Fetes & Festivals - For anyone involved in organising an outdoor event from a small school fete to a company picnic to a national festival

A Great Way to Thank Supporters – The Sponsors’ Tent

admin — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:16 +0000

When your organisation has put together a special fete or festival and the event finally gets off the ground, it is time to celebrate with your generous event sponsors. Hosting a sponsors’ tent is a pleasurable way to thank your sponsors properly and show them your appreciation for the investment they have made in your fundraising event. Your thoughtfulness may encourage them to join you again in the future.

Hosting a sponsors’ tent can be included in your event planning with a minimum of extra time and expenditure. Invite all your event sponsors to join you at a designated tent area, it could even be decorated with their logos and signage. Plan for their arrival by providing personalised name tags, finger food and refreshments. By offering something to eat and drink, as well as recognition of who they are and their contribution to the fete, you can create an environment of camaraderie where business owners can meet each other and share information in a relaxed atmosphere. If your budget allows (and time), it can be a fine gesture to invite your organising committee to attend the Sponsors’ Tent as well, or just the P & C President and the Fete Convener to help you celebrate. Asking local, state or federal government members to join you as special guests can provide extra rewards including a networking opportunity for your sponsors.

During the celebration at the sponsors’ tent, your P & C President or Fete Convener can make a brief speech offering thanks to the organising committee and the sponsors. Everyone appreciates a thank-you and appropriately thanking your sponsors in public may persuade them to seriously consider working with you and your organisation in future events.

As sponsors depart the sponsors’ tent, you can thank them individually and direct them to parts of the fete that they might like to take some time to visit. Your sponsors may choose to take advantage of what your fete has to offer, whether by purchasing products or taking part in raffles and games or simply enjoying your event.

Planning a Sponsors’ Tent is a distinctive way to offer your thanks for the investment that a sponsor has contributed to your fete or festival. By offering a venue with refreshments and providing a chance to meet each other, business leaders and other contributors can be recognised for their generosity and support.

Pretty Pen

admin — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:02 +0000

How cute!

This has been provided to us by The Spotlight Inspiration Room

Materials:
• bic biro style pen
• pink wire
• assorted beads and charms
• pink seed beads
• head and eye pins
• jump rings
• pliers, round nose & cutters
• hot glue gun and glue sticks

Step 1
Remove the inside of the pen and the plug at the other end. Insert approximately 2cm of the wire into the writing end of the empty pen then insert the inside of the pen back into place trapping the end of the wire. Begin wrapping the pen in the wire quite tightly, once the pen is almost completely wrapped cut the wire leaving a tail of approximately 20 cm. Thread on some seed beads and wind onto the end of the pen, cut the excess wire off leaving 2cm to poke into the end of the pen.

Step 2
Select a bead that will sit nicely on the end of the pen and insert a head pin into it and cut off the end leaving 1cm to bend into a loop using the pliers. Create three separate units of beads on head and eye pins adding charms with jump rings to the eye pins at the ends.

Step 3
Attach the three beaded units to the loop created on the bead for the end of the pen. Glue the completed beaded decoration in place using the hot glue.

For more craft projects like this, please see The Spotlight Inspiration Room by clicking here!

Pictures speak a thousand words

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:11 +0000

Having a photographer, even an amateur one, at your event can be more beneficial than you might think. While photos can be wonderful mementoes of your fundraising efforts, they also provide an effective way to look back on past endeavours and determine what was (or wasn’t) successful.

Photographs can capture perspectives and moments that the people reviewing your event may have missed. Pictures can be extremely useful in order to garner feedback on your fete or festival, and to allow you the opportunity to master future plans. Even if you are simply seeking affirmation of the success you as an individual, or your team, has achieved, a photograph can favourably show your progress to a manager, colleague or convenor.

Photographs also provide an efficient way of documenting your efforts. You will not need to rely solely on written notes or memories to assist you in recalling details when planning fetes in the future. Photos can be useful guides for other fete conveners to follow while setting up events and creating sponsorship proposals. Pictures can also assist stall operators in recalling details, large and small, such as decorations and equipment used in previous years.

When you have pictorial examples of exactly what it is you need, more opportunities may present themselves. You might hire suitable new rides or stalls, if operators are able look at a collection of pictures and understand the expectations you hold for your event. In this way, photographs minimise the misunderstandings and confusions that can arise when one is communicating only with words. It is sometimes more time-efficient to provide a picture rather than to describe all the factors you are imagining.

