to how it was a few years ago. We used to have 300+ members and sponsors from everywhere, but the last few years membership has been well under 100. We do fun shows that are geared towards kids and family fun, with awards for points at the end of the year. We also rent the grounds out for other activities. But we're trying to come up with ways to bring in some money that are a little out of the normal box. We were going to do a Poker Ride, like a poker run for bikers but state law requires a gambling license, extra insurance, and a lot of paperwork. So we're trying to come up with more ideas for fundraisers. We have a local restaurant donating a percentage of profits one night for us, we have tried the bake sale idea, donation boxes at events & 50/50. We're trying to come up with money to make facility improvements and then put into awards. Any ideas for fundraisers would be greatly appreciated.
Try and have a saddle donated or you can find one cheap if you buy it from somewhere like Teskeys.
Give the kids raffle tickets to sell and a prize of "points" for selling the most tickets.
Tickets can be $5/ea or get a book of 5 for $20.
Give the kids a good two or three months to sell tickets.
Raffle the saddle off at a silent auction with donated items. You could even do the silent auction via Fecbook so that you wouldn't have to use time or facilities or feed anyone refreshments.  | |
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | As far as things members can do outside of the actual shows... look into Little Ceasar's pizza fundraisers.
Our NBHA district did one last year to raise money for the kids going to Perry. It was easy to set up, fairly easy to sell (everyone likes pizza), and something different than chocolate/candy type fundraisers.
Everything is delivered frozen, and then you distribute. The prices are higher than some other catalog sales, but not bad compared to actually going out and picking up pizza.
At the barrel races...we also did a "barrel board" like a football board. It pays back 50/50 to the winner, and the squares can be any price you choose. Usually we do $2 squares, but for big turnout shows, we'll do a $5 board.
You mark out your 10x10 squares just like a football board...once it's full, draw numbers between 0-9.
We use the winning 1-D time's final 2 numbers, so a 15.387 we use 8 and 7 to determine winner.
They were a big hit last year. A $1 board pays $50 to win, $5 pays $250. But you need to make sure you have enough people present to fill up a board. | |
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Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | IRunOnFaith - 2018-03-15 10:53 AM
JLazyT_perf_horses - 2018-03-15 10:19 AM We're trying to save our local riding club this year and build it back up to how it was a few years ago. We used to have 300+ members and sponsors from everywhere, but the last few years membership has been well under 100. We do fun shows that are geared towards kids and family fun, with awards for points at the end of the year. We also rent the grounds out for other activities. But we're trying to come up with ways to bring in some money that are a little out of the normal box. We were going to do a Poker Ride, like a poker run for bikers but state law requires a gambling license, extra insurance, and a lot of paperwork. So we're trying to come up with more ideas for fundraisers. We have a local restaurant donating a percentage of profits one night for us, we have tried the bake sale idea, donation boxes at events & 50/50. We're trying to come up with money to make facility improvements and then put into awards. Any ideas for fundraisers would be greatly appreciated.
Try and have a saddle donated or you can find one cheap if you buy it from somewhere like Teskeys.
Give the kids raffle tickets to sell and a prize of "points" for selling the most tickets.
Tickets can be $5/ea or get a book of 5 for $20.
Give the kids a good two or three months to sell tickets.
Raffle the saddle off at a silent auction with donated items. You could even do the silent auction via Fecbook so that you wouldn't have to use time or facilities or feed anyone refreshments.
Someone donated a black show saddle with lots of silver last year valued at $500...so a couple moms took it to a big trail ride/concert and hung out all day enjoying the food, music, and company and sold $1200 in tickets.
It appealed to that crowd more than the barrel racers, and when they hit $1200, they said GOOD ENOUGH and drew on the spot and was done. Easy lol.
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Expert
Posts: 1516
Location: Illinois | We had a saddle donated a couple years ago to be given to the winner of the jackpot that we held for it, but only 6 people came to the jackpot. The past leaders of the club have burned the bridge pretty good with the barrel racing community here, especially NBHA and they won't come back. So we have that going against us as well. The previous donors/sponsors were also extremely put off by the past club leaders so we're struggling to get them to come back. We used to have between 70-100 sponsors/donors every year and the last couple we've barely gotten 10. Unhappy members raised their voices and those who were in charge resigned from their positions and so we are trying to get it turned around. I do really like the squares idea and I'm wondering if maybe we could do that at all of the fun shows. Even if we got someone to donate an item like bell boots or a hay bag and just sold $1 squares. Some of us on the board would be happy to donate some smaller items like that to try out and see how it goes. I'm already donating all the bake sale items at the shows as well. We are thinking about doing an atv barrel race. Let people come in with bikes, quads, utv's, etc and let them run the barrel pattern. Have a payback type of deal for them and run exhibitions for them too. I think that would be neat | |
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Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | JLazyT_perf_horses - 2018-03-15 11:35 AM
We had a saddle donated a couple years ago to be given to the winner of the jackpot that we held for it, but only 6 people came to the jackpot. The past leaders of the club have burned the bridge pretty good with the barrel racing community here, especially NBHA and they won't come back. So we have that going against us as well. The previous donors/sponsors were also extremely put off by the past club leaders so we're struggling to get them to come back. We used to have between 70-100 sponsors/donors every year and the last couple we've barely gotten 10. Unhappy members raised their voices and those who were in charge resigned from their positions and so we are trying to get it turned around. I do really like the squares idea and I'm wondering if maybe we could do that at all of the fun shows. Even if we got someone to donate an item like bell boots or a hay bag and just sold $1 squares. Some of us on the board would be happy to donate some smaller items like that to try out and see how it goes. I'm already donating all the bake sale items at the shows as well. We are thinking about doing an atv barrel race. Let people come in with bikes, quads, utv's, etc and let them run the barrel pattern. Have a payback type of deal for them and run exhibitions for them too. I think that would be neat
The ATV thing is a neat idea IF you have a large pasture area...otherwise it's going to destroy your ground...I would require drivers to be of a certain age and wear helmets also.
If the name of the club has left a bad taste, and it's new people running it...have you thought of changing the name?? Or doing some major social media promoting.
Create a FB page, or a NEW FB page, add as many members as you can...then introduce each board member and the club's goals for 2018, and how yall plan to improve it and make it better. You can even do social media incentives like have people share and comment for a chance to win a free entry...more shares gets the word out! Social media is a very powerful tool...it can make a huge impact-positive AND negative.
A square prize could even be a free entry into the next show! What about free entry for the winner PLUS they get to give away a free entry to a friend who hasn't been to a show...or someone who left years ago under past leadership? Those are the people you need to win over.
Good luck!! | |
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Expert
Posts: 1516
Location: Illinois | We are trying to do the ATV thing before shows begin in May, then our grounds crew can work on fixing the arena before shows. There's a pleasure and speed arena, we can do it in the pleasure arena as they don't have to worry about ground like the speed arena does. And yes helmets are required and kids (with parent consent) will have their own class, similar to an actual barrel race. Most kids around here are riding 4 wheelers or dirt bikes by the age of 5 anyway. As for social media the old board took everyone off the facebook page the minute they resigned and won't allow us the login info. So we are working on getting a new facebook page set up. The resignation of everyone is still less than 2 weeks old so we're just starting and the new board and what was left of the old, are ones who were involved with the club when it was huge. I think that will entice some of the old members to come back. he club is well over 70 years old, we don't really want to change the name. But we are working on new social media and websites, etc as fast as we can. And the free entry thing might work, classes are only $3 anyway so we might have to do a pack of entries. The idea is to get people to buy more than 1 square. We'll see how it goes, thanks for all the ideas! | |
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