Looking for a cool way raise funds at shows, non-profit events, and fests?
Here is how the eMerge Alumni Council sold 100 buttons to raise $2,000 for the DePaul University Coleman Entrepreneurship Center. Keep reading to win buttons and do the same!
Step 1: Get Everyone on “Board”
Your purpose is sell buttons and raise money! A “pin-spirational” diagram like this helps explain the idea to your group.
Step 2: Set Your Goal
Set a financial goal, and work backwards to figure out how many buttons you have to sell at what price.
If you’re a band with a $100 goal, choose to sell 100 buttons for $1 each at a concert and offer your new album as a Grand Prize.
eMerge Alumni Council set a $10,000 goal, so it made sense to sell 500 raffle buttons for $20 each and a Hawaiian Vacation Grand Prize.
Step 3: Organize Materials
Your quantity of supplies depends on the financial goal calculation. Here’s a sample list of materials:
• Raffle Prizes
Prizes are incentives for multiple raffle tickets. Ask for prize donations from your community!
DePaul University Coleman Entrepreneurship Center Board Members donated generous gifts like a Food for Thought Gift Basket, Loop Capital Markets counsel, a collectible Hubert cookie jar from Harris Bank, a GREENOLA Fair Trade gift basket, Soma Institute massage gift certificates, Staples gift certificates, Chicago Bulls tickets, and a Grand Prize trip to Hawaii.
Design buttons that people want to wear, and represent your cause. You can order 100 one-inch buttons for as little as $30 with free shipping from Busy Beaver Button Co. here.
• “Ask Me” Buttons
Design big buttons for representatives that say, “Ask Me About the Raffle” to promote your button board at the event. You can order a fifty 2.25-inch buttons for $26 with free shipping from Busy Beaver Button Co. here.
A 23×30 inch foam board displays 500 1-inch buttons, and a printed grid makes it easier to organize. This costs $1 to $14 an you can even substitute it with any “pin-nable” material, like fabric, or cardboard.
• Roll of Double Raffle Tickets
When you sell buttons at the event, give each button-buyer a raffle ticket and save the duplicate ticket to call winners later. You can substitute this step by designing individually numbered one-inch buttons, too!
• Computer, Printer, Paper
Use helpful tools to design buttons in the Busy Beaver Button Co. Templates, order materials, and print signage for your board.
• Easel
Want your board to stand up and attract attention? Stand up your display on an easel.
You organized your purpose and materials, so now it’s time to have fun!
eMerge Alumni Council members helped make this board possible. Allegro Dance Boutique owner Victoria Lyman and GREENOLA founder Jen Moran assembled this Button Board in under an hour. Here’s how:
1. Lay your board on a flat surface, like a table.
2. Organize buttons into position on the board.
3. Stick the button pin into the board until it’s full.
4. Make a sign with prices on the board. Now you’re done!
This is how 500 one-inch buttons look on a Busy Beaver Button Board! Victoria and Jen did a great job organizing it.
Step 5: Sell Buttons!
Put on your “Ask Me” button at the event, prop your Button Board on its easel, and start selling! Let people know their donations are going to a good cause, hand them a button, and a raffle ticket.
People will see how many raffles are selling by the gradually depleting quantity on the board. This “limited-edition” approach creates a sense of urgency that sells buttons effectively.
Call out raffle winners later that night and pat yourself on the back!
Step 6: Win Buttons from Busy Beaver
In two hours, 100 of the 500 buttons sold for $20 each, the group raised $2,000 and a lucky raffle winner goes to Hawaii.
Save the board and continue reaching toward your fund raising goal.
Now you can do the same! Comment below with how you would use a Busy Beaver Button Board to raise money, and for what cause. A winner will be selected on June 30, 2010 and receive 100 custom one-inch buttons and 10 “Ask Me” buttons to do this project.
5 comments
amanda says:
Jun 3, 2010
this is a great idea! i’ve been working on a series of commemorative buttons that i wanted to sell to raise money for my Team in Training marathon, coming up in October. If i won this promotion, i would use the button board to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society, in honor my Pop and Uncle, who both had cancer and recently passed away. (even if i don’t win, i’m pretty sure busy beaver buttons are in my fund raising future!)
Katherine says:
Jun 9, 2010
This is such a wonderful concept! I work for the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance and we have been thinking about selling buttons at events, but hadn’t thought of a cute gimmick yet. This raffle board of buttons would be awesome for our “Fleurotica” fundraiser in March (http://www.garfieldconservatory.org/fleurotica.htm). This event is a runway fashion show where all of the clothes and accessories are made out of real flowers and leaves. All procedes support programs and activities at the Garfield Park Conservatory. We could have our sexy “Fleurotica” lady icon on the button, and who wouldn’t want to buy one of those! Thanks for the contest, and for the great idea!
Busy Beaver Button Co. says:
Jun 9, 2010
Awesome to learn about both of your causes!
The concept was inspired by a customer with individually numbered buttons with the chance to win an invitation to her new restaurant: http://busybeaverbuttons.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/bravos-top-chef-buttons-up/
I pinned buttons to a board in hopes of catching attention at a large gala. About 100 buttons sold, and we will continue using the board until we reach our $10k goal.
Floyd says:
Jun 10, 2010
Great work Alex!
Julie Berglund says:
Jun 28, 2010
This is a fantastic idea! Ever since I ordered buttons from you a few months ago, I’ve been working on my sister to convince her to create and sell pins for their annual Rally for the Cure for Breast Cancer event in August. I thought it would make a great fundraiser and allow folks to ‘collect’ new pins each year. (since many of the participants come back year after year), and perhaps have a family member of a breast cancer fighter to design them.
This is another excellent idea that I will share with her. Thanks for sharing this!