Sponsors of your fete can benefit from the use of photography too. Donors will have lasting confirmation that their financial contribution has benefitted an event and its attendees, and suppliers will be assured that their brand/product has been satisfactorily promoted.

A good photo can be a simple but brilliant advertisement for next year’s festival. A capable photographer with a good quality digital camera can capture special moments and reflect happy memories; an effective way to advertise to the people who attended your past event and to those who might attend in the future. Participants, patrons and people with queries can see how the fete was organised and what they might expect next time.

Find a local parent or an interested individual who is happy to take some pictures during the course of your event. Photographers with some experience might be persuaded to volunteer if they receive a benefit such as free advertising in newsletters and promotions, as a result of their participation.

Photographs create terrific keepsakes of an event but they can be practical too. The power of a picture to support the written and spoken word cannot be underestimated when it comes to your organisational success.

Victorian Raffle Rules

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 01:28:04 +0000

A note of caution: this article is intended only as a general guide. Whilst the information provided is correct, to the best of our knowledge, at the time of publication, we strongly advise anyone who is planning to conduct a raffle to seek the advice of the regulating authority below.

Regulating Agency: Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation

Key Features:

Raffles in Victoria may only be conducted by organisations which have been ‘declared’ a genuine community or charitable organisation by the Victorian Commission for Gaming Regulation. Organisations wishing to apply for a declaration can do so via the VCGR website, and should allow at least 28 days for approval.
Raffles whose total prize value exceeds $5,000 in value must obtain a permit from the Commission (in addition to being a ‘declared’ organisation). At the time of writing (April 2011) permits cost $41.80. Any alterations to the terms of the permit will incur a further fee of $23.80.
At present there no restrictions on minors buying or selling raffle tickets in Victoria, However, the Commission may on occasion attach a condition to a permit restricting who can purchase tickets.

This is just a snippet of the information that is available, for further details please click here

Australian Capital Territory Raffle Rules

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:31:26 +0000

A note of caution: this article is intended only as a general guide. Whilst the information provided is correct, to the best of our knowledge, at the time of publication, we strongly advise anyone who is planning to conduct a raffle to seek the advice of the regulating authority below.

Regulating Agency: ACT Gambling and Racing Commission

Key Features:

Permits are not required where the proceeds go to a charitable cause and the prize value does not exceed $500. All other raffles require a permit in the ACT.

Prize value must not be less than 20% of gross ticket receipts, where prize value is $10,000 or less. E.g. Where gross ticket receipts are $5,000, prize value must be NO LESS THAN $1,000 in total.

Where prize value exceeds $2,000, tickets must include the following information:

- permit number issued by the Commission;
- the details outlined in paragraph 2 of these Conditions i.e. the benefiting person or organisation and the purpose for which the raffle is to be conducted;

This is just a snippet of the information that is available, for further details please click here

Northern Territory Raffle Rules

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:22:55 +0000

A note of caution: this article is intended only as a general guide. Whilst the information provided is correct, to the best of our knowledge, at the time of publication, we strongly advise anyone who is planning to conduct a raffle to seek the advice of the regulating authority below.

Regulating Agency: Northern Territory Department of Justice: Licensing, Regulation and Alcohol Strategy

Key Features:

In the NT a Raffle is a game of chance where gross ticket receipts are $5,000 or less. A game where gross ticket receipts will be between $5,001 and $20,000 is known as a Minor Lottery. Major Lotteries are those where gross ticket receipts will exceed $20,000.
No permits are required to run Raffles, though a permit is required to run a Minor or Major Lottery.
Prize value must not be less than one-third of gross ticket receipts. E.g. a Raffle with gross receipts of $5,000 must have prizes which value NO LESS THAN $1,667 in total.

This is just a snippet of the information that is available, for further details please click here

Tasmanian Raffle Rules

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:04:32 +0000

A raffle permit is only required in Tasmania where the prize value exceeds $5,000. Where prize value exceeds $5,000, the organisation must apply for a Minor Gaming Permit from the Commission.

Prize value must equal at least 20% of total raffle income from ticket sales.

Prizes may be in cash, however total cash prizes may not exceed $5,000.

Children under 13 years of age may not sell tickets in any raffle in Tasmania.

This is just a snippet of the information that is available, for further details please click here

Scrunchie Wire Bracelet

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:08 +0000

Scrunchy wire beads are all the rage and here’s how to make your own in the colours of your choice.

