IEA Team Fundraising

[lindsay.anne]

My team is a bit late to the game, and we’re desperate for fundraising ideas fast. I was wondering if the lovely members of COTH have any ideas for fundraising that will engage those who are in and out of the horse world.

Just looking for more ideas, anything helps! So far, we set up a GoFundMe account for those who may want to just donate (family, friends, etc). We’ve also been talking about the Cookie Dough fundraiser.

While 50/50s and raffle baskets are a great idea, we dont have a platform of where to do that aside from at our holiday party- which is too late in the season to help with what we need sooner.

Any ideas out there creative COTHers? Thanks in advance!

[DownYonder]

My dressage trainer’s daughter joined an IEA team this year. She told me the other day they are doing a car wash this weekend at a nearby Chick-fil-A. The car wash is “free”, but they are asking for donations for their team.

[222orchids]

Unless this is your first year as a team, you will need to co-host or host a show. At your own show you can set up a raffle table, have a silent auction, etc., so that you reach out to more than just your own barn for revenue. The host of the show also has to provide a show program and we set ours up like a booklet with all the required show information but we also solicit local (relevant) business to sponsor half-page or full-page ads. We go for tack shops, feed stores, restaurants that we go to a lot throughout the year, etc., as well as those ads that say “Suzie, we are so proud of you; love Grammy and Papa” with a picture of the kid. Grandparents and parents love to do that. The ads in the booklet more than pay for the booklet printing, so there is some profit there. But if it is your first year and you are not hosting a show, you need to reach out like any other organization for fund-raising but you have some unique options within the horse community; unless it is prohibited at local schooling shows, maybe you can go to them and set up a bake sale (include home-made horse treats too) or a boot-shining and tack-cleaning table. Maybe even a “horse-wash” for those who want to get off their horse and have the luxury of handing it off to an enterprising, responsible kid to unbraid, shampoo and graze Rex before he gets put back into his stall. I’d give $10 for that some days. But ask show management in advance before you start with a financial enterprise on someone else’s turf. If you have some non-IEA boarders in your barn, maybe you can set up a horse-laundry service where (with the help of one of the parents) you collect their wraps, pads and fly masks once a week and do them all at the laundromat. That all depends on whether your barn includes laundry service for those things (mine does not and I might be happy to pay to have someone suffer the laundromat experience for me; I hate it). Just remember your parents are already paying plenty for this and asking them to contribute to your “Go Fund Me” account is just asking them to pile more on top of that and is neither creative nor enterprising. Good luck!!

[541hunter]

I help the local IHSA team with their fundraising, and we often provide concessions for local shows and clinics. It usually nabs us a few hundred dollars at a time, which adds up over the years. We ask team members to throw in $5-$10 each (or pull it out of our account if we have enough) and make a Costco run for stuff like bottled water, protein bars, muffins, Gatorade, etc., and then we usually do something like pulled pork sandwiches or chili for lunchtime.

I’m working on partnering with the local rated shows to try some wine tasting/paid-entry parties or maybe even a fun class to benefit the team. I’d love to do a .95m Gambler’s Choice class or something, charge $50 per entry and split the money with the show. If there are any bigger unrated shows in your area, or a smaller rated, you could try something like that.

I’m also doing a letter/email writing campaign this fall, which is similar to your GoFundMe, but university clubs can’t use the university’s name on crowdfunding sites. I’m going to ask each team member to raise $125. Doesn’t matter if it’s mom and dad ponying up for all of it or if they ask all their sorority sisters for a buck, they’re just responsible for that amount by Christmas. That’ll be about $4000 right off the bat.

The restaurant partnerships can be good or awful. We had good luck with Qdoba in the past – I think we got $500 one time. But it’s really a crapshoot.

[Highflyer]

Many horse trials in this area will make donations in exchange for your group providing volunteers for a day. I know that pony club, Young Riders, boy scouts etc all do this (plus you can also ask for donations/ do your raffle).

[comeoutandplay]

Make team tee shirts from a screen printing company and sell them- most parents and friends are happy to show their support by wearing them at shows. Pick colors and styles appropriate for men and women to maximize sales.