Topgolf, trivia, raffles, races, cornhole, pickleball, bowling, art shows, and virtual cooking classes — the list of creative fundraising events staged by Kids’ Chance organizations is a very long one.

Each year, hundreds of fundraisers are held in pursuit of our mission to raise money for scholarships. In 2021 alone, our 49 state organizations raised nearly $5,000,000! The Kids’ Chance National Conference in Charlotte next month will feature two fundraising sessions, one of which will share ideas from across the network. Here’s an event idea from Kids’ Chance of Arkansas (KCAR) to get you thinking.

KCAR hosted a “Roast & Toast” last fall to raise both money and awareness for their cause. LJ Bryant and the KCAR event committee chose a politician, a popular mayor, as their honoree.

The fundraising committee deliberately chose to host the roast in a different part of the state than previous events, which have usually been held in Little Rock. The location, Jonesboro, is in the northeast part of the state, close to Memphis. “It opened up a whole new audience for us,” said Bryant.

Held at a local convention center, KCAR sold 18 tables at $1,000 each, with many of the tables being purchased by local businesses as well as town departments. The program kicked-off with a heart-felt presentation by Bryant, a Kids’ Chance scholarship alum himself, followed by a video presentation from one of KCAR’s scholarship students. The “roasting” then began with four pre-selected speakers, each given 3-5 minutes to razz the mayor with satirical remarks, before the honoree took the podium. The committee kept the program short so that attendees were in and out in under two hours.

“We’ll definitely do this again,” commented Bryant. “It was fun, a bit different, and it definitely raised awareness about our organization in a new part of the state.” Next time around, though, they hope to add a few additional fundraising elements, such as a raffle.  

Bryant offered a couple of cautions. “Be sure you schedule a date that doesn’t have major conflicts in the community — for us it was important to work around the Razorbacks and hunting season!” He also added that selling a table of eight to a sponsor doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll send eight guests — be prepared to have a list of volunteer guests lined up to fill those seats.

Looking for more fundraising ideas? There’ll be plenty to share at the National Conference in April. We hope to see you there.