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Great Ideas We Learned from
People Like You
to Raise More Money!
Enlist a Local Business to
Sponsor the Ticket
We learned that many organizations using
our kit invited a local business—such as an accounting firm, physician’s
practice, or real estate office—to underwrite all or a portion of the cost
of the Ticket. You can promote the item as being sponsored by the local
company so that the company gets some great publicity--and your organization
gets to keep all the proceeds from the auction item.
 Double Your Money
After bidding closes on the item, take a look at the bid
sheet. Were the top two (or three) bidders close in price? If so, you can
approach the closest bidder(s) and let them know that you can acquire an
additional ticket if they would also like to purchase it at the winning bid.
More times than not, the answer is "Yes!"
You even have this option if you had a sponsor for the
original ticket. As long as the bidding is more than the cost of the ticket,
you can purchase an additional ticket and keep all the proceeds on the
second ticket that are in excess of its cost.
Use the Hot Air Balloon
Ride as A Game Prize
In Spring 2005, a non-profit organization in
Maine shared a great game
idea with us. At a fundraising event, they sold helium balloons for $20
each. Inside each of the helium balloons was a small slip of paper. Everyone
popped their balloons at the same time. One balloon had a piece of paper
indicating that they were the winner of the Hot Air Balloon Ride. The
organization raised a little over $800 on the game.
Try a Raffle!
Note from Jenna: "Over the years, I have heard from several creative
volunteers who had not only used our rides as auction
 items, but also as raffle prizes. The results sounded so
encouraging, I decided to try it myself. Every Spring, the singing group I
am a part of has a concert to raise money for a scholarship for a
local music student at our town's high school. We actually perform two
nights, and each night has a crowd of 150 people. I sold raffle tickets for
$5 each or five tickets for $20. I gave away a Balloon Ride for Two People
each night. The first night, we sold $700 in raffle tickets and the second
night, we sold $850 in raffle tickets. I was thrilled! If you want to give
it a go, you can print the raffle tickets I used right from this website.
Click here for our Raffle Ticket Page.
 Seize the Photo
Opportunity for Great PR!
Have the winning bidder(s) hold up the Ride Description Signs
and take a photo! Then, submit the photo along with a press release about
your event to your local newspaper(s). Editors often publish these press
releases!
At the right, you will find an example of
great publicity for a Kiwanis organization in Connecticut. A photo of the
winning bidder holding his hot air balloon ride ticket was published in a
local paper.
Why Wait for Your Next Fundraiser?
With the Live and Silent Auction Kit, putting up a
display for a Hot Air Balloon ride is virtually effortless—so why not find
more opportunities to raise money with it? Try putting up a display at the
ticket counter at your next football or basketball game. Or get a local
business to sponsor the ticket and sell raffle tickets at the door. You can
announce the winner at halftime! This also works well for sports awards
dinners, Parent/Teacher nights, band and choral concerts, and school plays!
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