This has been provided to us by The Spotlight Inspiration Room

Materials:
• 26 gauge shiny metallic wire – magenta & navy blue
• 20 gauge wire – navy blue
• small toggle clasp
• enamel paint – dark blue (optional)
• packing peanuts – starch type
• wire cutters
• round nose pliers
• chain nose pliers

Step 1
Cut six 15cm lengths of 20 gauge wire. Skewer one or two packing peanuts on each piece of wire and scrunch up the peanuts to make a small ball.

Step 2
Cut a 90cm length of 24 or 26 gauge wire and wrap around the wire and over the peanut to form a loose circle shape. If your shape tends towards an oval push the ends in to make it more spherical. Repeat to make all 6 beads.

Step 3
Using the round nose pliers make a wrapped loop in each end of the wires that you have formed the beads on. The loops should be close to the bead to help the beads keep their circular shape.

Step 4
Hold the finished beads under running water until the starch peanuts wash away. Using enamel paints, paint the metal findings and if the paint requires heat setting, when dry bake in the oven.

Step 5
Using 7cm lengths of 20 gauge wire roll two wire loops onto the end of the circular pliers. Use this one large double jump ring to join two beads together – the added loop gives it more strength. Continue to join all the beads together using double loop jump rings. Make two additional jump rings for the ends of the chain and use to attach the clasps.

Handy Hint
Before making your beads, check that the packing peanuts you are using are made from starch – starch peanuts wash away when they are wet – Styrofoam ones don’t! Starch peanuts give you a support around which you can wrap your wire and then they disappear when you’re done with them.

Handy Hint
Using bakeable enamel paint allows you to paint and heat-set your findings so you can colour co-ordinate findings with your project.

For more craft projects like this, please see The Spotlight Inspiration Room by clicking here!

South Australian Raffle Rules

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:12:18 +0000

A note of caution: this article is intended only as a general guide. Whilst the information provided is correct, to the best of our knowledge, at the time of publication, we strongly advise anyone who is planning to conduct a raffle to seek the advice of the regulating authority below.

Regulating Agency: South Australian Office of the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner

Key Features:

Organisations do not need a license to conduct a Minor Lottery (i.e. one where the total prize pool value is $5,000 or less). A license is required for a Major Lottery (i.e. one where the prize pool value exceeds $5,000).
A child under the age of 15 years is not permitted to sell tickets in a minor or major lottery unless accompanied by an adult.

This is just a snippet of the information that is available, for further details please click here

Lucky Tickets – a great fundraiser

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:11 +0000

Australians love to take a chance. Could your fundraising reveal Lady Luck by selling lucky tickets?

Lucky tickets—also known as lucky numbers, lucky envelopes, continuing lotteries, pull-tab or break-open—are a game of chance.

A buyer tears, opens, or scratches a ticket to reveal a number. If the number on the ticket matches one of the ‘lucky’ numbers on a poster, the player gets to take home a prize, then and there. Sounds easy!

Particularly when you compare it to the aftermath of raffles and silent auctions, as this Fetes and Festival Facebook fan remembers:

“At our fete last year, our fireworks were washed out and a lot of people had left by 4.30pm, instead of the usual 7pm, and the cent auction wasn’t drawn until 5pm which meant all the cent auction prizes were unclaimed. That caused real headaches in the school office over the next few weeks. Office staff didn’t know to check winners’ names against the prize list and wrong prizes were handed out as some of the prizes were very similar.”

Rules of fundraising with lucky tickets

As a game of chance, lucky tickets constitute gaming. Every Australian state and territory has slightly different rules on gaming but these basics apply for lucky envelopes:

Your organisation has a declared status as a charitable organisation.
Lucky tickets require a permit. The cost varies.
Lucky envelope tickets have specific print requirements.
The overall value of prizes is specified.
The profit is specified.
Some prizes (such as tobacco and cosmetic surgery) are prohibited. Others (like liquor) have limitations.

Read your state or territory’s gaming requirements for lucky tickets:

Australian Capital Territory

Northern Territory

The odds of being a fundraising winner

State laws determine the minimum percentage of lucky numbers in a series.

As a fundraiser you can make the odds of winning more attractive, as this Fundraising Directory Facebook fan recalled:

“We made it a one in three chance of winning with minor prizes being the things that would normally be in a cent auction, like bracelets, lollies, toys, stationery, vouchers, and a few big ticket major prizes.”

But you also have to work out whether there’s enough in it for you to make money—given setup costs (such as printing of tickets, purchase of some prizes (make sure you get donations too) and permit).

Fundraising support services MSMerrywheels, which provides equipment and prizes for lucky envelopes, explains a useful formula to work out whether this is a fundraiser you can bank on.